Basie!
I copied this from Minnesota Campaign Report. I thought it might be interesting to add as a comment to this interview. Although Klobuchar's rhetoric is tacking to the left her positions on the war and healthcare have not changed and remain fuzzy DLC Think.
Ford Bell is the only electable and good choice for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
-------------------------------
While I agree with you that both Klobuchar and Bell are running good campaigns and they both have support within the party, I disagree with your analysis about what will make a good Democratic candidate in the general election against Kennedy.
First I want to say that I have never understood why everyone has been so excited about Klobuchar from day 1. What really makes her electable anyway? The reasons that have been given are:
a. She has great name ID
b. She has raised millions of dollars
c. She is endorsed by Emily's List
d. Chuck Schumer likes her
e. She is a prosecutor (read lawyer)
f. She has the party wrapped-up
But let's examine these assertions of her strength as follows:
a. Her high name ID means many Minnesotans know of her as a lawyer from Minneapolis which is not good.
b. Money makes the world go around so she does deserve credit here but she does not have a clear message to go with the money which is not good
c. Emily's List endorsement has become more of a hurdle for pro-choice women candidates to clear than a real plus. The group does bring late money contrary to their original purpose and without their seal of approval a pro-choice woman candidate is doomed. The group has a terrible reputation for meddling and ruining campaigns. But the worst part is they have a terrible track record electing their endorsed candidates which is not good.
d. Chuck Schumer is a New Yorker and MN has seemed to show an interest in electing former NY (Gov. Carlson and Sen. Coleman) but Schumer is not a former NY. Schumer does not have a vote in MN and MN does not like DC power brokers telling them who to support which is not good.
e. I fail to understand how being a prosecutor or a lawyer is a good profile for a statewide candidate running for anything other than Attorney General. Forget the polls and use our state's political history as a guide. The only description of a candidate that Minnesotans like less than a "politician" is a "lawyer" and Klobuchar is both which is not good.
f. The party has only won two elections for US Senate in nearly 30 years (not counting Wellstone's re-election in 1996). The elections the DFL won were in 1990 and 2000 both of these elections had contested Democratic primaries and were against Republican incumbents. The 1990 election saw a professor no one thought could win go on to win a primary and the general. Can you say Paul Wellstone? The 2000 election saw a former State Auditor no one thought could win go on to win the primary and the general. Can you say Mark Dayton? They were both rejected and written of
Commenting by HaloScan
