(Another excellent "Democratic Visions" segment produced by DFL Volunteers in SD42! - promoted by TwoPuttTommy)
The Nation Magazine named Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie America's most valuable state official and Politics in Minnesota honored Mark as politician of the year.
Leah Solo, Mark's campaign manager sent out an email alert today which in part says:
"Mark Ritchie is a great leader and a great Secretary of State. But we cannot take this race for granted. We're in a race against big money and opponents willing to make baseless accusations. Some of the biggest GOP donors in the state have maxed out to our opponent, and with the new laws, we're up against corporate money.
We expect the attacks against Mark to be frequent. We expect them to be fabrications of reality. We expect them to be largely fact-free." - Leah Solo
Readers should refer their Republican friends to Mark's conversation with Tim O'Brien on the current edition of Democratic Visions. We've posted it on YouTube:
So far I've been starting my Diary posts with a lesson I've learned so I guess I"ll keep it up for the sake of consistency. So today's lesson learned is; WOW! This blogging stuff is addictive. The ability to voice an idea or discovery at the moment of inspiration rather than having to recall it days or weeks later when the topic comes up in a conversation and I'm either not in the mood to deal with it (ie. drunk) or my input is clearly unwelcome (ie. drunk again) is so gratifying. And then the comment sections are just a riot. To receive cogent criticism and encouragement in a format that doesn't escalate into louder and louder interruptions (damnit! drunk again) is just exhilarating. (lets drink to that!)
Something else I've learned is that, based on the gracious and thoughtful feedback my previous posts have generated, there appears to be a consensus that the Democrats messaging sucks. (less consensus on other topics)
When it comes to messaging I have no experience, no qualifications, no education and no talent but I don't let that stop me from having ideas.
1st off, Strategy. I've notice that Republicans (who play the game very well) rarely attack a candidate directly on policy, They first attack the Democratic policy and then attach the candidate to the policy. "Candidate X said Blah Blah Blah. That's the same big government, big spending, economy killing failed policy the Dems have been peddling for decades." It seems to be a very effective tactic. Attack the idea, not the person.
Here's how it can work:
Republicans want the borders secured, the laws enforced, the workforce educated and our freedom protected but they don't want to pay for it. That's socialism and Tom Emmer is trying to push that onto Minnesota.
Republicans solution to cutting expenses is to just stop paying for things. That's like thinking you can reduce your water bill by just not paying it. It doesn't work that way does it? Democrats find ways to use the water more efficiently. Better things come from better ideas, not less ideas.
We also need to mitigate the labels we have been saddled with for the last 30 years.
Big Government? Big ideas call for big plans supported by the full might of the american people. Not a single major industry exists in this country today without the support of the American people thru their tax dollars and the laws that govern commerce. That's a tradition of partnership and growth that Democrats intend to continue.
Taxes This is one of my pet peavies that makes me cringe every time I here it come out of Daytons mouth, and thats often. He often says that taxes should be assessed based on the individuals ability to pay. which kinda sounds arbitrary. A concert ticket should cost the same regardless of how much the person sitting in that seat is making. What does effect the price is where that seat is. Why not say that people should pay based on the benefit they receive from our infrastructure. I'm getting a lot more from that concert if I'm sitting in the front row than I would get in the nose bleeds. By the same token the CEO of a trucking company making $500k/yr is getting a lot more benefit from the roads than the $30k/yr truck driver that's actually on the road.
Well, that's a start for what it's worth. I'd love to here some other ideas from voices other than the ones in my head.
After posting my 1st blog ever I was exhilarated by the rapidity of which I would learn my very next lesson.
I learned that many of the True Blue, Uber Informed liberals have an ardent allegiance to the parade of mediocre candidates and tepid election campaigns that plague the Democratic party. This lesson really stunned me.
The Minnesota DFL have been getting absolutely schooled by the Republicans for the last 25 years and most of the party faithful are busy pointing fingers at everybody but themselves or touting razor thin victories as a job well done.
Read the writing on the wall. In 2004 Kerry barely took Minnesota. In 2006 we lost the Gubernatorial race in a year of unprecedented Democratic landslides. In 2008, again a year of significant Democratic gains, we actually lost seats in the Minnesota house. And to consider Franken a victory is like saying that winning a coin toss is an accomplishment. It could have gone either way. This trend began in the mid 80's and has culminated in a nut case extremist like Emmer polling in the mid to high 30%'s. That would have never happened 20 years ago. Any one remember how Quist was laughed out of the 92 primary?
REMEMBER PEOPLE! THIS WAS A SOLIDLY BLUE STATE AT ONE TIME!!
When will it dawn on the DFL to try something different? Getting better phone systems or knocking more doors in key areas has its limitations. Those of you who do the work in a campaign know what its like talking to the Delegate, who is active and informed, as well as average voter, who is disengaged and ill-informed. What rank and file Democrats complain about most is not our policies or our tactics, its our message and our strategies. Instead of trying to win public office we should be trying to win over public opinion.
Our enemy isn't Emmer, or Pawlenty, or Coleman. Our biggest enemy is the public perception of who we are.
Turning on the news, we know the 1st thing we're gonna hear from any right of center talking head; "Big Government, Higher Taxes" . Every stinking time no matter the speaker, the topic or the venue, it's always the same statement. And do you know what the Democrat is going to say? NO. You don't know. Because nobody knows. But you DO know what you WON'T hear. You won't hear an effective marginalization of the right wing mantra. You won't hear a consistent or compelling argument for better ideas.
Change needs to come from the bottom and that is as true in the Minnesota DFL as it is in Washington. And speaking truth to power is as important, if not more so, in our own circle of friends as it is in the greater population. Because of that I've learned that I want to use this blog to help change the debate, help shift the perception, help make Minnesota a center-left state again.I don't see it happening by digging up more examples of how the Republicans are myopic, corrupt, greed mongering liars. That's just not a news flash. I believe we need to change the message to show that we want to move in a direction that is more prosperous, peaceful and free for our state and our country. Hopefully some of you feel the same way or I'll just sound like one more ranting lunatic on a cyber soap box.
TwoPuttTommy suggested an after action report, like was routine when he in the service, and I agreed with the concept. I just didn't agree with the timing, the morning after the election. With results just in and reactions raw, it seemed a bit like starting the after action report as soon as you stick your head up out of your foxhole. Now however, it's been a few days, and hopefully heads are clearer and more facts are at hand. It's possible none of us have changed our minds from Wednesday, and I'll admit that my opinion of the core error in the campaign hasn't since I formed it even before election day.
From what I observed, there was one problem from which others flowed, one that might have changed the result.
What I do find weird is I haven't seen it stated anywhere else. I've seen it hinted at, and smaller mistakes identified that struck me as too little to account for the loss. Margaret's supporters, me included, point out that she was up against two wealthy candidates, one with huge name recognition, but that doesn't explain the mistake, just the disadvantages she was up against.
Critics of the endorsement pounced of course, but the endorsement process had nothing to do with how the campaign was run, nor did it hurt her. In fact, without the endorsement, and with the same disadvantages, Margaret would have been a minor candidate. The endorsement is why she nearly pulled off a huge upset, which indicates it's pretty potent; more potent, I suggest, than when Dayton defeated the endorsee for senator in 2000. It's possible the endorsement is the only way a non-millionaire candidate can run statewide, at least if a millionaire is among the candidates.
Let's also be aware of what makes up the box we're trying to think our way out of.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said elections officials had accepted 21,703 absentee ballots as of this [Friday] morning. Absentee voting continues on Saturday and Monday.
At a house party this evening I had a chance to hear Secretary of State Mark Ritchie speak about why he's running for re-election, and about the things that his office does, and how as the State Election Official he and his staff and the 87 counties oversee Minnesota's voting process.
He said that he received notice from his office that by early Saturday, the number of absentee ballots received was in the 25,700 range.
That number breaks the previous record from 1998 for absentee ballots cast in a primary election. That number was 25,257 http://www.startribune.com/pol...
So, there's another clue into what turn out may or may not look like on Tuesday.
You can absentee vote on Monday (most government centers/absentee voting locations should have extended hours on Monday), and ballots can still come in via postal service on Tuesday.
Who knows how high the number of absentee ballots will be, perhaps 28,000?
So, now that we have entered those last hectic days before the primary election on Tuesday I would like to let everyone know about my personal post-election/convention rule. I want to just quickly spell out here what my expectations are of those supporters of losing candidates:
We here at MN Progressive Project applaud Greg Steinhafel for apologizing.
We hope that the "strategic review" you mentioned will foster a dialog from within and outside of the Target Corporation, as well as other corporations that are thinking of putting their money in the "public policy arena."
Take note, your workers and consumers aren't just going to sit back when you decide to act, however well-intentioned you might think your actions are/were.
We hope you think very hard about all possible repercussions to your credibility, your image, your customer base, and your bottom line, before you act.
Target CEO Greg Steinhafel today apologized to Target employees for donating funds to a group that is backing Republican Tom Emmer's bid for governor. In the letter, Steinhafel wrote that the company will create a review of their political donations and will also bring together a group of companies to discuss ways to improve GLBT relations.
Target has been heavily criticized for donating to MN Forward, an independent expenditure group that is backing Emmer's campaign for governor. Democrats and gay rights groups called for a boycott of the group.
We here are MN Progressive Project applaud Greg Steinhafel for apologizing.
We hope that the "strategic review" you mentioned will foster a dialog from within and outside of the Target Corporation, as well as other corporations that are thinking of putting their money in the "public policy arena."
Take note, your workers and consumers aren't just going to sit back when you decide to act, however well-intentioned you might think your actions are/were.
We hope you think very hard about all possible repercussions to your credibility, your image, your customer base, and your bottom line, before you act.
Target CEO Greg Steinhafel today apologized to Target employees for donating funds to a group that is backing Republican Tom Emmer's bid for governor. In the letter, Steinhafel wrote that the company will create a review of their political donations and will also bring together a group of companies to discuss ways to improve GLBT relations.
Target has been heavily criticized for donating to MN Forward, an independent expenditure group that is backing Emmer's campaign for governor. Democrats and gay rights groups called for a boycott of the group.
Today in Rushford, MN (a city hit hard by the floods of August 2007) Senate District 31 DFLers met to elect party officers, endorse a Senate candidate, and endorse House candidates.
Senate District 31 convention endorsed, by acclamation, our sitting State Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes. She will face Republican Jeremy Miller (who was endorsed March 20 by SD31 Republicans) from Winona in this fall's election.
Then, 31A and 31B separated into their House Districts.
On the 31A side, incumbent DFLer Gene Pelowski was facing an endorsement challenge from Winona City Council member Deb White. After the first ballot Deb White chose to concede before the tally was announced. Gene Pelowski received the endorsement of District 31A, and will face off against his 2008 challenger, Rhett Zenke.
On the 31B side (as a citizen, this is where I spent my time), Spring Grove City Council member Steve Kemp was endorsed unanimously by 31B DFLers to run against incumbent Republican Representative Greg Davids.
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.
On another blog some of us were discussing how we feel about candidates who don't answer emails. I said that I know people who will not support candidates who don't respond to their emails, letters and phone calls. It is frustrating when a voter is ignored. Although it's very important that a candidate respond to voters, it's certainly not the only thing that ought to be looked at. Here's some of the things I look for.
1. Can he or she do the job? How much past government experience is there?
2. Has there ever been an issue of honesty, ethics, integrity, character, etc?
3. What did the candidate do in past positions to make life better for other people?
4. What evidence is there that the candidate doesn't want to be governor to obtain power and glory?
5. If the candidate has a lot of money, where did that money come from?
6. What is my gut reaction to the candidate? What do my instincts tell me? What does my heart say? What does my logic say?
7. Does the candidate really like campaigning for money? Or does he/she find it a distasteful necessity?
8. What are the core values of the candidate? What in his/her life show that these are indeed the core values?
9. Does the candidate take care of him or herself? If they don't take care of themselves physically, they won't make taking care of Minnesotans a high priority.
10. Does the candidate like children and animals? That says a lot about the candidate. If he or she has an obvious distaste for them, I wouldn't vote for them. Not very many candidates have pictures on their websites of interaction with children or animals. With the exception of Goldie Gopher.
While Minneapolis is actually using ranked choice voting, St Paul just had a ballot question on whether to use use ranked choice voting.
Final Results
YES 17083 52.45% NO 15486 47.55%
Actually, I am surprised! It is a practical idea whose time has come. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)will also the provide financial savings of skipping a low-turnout primary. However St Paul tends to be cautious!
The attitude of St Paul can be summed up in this comment, "I'm still not sure what I think of ranked choice voting (RCV) but I think it's just prudent for St. Paul to wait and see how it works in Minneapolis." On the other hand, I and others argues that there many good government practices that Minneapolis manages to mess up, just because it is Minneapolis. St Paul is a much more different culture than Minneapolis, based on more caution, with good reason for St Paul has a much smaller tax base. St Paul has a culture more based on personal relationships and trust built over a long time.
Fiscal prudence of St Paul is pushing for ranked choice voting. Last year, we could have eliminated a primary. If RCV passes, then our St Paul legislators would have obtain a state legal change to allow the school board to be included, which is given a high likelihood.
(Local races like these have a direct impact on our daily lives. Plus, as a Minnetonka resident myself, I'll be voting for these two City Council candidates on Tuesday. - promoted by Joe Bodell)
The Minnetonka City Election is Tuesday November 3 at the usual polling places. (http://www.eminnetonka.com/ to find your polling place).
Bonnie Bina and Amber Greves offer progressive leadership for the city.
Participation in off-year municipal elections tends to be very low, but these people have a profound impact on our community and they deserve our participation and support. James Hiller (Ward 4, not at stake in this election) has demonstrated the importance of progressive voices in his protection of the Glen Lake Commons from destructive development.
The low turnout means that a few votes can make a huge difference. Here's your chance to be heard.
The city faces a number of development issues in the next few years that will have major impact on our way of life.
In an article posted on Monday night at Politics in Minnesota, Sarah Janecek was fact-checking a comment from AFSCME Executive Director Eliot Seide.
The article gives analysis of the AFSCME endorsement of Mark Dayton's Gubernatorial Campaign on Saturday. She wanted to fact-check the sentiment shared here:
[Eliot Seide]
mentioned that it's been "almost 40 years" since the DFL Party has endorsed a candidate who has won the general election.
Let's take a look at the most troubling pieces of the "facts" connected to the analysis:
Let's go in order (in the article's reverse order)
In 1998, Jesse Ventura beat DFL-endorsed Skip Humphrey.
Skip Humphrey won the DFL primary, however, Michael Freeman was the DFL endorsed candidate going in to the primary.
In 1986, we elected DFL incumbent Perpich to another term -- but he was not the endorsed candidate. Then-St. Paul Mayor George Latimer was, and Perpich beat Latimer in the DFL primary.
From the Star Tribune June 14, 1986 (full article at the bottom of this post).
Perpich won a 72 percent endorsement vote from the convention's 1,250 delegates - well above the 60 percent needed, but below the 81 percent DFLers gave their last gubernatorial candidate, Warren Spannaus, in 1982
That year, Perpich knocked Spannaus out of the race in the DFL primary - something St. Paul Mayor George Latimer is attempting to do to Perpich this year.
The most fact troubling paragraph:
Which brings us to 1978. Perpich was the endorsed DFL candidate, but he lost to GOPer Al Quie. It was a blowout year for the GOP. In 1976, when U.S. Sen Hubert Humprey{Jacob here, Spell check?} died, he was temporarily replaced by his wife, Muriel Humphrey.
Anderson appointed himself to the U.S. Senate, and Perpich became governor. That collusion cost Perpich the election, and it cost Anderson his U.S. Senate seat (he lost to GOPer Rudy Boschwitz).
In 1976, Walter Mondale was elected Vice President of the United States. Governor Wendell Anderson resigned as Governor in late December 1976 to vacate Mondale's Senate seat, which happened, on December 30, 1976.
In January 1978, Senator Hubert Humphrey passed away and his widow Muriel was appointed to his Senate seat to fill out the term (which would end later that year).
Hubert Humphrey died in 1978, not 1976.
When the fact-checking is flawed, the whole conclusion of the article becomes flawed:
Eliot's right on the facts.
It's now been over 24 hours since the "article" was posted, and 23 hours since I posted a comment to point out the flawed facts. The article still has not been edited nor has my comment been posted. It's not that I care that much about my comment being seen, it's about the facts being correct.
Full June 1986 article, (thanks for the heads up Mr. D) and October 2009 PiM article after the "fold."
Together, we've supported causes and campaigns over the years, many of them near and dear to our hearts. But few campaigns present us with the opportunity to make as significant a change as in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.
That's why I'm supporting Tarryl Clark in her campaign for Congress. And I hope you'll join me today.
I believe that Tarryl Clark can lead the 6th District in a new direction. She will unite us behind positive solutions - a stark change from the controversial comments and partisan rancor we've seen over the past few years. She will focus her time and efforts on listening to her constituents and turning ideas into action.
She's already done it here in Minnesota. Tarryl is a vigorous campaigner and a tireless leader in the Minnesota Senate.
As a community advocate and then as a State Senator, Tarryl has always stood up for Minnesota's working families. From raising the minimum wage to ensuring our seniors aren't scammed by predatory lenders; from ensuring access to early childhood education to investing in our state's treasured colleges and universities; from strengthening reintegration services for our returning veterans to building our transportation infrastructure, Tarryl has always fought for our families and our communities.
I'm proud to call Tarryl my friend, and I know that she will make a tremendous Member of Congress.
But to get there, she needs your support today.
I hope you will join me in supporting Tarryl's campaign for Congress. Your contribution of $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can afford will help ensure Tarryl's campaign is off to a strong start.
Minnesota has a long tradition of electing people with a deep-rooted belief in public service. Tarryl Clark will continue that tradition, and I ask you to join me in supporting her campaign.
Sincerely,
Walter F. Mondale
p.s. Tarryl's first fundraising deadline is tomorrow - September 30th. Please join me in supporting Tarryl's campaign and make your contribution today.
