Here's a quick reference list of MN Progressive Project interviews with the various DFL gubernatorial hopefuls, going all the way back to early 2007. No, that's not a typo!
Joe Bodell's Interviews with Candidates for Governor:
I've been thinking about the DFL endorsement battles, and the battle to get elected in general. It's what I do. I think about elections, and how to win them, and how to organize to win them(among other things, I think about music, good books, and long walks on the beach). We all know that it really is a battle sometimes, elections can be rough.
We, as members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party have the same general outlook on the issues. We are a big tent, so there is a wide array of viewpoints, a wide array of ideas, and a wide array of how to implement those ideas that flow through the veins of the DFL. It's good to offer a strong defense of one's candidate. It's good to be excited about someone who you think can do all the things you want them to be able to do. But what else do our candidates really need from us and us from them?
I believe, as supporters, our candidates need us to ask them the hard questions, and to tell them the truth rather than painting a rosy picture if the horizon is darkening. Our candidates need us to ask them what they want from us, and we need them to ask for our help. We need to trust our candidates and their staffers' framework for the volunteer work that they ask of us. We need to know that they need us, and remember that they need us so that they can know about that particular thing (issue), or that particular person ("Tiffany, the DFLer from down the road?" "Yeah, she'd be a great volunteer! But don't call her on Tuesday until after 3pm.").
We're the candidates' local connection. Our candidates need us to be a mouthpiece (or keyboard, as it were), but our candidates need us to represent them in an honorable and non-politically damaging ways. I say this in particular to remind everyone that the internet can be unforgiving (there are snipers everywhere). Our candidates need us to listen, and our candidates need to let us in on their strategic thinking at least a little bit, (if we can be trusted (how do we measure that? I'm not sure.)) so that we can understand. We need to level with one another to understand what we want from each other. They need to set our expectations, and we need them to surpass ours. Our candidates need us to be able to think about the "big picture." Our candidates need us, uncommitted and committed alike, to tell our neighbors now why a DFLer is a better choice in a generic general election match-up in the fall.
After the endorsement/primary battle is over, our candidates need us all to work together again to make the phone calls, to walk and knock on those doors. Our candidates need us to come together and drink the wine of a united front rather than sipping on our sour grape juice alone in the corner. They need us, and the party needs us to go out and talk to our neighbors about why it is so important to vote in any election. They need us to help drop "off-year" from the presidential/occasional voter's vocabulary.
These are the things that we need from one another in order to ensure success.
Poor Tim Pawlenty. The DFLers won't cut him any slack and, apparently, neither will Minnesotans. A recent SurveyUSA poll shows that a majority of Minnesotans don't like the job he's doing. These are his worst numbers as Governor.
Not great news if you're running for president: A new SurveyUSA poll finds that 52% of Minnesotans disapprove of the job Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is doing and only 42% approve, "giving him some of the lowest marks he's gotten in his seven plus years at the state's helm."
(Political Wire)
It's going to be fun as his 2012 presidential campaign "ramps up" and we Minnesotans get to tell the nation what a rotten Governor he's been. I'm trying to think of slogans for his 2012 campaign.
A highly placed source informs me that yesterday's SD-05 DFL Convention in the heart of the Iron Range was a blowout. State Rep. Tom Rukavina took 16 delegates to fellow Iron Ranger Tom Bakk's mere 3. Four delegates were elected as uncommitted.
While Rukavina's win is not surprising, this is a blow to Bakk who needed to do a little better here. Next week's remaining conventions will be very telling. Check out more analysis at my blog, MinnesotaBrown.com.
UPDATE: Reports are swirling on the Range that Rukavina and Bakk will unite forces before the state convention based on who has the most support. That would make this next weekend Bakk's best chance to score remaining Range and Duluth delegates. Stay tuned.
Rather than governor in the state where he was elected, Tim Pawlenty went to Washington, DC last week and through this weekend to attend and speak at the Conservative Political Action Convention (CPAC). This was an opportunity for him to push his viability as a not-crazy, not-disgraced 2012 presidential candidate. And, boy, did he whelm them. The DNC was kind enough to compile the conservative pundits' reactions to his speech and email it out ...
Jim Geraghty (National Review via Twitter): Tim Pawlenty seemed like a decent, very vanilla guy; his Woods comment today suggests brief demonic possession and/or trying too hard.
Reid Wilson (National Journal Hotline): Pawlenty fell short of the overwhelming ovations other speakers won. On Thursday, ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney and ex-FL House Speaker Marco Rubio won bigger applause from attendees, while Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) earned more ovations than Pawlenty on Friday.
Ben Smith (Politico): Tim Pawlenty spoke to a drowsy morning crowd in a two-thirds full ballroom at the Conservative Political Action Conference, taking a while to wake up the crowd with a series of folksy jokes.... Pawlenty was at pains to differentiate himself from Romney, referring to his blue-collar roots and to "elites" who eat brie and drink Chablis "at parties in San Francisco."
Mike Memoli (White House Reporter, Real Clear Politics): Well, the good news for Pawlenty is he still has two years to hone a stump speech.
Yup. Governor Teabag did not impress the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers who dozed through his remarks. You can read more of their reactions here.
It gets worse for Governor Gutshot, though ... cuz they did a poll of attendees ...
I'm giving this advice to any candidate who wants it. Well, maybe not Republicans, so if you're a Republican, I'm about to prove everything you believe is wrong, so CLICK AWAY NOW!!.
They're gone? Good. OK, candidates, I don't care if you're the gubernatorial candidate I'm backing for endorsement or not because I just want to win the general election. Actually, you don't need to be running for governor, because I'd like to win right on down the ballot. I'm going to suggest a way of avoiding a Martha Coakley moment.
"Martha Coakley moment" is actually unfair, because Coakley was hardly the first candidate to have such a moment. These moments are probably unfair at all, but they hurt a candidate anyway, with fairness not entering into it. I'm referring to those moments when a candidates does something to indicate they don't get what life is like for most people, that they lack knowledge the common people pick up by osmosis if nothing else, and therefore can't represent them. These moments become iconic, and of great use for opponents.
In Coakley's case, it was her inability to not intuitively grasp why Curt Shilling wouldn't be a Yankee fan. You probably don't get that if you're not a baseball fan or not living in Massachusetts, but Coakley was living in Massachusetts. Related to being a senator? No. Shallow? You bet. Likely to hurt? Oh yes.
But perhaps, candidates, you're thinking she was unique, and it can't happen to you?
Please join me in expressing your support for the Equal Rights Amendment. The passage of this Minnesota amendment will guarantee equal rights to all, regardless of gender. The legislation has been introduced by Senator Dick Cohen during every legislative session for over 25 years. This year his legislation is backed by a large statewide coalition of people pushing for the Constitutional Amendment for Equality (C.A.F.E.) [mnCAFEcoalition.org].
2012 Republican presidential candidate and occasional Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty made a rare visit to Minnesota to give his final State of the State address. His presentation was ackward as he isn't very good at reading off of teleprompters and his jokes fell flat. In particular, his mullet joke to begin his speech was greeted with silence.
What @TimPawlenty's speech was missing in substance it made up for by lacking in substance. #MNsots
One thing is certain. Presidential candidate Pawlenty wants more tax cuts. He believes that only private created jobs are good ... dismisses police, teachers and etc. as good jobs. Yet at the same time, he talked about how much he luvs him some teachers. Of course, he fails to mention that he's consistently slashed education budgets to the bone and worse.
MN-GOV candidate and Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher summed it all up with this pithy quote:
"We can clearly see from this speech that the axe will be back."
Furthermore, Pawlenty insists that a constitutional budget amendment is a priority. Sen. Pogemiller is willing to discuss this and is willing to have hearings.
Finally, Sen. Pogemiller reminded the media that Pawlenty's unallotments were job killers as many, many Minnesotans have lost their jobs as government agencies have been forced to lay off.
Some of the best tweets from people watching/listening after the fold ...
2012 Republican presidential candidate and occasional Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty wrote an op-ed at Politico earlier this week. He wrote about our national deficit and, probably without any intent to be ironic, entitled it "Ponzi Scheme on the Potomac." The thing is Pawlenty wants everyone here in Minnesota who knows him to forget that he's been playing a Ponzi scheme on Minnesotans.
First he explained what a Ponzi scheme is. When he lists all the things he thinks prove the federal government is doing is a Ponzi scheme, he probably doesn't want anyone to know that he's done the same thing to Minnesota. Finally gets to the crux of the matter:
That's why we need an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget with limited exceptions for war, natural disasters and other emergencies. Every state but one has a balanced budget requirement, and while such requirements make for difficult decisions, they work.
The president also should be given line-item veto authority power as a budget enforcement tool. The experience of the states shows that this is an effective way of preventing excessive spending.
[my emphasis]
Imagine Pawlenty with that power in MN? Oh wait, you say? Wouldn't that be something like unallotment? Think about it!?! He could do to our nation what he's done to Minnesota!
2012 Republican presidential candidate and occasional Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has his priorities straight. His presidential ambitions come first. Before his state. Before anything.
So it is no surprise that he's proposing to steal $90 million from Minneapolis kids as part of his plan to slash the state's budget to deal with the financial mess he and his Republican colleagues have created. This is roughly 20% of the Minneapolis school budget.
I have gotten my hands on his proposal on education cuts. You can look up how much he would like to steal from the kids in your town here (warning, PDF). This research is from the nonpartisan House Research folks.
Before we ask ourselves who should be the next governor, we need to ask ourselves what questions we should be asking to make that decision. Do we ask ourselves: "Who do I like? Who represents my hopes? Who can I relate to? Who is best for me?" Yes, maybe we can do that. Or maybe, just maybe we can ask "Which candidate is the best candidate for the most people?"
Without a doubt, I would have to say that candidate would be Entenza because he comes with a disposition and political history that sees the dignity, value, and worthiness of all people- be it the GLBT communities, racial and ethnic minority groups, the employed, the unemployed, the youth, the elderly, the poor, the forgotten, and the unwanted.
He is a listener, and a deep thinker. It means a lot to me that he initiated the Minnesota 20/20 think tank group to ascertain and focus on the issues that are of greatest concern to all of us, and has used that knowledge to formulate policy, legislation, and strategy to develop plans and realistic goals to rebuild this state so that all of us, in whatever corner of the state we reside in, can begin to hope that the future will be better, and that we each carry a dignity no matter who we are, how we were made, and how much we have in our pocket. This is a candidate who sends a message that we all matter. We are all equal and deserving of fairness, safety, healthcare, good educations, good opportunities and we are all welcomed participants in a stronger and healthier Minnesota.
While many candidates are talking about the need for better healthcare, better schools, more jobs, and more opportunities, Entenza is the only candidate who has bridged these hopes with a sound economic plan that will allow us to realize these hopes. We can talk all day about what's wrong with Minnesota, and what needs to be fixed, who is responsible for breaking it, and how hard it is to be living like this, but talk won't change things. If we want a better future, we need a strong economy, and our government needs to rebuild a strong tax base to support our values and our goals for better schools, healthcare, and opportunities.
Entenza has well-developed plans for a new clean energy economy that has the ability to translate into immediate action through policy and initiatives that can take place when he takes office. He's not talking about pipe dreams ten years down the line. He's talking about what can happen now. His strategy will have short-term and intermediate steps to a recovery that will build a stronger and more stable Minnesota economy that can support his vision that we all matter, that we are all welcomed to share in the benefits of a better Minnesota, and that we can do this together.
We can do this together by collectively saying "Yes" to hope. When our friends and neighbors are biting their nails about the economy and joblessness, or when our siblings or parents are worried about how they are going to deal with their health issues, or when our children are worried if they can afford to stay in college, or whatever conversation or encounter that you have that begins to pry open yet another dialogue with despair, send them a link to Entenza's website, and talk to them about what you have read, and do your part to spread the word that our time is now, and that our vote and support for this exceptional candidate really truly matters more than ever.
It is great news that nine of the ten serious DFL gubernatorial candidates said they would sign the Minnesota Health Plan, if passed by the Legislature (Eric Black, Minnpost, Jan 13 2010 and MUHCC.org). Does that mean that each of the ten can be counted on, as Governor, to put passage of the Plan among their top priorities, so that the happy scenario of signing it becomes a reality? No, it does not. We, as advocates, should be very careful navigating these tricky waters.
Here is what I mean. If the Minnesota Health Plan is to become reality, we must have a Governor willing to risk political capital to make it a reality. For a Gubernatorial candidate to say they would sign a bill if the legislature has passed it or that they would work with the legislature to encourage passage, is a step forward but says nothing about putting real political capital on the line to make it happen. Think, for example, of the many meanings of "work with."
How can we distinguish those who are willing to take the necessary political risks from those who will passively encourage? Probably our best indicator of future behavior, in this case, is past behavior. Of the nine DFL candidates who said they would sign the MnHP, if passed by the legislature, eight have recently held an elective office which gave them opportunity to publicly support single-payer, if not the Minnesota Health Plan itself. Only two of them actually took a meaningful step: Senator Bakk and Representative Rukavina became co-authors of the bill.
There are caveats, of course. The candidates served in different elective capacities at different times, so that an expression of support would differ among them. Second, a policy conversion during the heat of the campaign might actually be a thorough and meaningful one. Finally, we should not forget that promising to sign the bill is a step forward, however incremental.
My point, however, is that those of us who want a Governor who will be an active partner in the tough fight of making the Minnesota Health Plan a reality should seek out the candidate who has demonstrated the willingness to take on that fight.
It happens that the chief author of the Minnesota Health Plan, Senator John Marty, is among those who answered "yes" to questions about working with the legislature and signing the bill if it passes. In the most literal sense, his answer necessarily appears to be the same as the others. In reality, however, there is a world of difference.
