Comments on: Governor Kelliher?

By: David

David — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:07:54 +0000

Margaret grew up on a farm near Mankato!

By: Interested Dem

Interested Dem — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:14:03 +0000

I have seen the name mentioned of Jim Cohen for Governor possibly, what do you think? He’s got a great resume’ and left the Senate race with a positive demeanor. Also, he would definitely combine the outsider with experience and discipline everyone seems to be looking for in a candidate.

By: Rough Rider

Rough Rider — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:53:29 +0000

First things first: if Walz is in the race it’s his nomination to lose. With that said, D.C. will be showering him with leadership posts to keep him in Congress; the odds of him running for Governor are 50/50 at best.

Without Walz we are left with several top-notch candidates like Rybak, Coleman, and perhaps Kelliher. But the problem with these folks is that they offer nothing but the DFL politics of old, which notably have not played well in a governor’s race since back in the Perpich days.

We need a renewed DFL politics, and for that we need to nominate a Paul Thissen or Steve Simon or someone of that ilk. A Thissen or Simon campaign would bring new people into the fold (read: 18-30 yeard olds that actually vote their interests) and lure the disenchanted to become reengaged (read: “independents” fed up with the DFL haplessness when it comes to state-wide policy).

By: Randy Olson

Randy Olson — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:28:21 +0000

Congressman Walz dang well better not give up CD-1! He’s got a great thing going there. Plus, he needs to get re-elected in CD-1 this fall and that will be his first hurdle to pass. Beyond that, the D-F-L has deserved to lose the governor elections in recent memory, because of the “Good ol’ boy” syndrome. Someone in this thread touched on it, with the “boring old guys with popular names” in 1998… Roger Moe in 2002…Hatch in ‘06. Until they get over this “good ol’ boy” syndrome the Republicans will own the Governor’s office.

By: Karl

Karl — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:46:50 +0000

Well Kennedy was also far out of Minnesota’s political mainstream and not hugely popular even in his own district.

I don’t think Walz could lose barring a major scandal and it’s Tim Walz so I doubt there is such a scandal waiting to be found.

If Walz gets in it’s his. Period. He would almost certainly clear the field of anything more then token opposition and even if Pawlenty or Ramstead ran he would be a heavy favorite in the general. He has proven he can win in a swing district. He has proven he can run a grassroots campaign so he would get better totals in the cites then Hatch. He would run better in other rural areas and I think he’d run well in the suburbs too.

With that being said. I don’t think Tim Walz wants to be governor.

By: DantheMan

DantheMan — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:22:41 +0000

Michael raises a good point. Walz has a great thing going, and if he ran for Guv and lost it would seriously derail his political ambitions. Mark Kennedy was an effective CD6 Congressman (whether you agree or disagree with his views, he was representing that district relatively well) and his Senate bid may have cost him a career.

Plus, we don’t know if Walz even wants to be Governor. Many would not view the Governor as a promotion from a Congressional Seat. Some, those focused on Federal policy, would see it as at best a lateral move.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 24 May 2008 20:21:36 +0000

If I were Walz I would run run run away from this idea of running for governor. He has a cushy seat and is getting more good press anmd feeling the longer he stays in office. Sure he would have a good chance of winning, but losing is a quick ticket to political obscurity, even for a great personality like Tim Walz. The folks who say that the twin city folks have no shot are right, for the most part. However we do have several good candidates from greater Minnesota, so let’s not fret yet.

By: Aaron J. Brown

Aaron J. Brown — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:45:07 +0000

Sitting here today, I see Walz as the top candidate. Winning a nomination like this in a competitive field means you need A) name recognition, B) high regard across the state DFL circles and B) basic political soft skills like speaking and working a room. Having seen — some more than others — all of the names mentioned, I see Walz as having the best combination of these three. But DCCC will fight hard to keep him from running for governor.

Margaret does a good interview, but I need to see her work a room a’la Rudy Perpich before I go ga-ga. If I do, she’s my strong second. She did a great job this session and proved a lot.

Meantime, speaking as one of the token Iron Rangers in the blogosphere, expect one or more Don Quioxe runs from my neighborhood. Bakk and Rukavina are somewhat serious about running. They probably won’t both run, but the one that does will garner some union support and sit on about 20 percent of the floor vote at the 2010 convention. That’s why Walz is my top prediction right now. He’ll walk in with the 1st CD lined up and a share of every other district giving him a leg up on the Ranger (probably Bakk) and the half dozen state legislators and people named Mark Dayton.

Margaret’s best chance is to unite the Ryback, Coleman, Clark, Atkins, etc. forces behind her. She does that and Walz stays out and she’s got a clear path. It’s possible. Not likely.

By: Political Muse

Political Muse — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:24:43 +0000

I don’t know about the “douche bag” part, but we certainly haven’t chosen the candidate that will garner the widest possible support. While the Republican Party chooses moderate folks that even they aren’t real wild about we continue to find the ones that are decent progressive but force our moderates to bolt to the independents.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:40:44 +0000

You dont win on the issues, you win because we pick douche bags. If Republicans were right on the issues, you would have majorities in both state houses, both senate seats and at least a majority of Congressional seats.