At his announcement today, JNP rolled out a few endorsements:
Sen. John Marty
Sen. Patricia Torres Ray
Rep. Karen Clark
Rep. Jim Davnie
Rep. Bill Hilty
Rep. David Bly
Fmr Sen. Becky Lourey
Couple of quick notes:
- Lourey is a good, though predictable, get for JNP. Its the passing of the peace baton, if you will.
- Bly represents a swing district (he beat Ray Cox in 2004 by a very narrow margin).
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Ah, yes, the vaunted DFL “Humorless Caucus.” All the fun of a room-full of Old Testament prophets … but without the ability to predict the future clearly.
Why do people persist in the folly that they can run a “Wellstone grassroots campaign” when there was only one Paul Wellstone. As much as I loved him, and as hard as we all worked for him, his campaign was the exception that proves the rule. His defeat of Boschwitz was a combination of a unique set of circumstances along with the power of Paul’s personality. His re-election was a much more conventional campaign, with the Wellstone flair of course.
To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, “I knew Paul Wellstone, I worked with Paul Wellstone and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, you aint no Paul Wellstone”.
I believe John Marty’s failed run for Governor was a grassroots campaign also, one of the DFL’s worst defeats ever in a statewide race as I recall.
JNP is an interesting guy, a true advocate for peace and his campaign will serve to push Franken and Ciresi to the left some on the war issue. But a realistic chance to win the endorsement or, more importantly, beat Coleman, I don’t think so.
With the Democrats unable to end the war and now leadership, Pelossi, Reid and even the ever predictably un-bold Hillary unable to even find the courage tio back a war tax, which we should have had for five years not so someone besides our kids sacrifice, it’s becoming difficult to tell the dif. between parties again… both in governance and in popularity. Where’s the passion in response to Obey and Murtha’s lead on this one, where’s the talk of urban plight and poverty except with Edwards, the need for change Obama holds out for… where’s the smart talk to put Republicans on the defensive about howthreats of filebusters was bad for judges but okay when it comes to war, taxes or simple governance.
Jack at least, much like Paul, W. will speak with integrity and passion and compassion… and hope to offer, despite or in spite of what so many in both parties do, offer hope for a change from the same ol’ doublespeak that has brought us to orwell’s 1984. What are his chances? What were Paul’s until the magic happened… but if he wins, at least we won’t have to spend our time trying to explain what his actions mean… because his words and actions will be consistently there… now a.w.o.l. like the current leadership’s courage on both sides.
Now the big question - Considering how the two mainstream candidates have some weak-spots with regards to appealing to the committed left, Does JNP play king-maker?
Both real candidates have stated they will abide by the endorsement at the convention. If JNP stays in till the primary, keeping a small but significant core of metro area delegates to him(and out of play at the convention), who does this help?
Franken’s an entertainer - he’s been able to say whatever he wanted, as harsh as he wanted. This is what the committed left tends to take for principle. But he used to support the war. Ciresi was anti-war earlier - but he’s been in the real world awhile, doing things. Some of those might be quite unfashionable to the peaceniks.
So who does JNP hurt. And if his supporters need a doomed, soft-focus glory ride to the September primary, how does this effect convention?
JNP’s campaign doesn’t need to hurt anyone. If he doesn’t get the nomination, he can bring his supporters to the camp of the nominee, whomever that is. Same goes for Franken and Ciresi.
But if his campaign keeps going past convention - think the governor’s race. Thats a group of people at convention who are out of the vote for picking the person who will actually run. For whoever those dels would have voted for, JNP becomes a monkey on that person’s back.
I know, its a little early to be thinking about the convention, but still, its food for thought. JNP could end up kingmaker, if you have close ballots, and he releases his delegates.
I mean, look over on MDE - would Ron Carey’s mouthpiece, someone who is a paid shill(or whatever getting huge checks from Republican candidates to blog positively about them makes him) for Republican candidates around election time, be talking up Nelson-Pallmeyer if it didn’t in some way help Coleman?