I was going to post on this last week, and in fact I had written up a draft that languished in the raunchy perdition that is my “One Day You’ll Be A Post, Baby!” queue. Oh and what a queue it is, featuring posts that will one day grace this august blog, posts such as “How Would Norm Coleman Do On Star Search?” and “Katie Sieben: One Day Will All Of Our State Senators Be This Crush Worthy?”
But I digress (precisely the reason why I have a “One Day You’ll Be A Post, Baby!” queue).
Last week Al Franken was endorsed by the netroots group Blue Majority, an organization made up of the chief-high-muckity-mucks and the members of DailyKos, MyDD, OpenLeft, and the Swing State Project.
This quickly came under fire from some members of the Progressive Minnesota Blogosphere, and was picked up on by the usual cast of characters of Republican haters.
Chief among the liberal bloggers was Da’ Wege, who said;
We’re half a year from the caucuses and out-of-staters from our own movement butt in and tell us who to support? How could this have possibly passed any sane netivist’s radar? How is this one iota different than the DSCC (messing) with last year’s primary?
….It would be better, imho, to rescind this endorsement now, than it would be to force Minnesota Democrats to turn our endorsement/primary system into a ratifying process on the importance of the netroots’ endorsement.
It should be noted that I edited the Wege’s words, it is in italics and my apologies Wege, I try to keep this blog the only PG thing in my life. I have two quibbles with the Wege. Firstly, the netroots isn’t as powerful or as organized, and it does not carry the same cache as the DSCC or the DCCC and the DNC. And secondly, I do not think that the netroots has any substantive impact on our endorsement and primary system.
I think that like many other groups, this should be viewed as an endorsement and nothing more. Just like the Sierra Club, Stonewall, NARAL, and EMILYs List Al Franken received an endorsement. It doesn’t carry as much weight or money as the Sierra Club, or Unions, (or likewise before Republicans think they can get all high and mighty you guys have the NRA, religious organizations, CoC’s etc) but it’s an endorsement none the less, and one he should receive kudos for.
Good job Al.
Why did he receive the endorsement? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that Al Franken has had a much more engaging internet presence than Mike Ciresi (and no, JD didn’t pay me to say that). Ciresi has a good internet portal, but it’s not as intricate as Franken’s and he hasn’t engaged the netroots like Franken has. There are judgment calls that went into this, which I’m not going to get into here, but that I understand. Like any other endorsement it should be seen in its context.
This race will not be decided by who gets the ‘coveted’ netroots endorsement. It will be decided who organizes the best, who engages caucus goers and primary voters better, and the message that engages Democrats and Minnesotans best. And the good news is that both campaigns are doing a bang-up job of that.
I think it’s important to have all of the arguments that have been presented, the Wege continues here, and at his website, www.norwegianity.com (the greatest source of fun Friday MP3 downloads on the internets), and Noah Kunin wrote about this on his blog here (and it should be noted that it was seeing Noah’s post that reminded me to pull this post out of the hell that is my half-written posts queue).
There is so much more to discuss about this, so there may be another post, but hopefully there will be a great comment section.
Besides, isn’t the netroots endorsement by Blue Majority nothing more then a start of their contribution process?
True - the best ground organizer will win the DFL endorsement, simple as that. Wondering if either campaign has signed up Precinct Captains yet?
What’s really interesting is this ActBlue pages:
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/347
Basically, people are donating into a holding fund that will go to the MN Senate nominee upon his (or her..you never know!) selection.
Yeah right! In Minnesota? A state where women CANNOT EVER be endorsed for Governor? In this state the higher ups would allow BOTH senators to be women?? What do you think we are Maine? BTW both Susan Colins and Olympia Snow are Republicans.
Demure One, we might be Washington (Patty Murray & Maria Cantwell) or California (Barbara Boxer & Diane Feinstein). All four of those women are Democrats.
ATTN EVERYBODY:
IF YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT OR A BROOM 08 SUPPORTER I HEREBY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BOYCOTT SEAN BROOM’S WRITING’S….CHANCES ARE IF ANYBODY DOES COMMENT ON SEAN BROOM’S POST’S THEY ARE PROBABALY A CLOSE FRIEND OF HIS.
THIS REQUEST IS IN EFFECT INDEFINETLY UNTIL SEAN BROOM ISSUE’S AN APOLOGY TO THE BROOM 08 CAMPAIGN.
SEAN HAS A PROBLEM ACCEPTING THE TRUTH.
I HAVE TRIED TO BE NICE TO SEAN BROOM ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCAISIONS, EVEN GIVE HIM AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
SEAN WOULD PREFER TO WRITE ME OFF AS MENTALLY DISTURBED.
….WHEN IN REALITY I JUST GOT INTERVIEWED BY A VEEEEEEERY CREDIBLE NEWSPAPER WHICH WE HAVE ALL HEARD OF.
SEAN BROOM DREW FIRST BLOOD ON ME. I NEVER ATTACKED SEAN BROOM. I ONLY RESPONDED TO HIS ATTACKS.
PRESENTLY EVERY SINGLE U.S. SENATOR IN THE COUNTRY IS AWARE OF WHAT I AM DOING. I HAVE 2 MORE NEWSPAPER INTERVIEWS SET UP WITH HUNDREDS MORE ON THE WAY.
SEAN BROOM CALLS HIMSELF THE LEADER OF THE YOUNG DFL…..
…I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.I FEEL I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT FOR THE DFL, INCLUDING THE LATE SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE.
AND SEAN I DON’T KNOW WHO THIS GEORGE BROOM GUY IS EMAILING ME, BUT CHANCES ARE HE IS EITHER YOUR DAD OR DEFINETLY A RELATIVE OF YOURS.
IF YOU COULD PASS ON A MESSAGE TO HIM THAT HE CAN BLOW ME TOO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
FACT: I HAVE EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY IN REGARDS TO THE WELLSTONE PLANE CRASH….DELIVERED BY A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORKER.
FACT: I CREATED THE BEST PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.
….SEAN BROOM CALL’S HIMSELF THE LEADER OF THE YOUNG DFL BUT YET HE COULD CARELESS ABOUT PAUL WELLSTONE, AND HAS THE NERVE AND ODDASIDY OF SAYING I’M DISGRACING PAUL’S NAME…..
…HOW DARE YOU YOU INCOMPETENT BITCH,,,,,,,DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD DO WHAT I’M DOING WITHOUT THE WELLSTONE FAMILY KNOWING WHAT I’M DOING?
GENERALLY I AM A NICE GUY….BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU GET OUT OF ME MINNESOTA….IF PEOPLE ARE INCOMPETENT OR JUST PLAIN STUPID I PUT THEM IN MY PLACE AS I SHOULD.
I HAVE A SPINE SEAN BROOM DOESN’T…RESIGN NOW SEAN……I HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED…..
….AND ZACK…I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU ARE IN THIS SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE SEAN BROOM KISSING YOUR ASS TO DEFEND HIS ACTIONS….
YOU SAY YOU WORK FOR THE DFL ZACK? WELL THEN FORWARD THIS POST OVER TO HILLARY CLINTON AND FIRE SEAN BROOM NOW.
According to the Daily KOS Franken has been charging $2 for buttons at the fair and requiring everybody who buys one to fill out a form with their address. Looks like he figured out a way to increase his “contributions from Minnesota numbers” while a the same time reducing his average contribution size. Ciresi is just giving buttons away.
I cannot imagine what the nutroots are so upset about.
Al has a long history of drug abuse.
Al is unable to maintain his composure when he his stressed.
Al publicly panders to constituencies he denigrates privately.
Al doesn’t mind where “it” comes from, so long as he gets his.
Al babbles incessantly on subjects he knows nothing about.
Al Franken is the quintessential Democrat candidate.
You would think the whole Hatch run would have been a learning experience…
Wow Swiftscum,
You opinions are pretty sick and twisted. Maybe you should lay off the run and cigars for a while.
Ah, Demure One, Democrats learn slowly and not very well. Delegates to the DFL convention had Hatch crammed down their throats, and look what Minnesota got: Tim Pawlenty. The endorsement process is out of the neanderthal playbook. Give the people some credit. Take the process out of the good-old-boy back rooms and let the people decide.
Wellstone.tv:
Please remove the tinfoil hat, and while I am at it, you too Swiftee.
Thanks
I think I’ll go to the Democratic Caucus this year just as a disinterested reporter. I can imagine there’s a lot of coercion just like any event. The dems have good intentions at the gressroots level, it’s the job of the leadership to mold that into something they’re comfortable with. I met a delegate in a bar the other night with some horror stories. The thing I still sense from dems, whether they’re the DLC or netroots is an inability to think outside their current electoral strategy and focus on issues. It’s all red state blue state, how am I gonna get 51% mentality.
I sucks that most people care more about labelling themselves with some silly grand narrative or party affiliation and then getting dumbed down by the ridiculous groupthink that ensues. On Dailykos they call Dennis Kucinich a “Purity Troll”
Bretton —
Have you ever gone to a caucus before? I am (warning: Nerdy Hack Alert) a caucus convener and chair, and I know (from personal experience) that the ability of the people leading the caucus is key to it working well.
(My first year as a chair (2004), which, I’m not gonna lie really was nothing more than a lark, was horrible. And IIRC I think Noah was at that caucus, and he’ll probably agree with me. I didn’t know how to run a good meeting to save my life, let alone a caucus. My second year (2006) was much better, but I still wasn’t totally on the ball, and if I have to do it this year, I’m reasonably sure that I will kick all sorts of ass.)
But key to the caucus process is sub caucusing, where delegates to the Senate District and then the Congressional District, and State Conventions are decided. By its very definition it can be a ‘coercive’ event. People try to sway you over to their side so their caucus has more members, so they can elect more delegates to the conventions.
If I remember correctly the straw poll (the poll that is reported on the news) occurs at the very beginning of the night, and you don’t have to stay for the rest of the caucus.
Contrary to popular opinion the caucus process isn’t all that difficult to navigate, to get involved all you need to do is show up and raise your hand, and you’d be surprised at just how far you can get. In 2004 as an untrained caucus-goer {1} I showed up, raised my hand, and look at the fame, fortune and notoriety that it’s given me!
Sean
{1}many campaigns do caucus training to help you learn whats going on, like this Obama event, http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/mnconvention
Yeah, call me cynical, but I’ll check out the Obama event. Thanks, Sean.
To me the caucus is the purest form of participatory government. It’s the chance for Joe Blow, oh wait, I’m talking about the DFL caucus, sorry, Joe Glotts, to get up and spout off about whatever he thinks is important and people will listen. You can be heard which is incredibly important. Your viewpoint might not garner much approval or agreement this year but next year is a whole ‘nother ballgame. Who politicians listen to? Everyone who shows up.
Swiftee - since you don’t seem to like Al in bullet-point fashion,
I would then have to surmise that you are voting for Cerisi.
Why else would you be frequenting this blog as much as you do?
Swiftee talks about babbling!????
THAT’s what he’s got against Al!:
Swiftee’s as a bitter, failed comedian jealous of another’s success??!
Yeah, I’m a big Cereci guy…mostly because as you say, Franken is a better comedian than me.