April 15-16, 2018
Apr 15 04:33 Gov. Dayton vs. Gov. Pawlenty Apr 15 06:45 DFL divided as CD-8 convention ends Apr 15 09:51 DFL endorses Angie Craig in CD-2 Apr 15 13:45 Why Democrats lose the Midwest Apr 15 20:21 DFL food fight taking shape Apr 16 01:32 Emmer, Fitzsimmons vs. Kern & Kern Apr 16 08:56 Rating Minnesota State's Universities
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Gov. Dayton vs. Gov. Pawlenty
First off, this year's governor's race won't be a change election. It's impossible to think of Gov. Dayton or Rep. Walz as change agents. They're traditional non-thinking DFL establishment types. If the unthinkable happens and Becky Otto wins the endorsement or primary, she's part of a different wing of the DFL establishment. To be fair, Gov. Pawlenty, Jeff Johnson and Keith Downey are part of the GOP establishment.
Next, it's important to notice what's frustrating Minnesotans lately. Topping people's list of things they hate about government is MNLARS. People expect that renewing their drivers license, transferring the title on a car or getting new license tabs for the family vehicle is fairly effortless. The Dayton administration is the first administration to make those things all-day adventures. It's also the first administration that isn't serious about investigating reports of elder abuse and deaths in nursing homes.
Gov. Dayton has been a disaster. He's raised taxes, presided over a state that's lost wealth to other states virtually every year and seen high school graduates leave Minnesota in droves. Further, the DFL has done its best to punish businesses through regulations. Because the DFL is highly indebted to the environmentalists, they've proposed outrageous regulations.
First, the DFL pushed, then passed, the buffer strips legislation that hurts farmers. Next, the DFL, through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, aka BWSR, is implementing a stiff penalty against farmers who don't comply with the DFL's controversial legislation. That penalty is $500 per linear foot per day. That's a disaster waiting to happen to Minnesota farmers.
It isn't difficult to tell that MNLARS is a mess when watching this exchange:
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The answers provided were filled with hesitation. They were evasive, too. It felt like Sen. Dan Hall was pulling teeth. Finally, he got a reply.
Just based on whose administration was relatively incident-free vs. whose administration was incident-prone, Gov. Dayton is the governor with the lackluster history.
Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 4:33 AM
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DFL divided as CD-8 convention ends
Prior to Saturday's DFL Convention, I thought that the DFL's best chance to hold a battleground congressional district was the Eighth District. Based on Saturday's CD-8 DFL convention outcome, I won't predict that anymore. Based on reports like this article , it sounds like the convention ended in discord.
Sam Brodey reports that "it'll take an August primary to determine which of these Democrats earns the chance to compete in the general election, and that primary has the potential to showcase the party's rifts on issues like mining and immigration, which were on full display at Saturday's convention."
One of the early casualties was Rep. Jason Metsa. Rep. Metsa got into the race late. Still, he might run in the DFL primary. Others sure to run in the DFL primary are Joe Radinovich, Leah Phifer and Michelle Lee. Each of those candidates have flaws.
For instance, Phifer is an environmentalist who worked for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That put her at odds with "members of the Latino DFL Caucus." Rep. Radinovich was a one-term wonder from Aitkin before losing to Dale Lueck. After that defeat, Radinovich was Nolan's campaign manager before becoming Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's chief of staff. When Nolan endorsed Radinovich after the 6th ballot, Frey held up a sign announcing Nolan's endorsement.
Frey, who traveled to Duluth to work the floor for Radinovich, got on top of a chair with a hand-written sign broadcasting Nolan's endorsement to the delegates. But ultimately, Nolan's support was not enough for Radinovich to eclipse Phifer.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that DFL State Party Chair Ken Martin addressed the convention:
Addressing delegates earlier in the afternoon, Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin urged delegates to unite behind a candidate. "If we come out of here divided, we're not going to win," he said.
It's still to be decided whether the primary will split or unite the DFL but it can't be denied that the DFL isn't off to a good start of uniting the party. It can't make Martin feel good that the candidates essentially ignored his exhortation to unite.
Looming large over the convention was a candidate who wasn't even in the room: Republican Pete Stauber, who is a lock to earn the CD8 Republican Party endorsement. Democrats are concerned that a bitter and drawn-out primary will give Stauber time to raise money and consolidate support, boosting his campaign to win this seat in November.
National Republicans like Stauber, a St. Louis County commissioner who formerly served with the Duluth Police Department, and they view CD8 as one of their best pick-up opportunities in the entire country. President Donald Trump won here by 15 points in 2016, and Republican candidates are making inroads in places like the Iron Range, which has been a DFL stronghold for the better part of the century. Nolan's retirement, in the eyes of the GOP, only increased their chances of flipping CD8.
The biggest advantages of not getting primaried is that the opposition doesn't get additional ammunition against the candidate, in this case, Mr. Stauber. The other advantage is the opportunity to open some deep philosophical differences. Mining is something that the DFL, especially Chairman Martin and Congressman Nolan, have worked hard at avoiding.
That'll be difficult in the primary since Radinovich is from the 'other' Range, aka the Cuyuna Range. Meanwhile, Phifer is a diehard environmental activist. Those wings of the DFL mix together like the DLC wing and the MoveOn.org wing of the DNC.
At minimum, the DFL will spend this summer fighting and burning through cash while possibly dividing the party for both the congressional candidate and the gubernatorial candidate. If the DFL isn't united this time, it will be a tough year for them up-and-down the ballot.
Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 6:45 AM
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DFL endorses Angie Craig in CD-2
Per tradition, the DFL issued this statement after delegates endorsed Angie Craig to run against Republican incumbent Jason Lewis. The statement was the usual milquetoast boilerplate, saying "Angie Craig embodies the American Dream. She went from a mobile home park to a leader at Minnesota manufacturer St. Jude Medical. She will fight to ensure every Minnesotan has the opportunities she did by fighting for good-paying jobs, affordable healthcare for all, and real middle-class tax reform."
All the statements in the world, though, won't take away the major mistake that Ms. Craig made last week. Last week, Ms. Craig bragged that she wants to team up with Keith Ellison on health care. It's worth noting that Rep. Ellison "took the reins of single-payer healthcare legislation in the House" last month. After making a major mistake on health care the last time she ran, Ms. Craig apparently didn't learn.
I'm not the expert on CD-2 that others are but it's difficult to believe that there are many John Kline voters that'd support a candidate that wants to implement a single-payer health care system. This snippet will hurt Ms. Craig this fall:
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While I won't predict a lop-sided victory for Jason Lewis, I can't picture him winning by less than 6-8 points. The DFL recently has talked about health care being a major issue this fall. To the extent that it's an issue, it won't hurt Republicans as much as it'll hurt the DFL.
Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 9:51 AM
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Why Democrats lose the Midwest
One doesn't have to read much of this article to figure out why Heartland voters treat Democrats like aliens from another planet. The Democrat writing this article disparages Christians in a totally disrespectful way.
For instance, the article contains a paragraph that says "New York has taken to Chick-fil-A. One of the Manhattan locations estimates that it sells a sandwich every six seconds, and the company has announced plans to open as many as a dozen more storefronts in the city. And yet the brand's arrival here feels like an infiltration, in no small part because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism. Its headquarters, in Atlanta, are adorned with Bible verses and a statue of Jesus washing a disciple's feet. Its stores close on Sundays. Its C.E.O., Dan Cathy, has been accused of bigotry for using the company's charitable wing to fund anti-gay causes, including groups that oppose same-sex marriage. 'We're inviting God's judgment on our nation,' he once said, 'when we shake our fist at him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.' The company has since reaffirmed its intention to 'treat every person with honor, dignity and respect,' but it has quietly continued to donate to anti-L.G.B.T. groups."
It's one thing to disagree with Chick-fil-A's religious beliefs. That's fair enough. It's another to treat Chick-fil-A like they're weird. For years, Democrats knew how to relate to devout Catholics and Jews. Those days are definitely in the Democrats' past.
This emphasis on community, especially in the misguided nod to 9/11, suggests an ulterior motive. The restaurant's corporate purpose still begins with the words "to glorify God," and that proselytism thrums below the surface of the Fulton Street restaurant, which has the ersatz homespun ambiance of a megachurch. David Farmer, Chick-fil-A's vice-president of restaurant experience, told BuzzFeed that he strives for a "pit crew efficiency, but where you feel like you just got hugged in the process." That contradiction, industrial but claustral, is at the heart of the new restaurant - and of Chick-fil-A's entire brand. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Cows.
This writer might want to pay a little more attention to what he wrote. Specifically, he should pay attention to this:
One of the Manhattan locations estimates that it sells a sandwich every six seconds , and the company has announced plans to open as many as a dozen more storefronts in the city.
Mayor de Blasio called for a boycott of Chick-Fil-A. Here's how New Yorkers responded:
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I definitely won't put those people in the undecided or opposition categories.
Its arrival in the city augurs worse than a load of manure on the F train. According to a report by the Center for an Urban Future, the number of chain restaurants in New York has doubled since 2008, crowding out diners and greasy spoons for whom the rent is too dear. Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, is set to become the third-largest fast-food chain in the nation, behind only McDonald's and Starbucks. No matter how well such restaurants integrate into the 'community,' they still venerate a deadening uniformity.
If I had a saying for this writer to live by, it'd be 'Lighten up, Dude.
The indisputable fact is that Chick-fil-A identified a market, which has helped them make tons of profits while developing a loyal customer base. If that isn't the definition of success, I don't know what is. Perhaps it's time for Democrats to figure it out that they're losing voters, congressional districts and states because they're too hard-hearted.
Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 1:45 PM
Comment 1 by Nick at 22-Apr-18 06:25 AM
With the exception of Illinois, the Midwest is trending Republican. Only reason Illinois stays Democrat is because of one county: Cook. That county alone has almost 50% of Illinois' population.
DFL food fight taking shape
The DFL's CD-8 food fight, aka CD-8 DFL Primary, is starting to take shape . The latest news is that "State Rep. Jason Metsa is not done yet in his bid to replace Rep. Rick Nolan in Congress. On Sunday, Metsa said he will continue his campaign, targeting the 8th Congressional District DFL primary election in August." Sunday morning, Metsa said "With no result from the DFL endorsement process, I have chosen to continue my campaign to be the DFL nominee for Congress in #MN08. The best way to identify the strongest candidate to win in November is through a primary campaign," Metsa said in his statement. "I look forward to running a robust grassroots campaign focused on our shared values of fairness and responsibility."
According to the Duluth Tribune, "Metsa joins Phifer, Radinovich and Michelle Lee as candidates vying for the primary."
Thus far, each of the candidates is staking out their territory :
"We need to make sure that equal access to healthcare, education, the right to put food on your table and a roof over your head is something that all Americans can achieve, not just those who can afford it," Phifer said.
Radinovich emphasized the importance of education.
"I got myself elected to state legislature where I got myself on the Education Finance Committee and I passed legislation to make sure that there was no gaps between the richest and poorest schools in our state," Radinovich said.
Phifer said she would fight for sensible gun control, climate change, DACA, protecting treaty rights as the supreme law of the land, and raising minimum wage. "The DFL is the party that fights for our safety and wellbeing. We are the party that believes in economic justice. In congress I will lead the fight for $15 an hour minimum wage," Phifer said.
Metsa hadn't jumped into the race at the time of the WDIO article, which was written on Saturday.
Thus far, this is the field for the CD-8 DFL Primary:
Let the food fight begin.
Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 8:21 PM
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Emmer, Fitzsimmons vs. Kern & Kern
I wish I could say I was surprised by David Fitzsimmons' campaign finance reporting tactics. Unfortunately, I'm anything but surprised. While some might criticize John Kern's LTE highlighting the Emmer campaign's tactics , I won't follow suit. This isn't that dissimilar to how big corporations use a plethora of regulations against small business competitors to reduce competition as much as possible.
John Kern opened the LTE, writing "In July 2016, Congressman Tom Emmer's chief of staff David Fitzsimmons and GOP delegate Matt Stevens filed multiple Federal Election Commission complaints against me, the AJ Kern for Congress campaign and a private citizen. These frivolous complaints accused me of filing quarterly reports late and apparently attempting to gain undue influence with my wife by exceeding personal campaign contribution limits from our shared assets. Eighteen months later, presidentially appointed FEC commissioners voted 5-0 to dismiss ."
That's the predictable outcome of these FEC complaints. Rep. Emmer knew he was underperforming at the time. According to Minnesota's Secretary of State's website , Emmer, the incumbent, won the primary with a pathetic 68% of the vote. That's pathetic considering the fact that Emmer "out-fundraised AJ Kern's 2016 campaign" by a 61-1 margin.
Emmer won't win by overwhelming margins because he's ignored his constituents on key issues. Specifically, he's agreed with the Obama administration lock, stock and barrel on the Refugee Resettlement Program. When questioned by constituents if he'd push for a moratorium of the program, Emmer replied "That isn't happening." (I know because I attended that townhall at the Ace Bar on July 1, 2015. That's also the night Kate Steinle was murdered.) After that meeting, AJ Kern told attendees that she was thinking about challenging Emmer. Here's the explanation for why Emmer didn't support his constituents:
President Trump has frequently criticized "the Swamp." Regulations implemented by the Swamp have a chilling effect on both speech and competition. The truth is that Emmer is part of DC's Swamp. Bradley Smith, the former Commissioner of the FEC, is one of the fiercest champions of free speech. Here's what he's stated on the record:
Charges and litigation are used to harass opposing candidates and make political hay with the press: used most effectively by 'incumbents'. Many, if not most, of these cases end up being dismissed, but not without distracting the campaigns and using up their resources. ...The problem in campaign finance is that unethical politicians are threatening private actors, rather than that unethical special interests are threatening government.
When John McCain and Russ Feingold wrote the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, aka McCain-Feingold, grassroots activists criticized it by nicknaming it the 'Incumbents' Protection Act'. That's exactly right. BCRA didn't eliminate corruption. It codified corruption by burying challengers under mountains of paperwork. That's what its intent was.
While career politicians might want to fight the hordes of uppity peasants insisting on being heard, those career politicians won't silence the activists' voices.
Emmer can take that to the bank.
Posted Monday, April 16, 2018 1:32 AM
Comment 1 by JerryE9 at 16-Apr-18 09:40 AM
I have long been concerned by Republicans who, with regard to candidates and especially incumbents, are willing to let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough. The power of incumbency is unfortunately very real and is not to be discarded without all due consideration AND a viable alternative. "The most conservative candidate that can be elected" remains the best idea. Up to those in the Sixth to decide who that is.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 16-Apr-18 03:15 PM
With all due respect, a hamster with an R behind their name would defeat the DFL candidate in the Sixth. Emmer is a swamp creature. Further, he's ignored his constituents while tag-teaming with Keith Ellison. There's little chance he'll lose the primary. The message we're attempting to send is that he'd better start listening or we'll find a different candidate & defeat him.
Rating Minnesota State's Universities
Are Student Ratings Important?
by Silence Dogood
I can't say that I recommend the RATE MY PROFESSORS website. A lot of the time, I think it is just an outlet for frustrated students to vent their frustration. Truthfully, until last Wednesday, I had never looked at the website. But I was curious and just for fun decided to take a look to see what I might find. I looked first at St. Cloud State University.
Not really understanding what a 3.4 might mean, for comparison I looked at Minnesota State University - Mankato rankings, the university most similar to SCSU in the Minnesota State System.
Based on these overall rankings, which are not scientifically valid, SCSU comes out ahead of only Metropolitan State University in the overall quality rating!
For each and every measure, SCSU trails MSU - Mankato. Most significantly, in the safety ranking 3.0 vs. 3.8. But for the reputation measure, I was a bit miffed at SCSU's reputation ranking of 3.1 vs. MSU - Mankato's 3.4.
Next, I decided to look at the rest of the universities in the Minnesota State System.
However, what is clearly unsettling is that SCSU trails ALL of the universities in the Minnesota State System in the ranking for reputation:
These rankings may be anecdotal and have some validity issues. However, students use them. And they use them a lot!
For many years, administrators have said that SCSU hasn't done a good job 'telling its story.' And in the past that may have been true. However, many of these same administrators and their replacements have been saying this for so long that it is hard to believe that they haven't been held accountable for not doing a better job of telling SCSU's story. Unless of course you believe that just saying that 'they' haven't done a good job telling the story is explanation enough. It almost seems this explanation is good enough for the titanic enrollment drop since FY10. With no end in sight for the enrollment drop, it might be reasonable to ask is anyone ever held accountable at SCSU?
Posted Monday, April 16, 2018 10:57 AM
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