Mike Ciresi should keep his day job
I really don't know what the DFL U.S. Senate race will look like if Mike Ciresi steps in. While I personally am Amy Klobuchar's #1 fan, I do think there needs to be a discussion about the DFL candidate selection. We are currently looking at a very healthy DFL endorsement and nomination process, and one man is looking to mess it all up. Mike Ciersi has proven that he doesn't care about party unity or the endorsement process.
If I were to predict right now what would happen if nothing big changes and Ciresi doesn't run, I'd say that things will stay fairly calm until the endorsement process next spring. Then things will heat up for a while (and that's healthy), but in the end Amy will get the endorsement and Patty Wetterling and Ford Bell will bow out gracefully as promised (who knows, maybe Patty will end up as Lt. Gov on the endorsed gubernatorial ticket). This will leave Amy with enough time to run a full campaign against Mark Kennedy, and I believe that head-to-head, Amy could easily beat Kennedy next year.
That is the ideal situation, at least in my opinion. But if Mike Ciresi decides to give it another go (and it is looking like he might), it could spell disaster for the DFL and put Mark Kennedy next to Norm Coleman in the Senate. First, Mike Ciresi doesn't play nice with other DFLers, we know this because he and Dayton completely ignored the endorsement process in 2000 and the ensuing bloody fight among DFLers until the primary election. If he does this again then we could see him fighting the DFL endorsed candidate until September 2006!
There really is something to say for party unity, it should clear up infighting well before the general election. I would be fine with Ciresi jumping in if he pledges to abide by a DFL endorsement like the other candidates have. He has six months to sell himself to the party, and if he can't do it by then, he should take the high road and step down. If he doesn't want to play by the party's rules, then I suggest finding another party.
Can I also say how nice it would be for a state like Minnesota to have a woman elected to an office higher than Lt. Governor or the U.S. Congress? I'm looking to the MN GOP too, but for some reason the only qualified candidates in their party seem to be men...
If I were to predict right now what would happen if nothing big changes and Ciresi doesn't run, I'd say that things will stay fairly calm until the endorsement process next spring. Then things will heat up for a while (and that's healthy), but in the end Amy will get the endorsement and Patty Wetterling and Ford Bell will bow out gracefully as promised (who knows, maybe Patty will end up as Lt. Gov on the endorsed gubernatorial ticket). This will leave Amy with enough time to run a full campaign against Mark Kennedy, and I believe that head-to-head, Amy could easily beat Kennedy next year.
That is the ideal situation, at least in my opinion. But if Mike Ciresi decides to give it another go (and it is looking like he might), it could spell disaster for the DFL and put Mark Kennedy next to Norm Coleman in the Senate. First, Mike Ciresi doesn't play nice with other DFLers, we know this because he and Dayton completely ignored the endorsement process in 2000 and the ensuing bloody fight among DFLers until the primary election. If he does this again then we could see him fighting the DFL endorsed candidate until September 2006!
There really is something to say for party unity, it should clear up infighting well before the general election. I would be fine with Ciresi jumping in if he pledges to abide by a DFL endorsement like the other candidates have. He has six months to sell himself to the party, and if he can't do it by then, he should take the high road and step down. If he doesn't want to play by the party's rules, then I suggest finding another party.
Can I also say how nice it would be for a state like Minnesota to have a woman elected to an office higher than Lt. Governor or the U.S. Congress? I'm looking to the MN GOP too, but for some reason the only qualified candidates in their party seem to be men...
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That's mighty nice of you to offer Patty the Lt Gov spot. She'd be better off running for the state senate in her home district. At least she'll be able to legislate for her convictions and vote and change Minnesota law. You don't get those opportunities as a LT Gov.
Ciresi tied up that endorsement convention for hours before withdrawing and letting Janezich walk away with it. Ciresi also spent last year stumping and raising money- a lot of money for the Kerry Campaign. Those brochures, food for volunteers, vans for GOTV all that cost money. He's got more knowledge.
Amy has a few individuals, but the minority communities that have been active in DFL politics are very luke-warm to her. So are DFLers from greater MN. Two groups which Ciresi can sway, not to mention the Wetterling supporters who are willing to throw their support behind whomever steps up against Amy.
Ciresi has the credentials to be a great Senator, including incoming respect. Patty is what the DFL use to be about, real people with convictions running for change. Amy represents what we have become. Another child of a name, born into access and eventually privledge. Same ol' consultants feeding her the generic lines. We've lost too many times with these cardboard candidates.
Ciresi tied up that endorsement convention for hours before withdrawing and letting Janezich walk away with it. Ciresi also spent last year stumping and raising money- a lot of money for the Kerry Campaign. Those brochures, food for volunteers, vans for GOTV all that cost money. He's got more knowledge.
Amy has a few individuals, but the minority communities that have been active in DFL politics are very luke-warm to her. So are DFLers from greater MN. Two groups which Ciresi can sway, not to mention the Wetterling supporters who are willing to throw their support behind whomever steps up against Amy.
Ciresi has the credentials to be a great Senator, including incoming respect. Patty is what the DFL use to be about, real people with convictions running for change. Amy represents what we have become. Another child of a name, born into access and eventually privledge. Same ol' consultants feeding her the generic lines. We've lost too many times with these cardboard candidates.
As far as women being in higher office- the GOP trumps us there too. Sure its only Pat Awada, Mary Kiffenhiemer-KIffmeyer and Carol Molnau, but its more than we ever had elected statewide at once.
The hypocrisy of my party on gender and more so on race drives me crazy. We've got an affirmative action commitment and gender balance and we do a horsehit job of inclusion.
The one thing we do have going for us is that the Republicans are horrible on the issues that directly affect those groups, and don't seem to give a damn about improving that record.
So why not Becky for Governor, Patty for Senate and Rebecca for Auditor?
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The hypocrisy of my party on gender and more so on race drives me crazy. We've got an affirmative action commitment and gender balance and we do a horsehit job of inclusion.
The one thing we do have going for us is that the Republicans are horrible on the issues that directly affect those groups, and don't seem to give a damn about improving that record.
So why not Becky for Governor, Patty for Senate and Rebecca for Auditor?
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