Home opener

Ryan Rutzick

With the rolling back of the tarps to reveal the grassroots of the Minnesota political parties at the precinct caucuses, we named our starting lineups (precinct officers and delegates to the BPOU convention) and debated party platform planks. Last Saturday at Wayzata High School, Senate District 44 Republicans met at their convention to endorse candidates, elect delegates to the Third Congressional District and state conventions, and generally perpetuate the American experiment of self-government.

Delegates endorsed incumbent HD44A Rep. Sarah Anderson for reelection, while small business owner Ryan Rutzick won the endorsement for the open seat in HD44B. Anderson is the well-loved and respected, hard-working four-term representative from Plymouth. Newcomer Rutzick introduced himself and his family with enthusiasm and a commanding public presence. He seems to have the energy, determination, and communication skills to connect with voters and finish the campaign season marathon that will begin in earnest after the legislature adjourns sine die in April or so.

Meanwhile, Kelsey Johnson (@kelsaljohnson) reported via Twitter that our counterparts in the DFL apparently adjourned their convention without endorsing any of the three candidates vying to succeed the retiring Rep. John Benson in HD44B. Johnson also reported that the Dems endorsed Audrey Britton to again challenge Sarah Anderson in HD44A.

I am happy to report that my Plymouth precinct had a full delegation present, but not so happy to report that none of our fellow House District 44B precincts did. Many candidates for Congressional district and state convention delegate from "the B side" revealed their support for Jeff Johnson for governor, while others said they were undecided. (The Johnson campaign was the only campaign to circulate a "slate," which is a list of delegates pledged to endorse him at the state convention.) Most delegate candidates seemed to be still vetting the U.S. Senate candidates, but most who mentioned a name said they were supporting or "leaning toward" fourth-term Minnesota Sen. Julianne Ortman (SD47). Sen. Ortman mingled with delegates Saturday morning as they registered for the convention, grabbed a Caribou coffee and a doughnut, and made their way to their seats.

The ever-present Rep. Erik Paulsen (CD3) greeted delegates as usual — it seems he never misses an SD44 convention, and like his predecessor Jim Ramstad, is always accompanied by his orange-shirted campaign staff. Paulsen will stand for his endorsement vote at the Third Congressional District Convention on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at Maple Grove Senior High School.

"Growth and opportunity party" reaches out

If you stop by the Minnesota State Fair booth of the Republican Party of Minnesota (RPM), you'll see something completely different from previous years. Besides the snazzy new visual design (I saw graphic designer Derek Brigham's fingerprints all over it, FINALLY), the focus has shifted from the party to the people.

Counterintuitively, the booth no longer screams REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA. Instead, the main messages are "Repeal Obamacare," "Growth and Opportunity," and "The American Dream." The traditional emphasis on candidates, GOTV (Get Out The Vote), and volunteer recruiting are replaced with interactive issues surveys collected on iPads, with realtime results displayed on large-screen monitors. You can spin the prize wheel and buy a button for $2 with Republican messaging, like the PROUD CONSERVATIVE button I bought.

Maybe because it's a non-election year, or maybe someone at the RPM has realized that the party needs to attract new voters (and even win back a few former party-faithful). Whatever the reason, the RPM seems to be listening and engaging at this year's Great Minnesota Get-Together.

We found SD44's favorite son, Jeff Johnson, meeting and greeting folks at his Jeff Johnson for Governor booth on Underwood Street east of the Grandstand. Jeff is competing in a strong field of candidates for the endorsement of the RPM to challenge Gov. Dayton next year. An often lone conservative vote on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Jeff could be the candidate most likely to win and work with both parties to move Minnesota forward in a long-term, sustainable fashion.

Recap: Where Do We Go From Here?

Note to aspiring bloggers: I have finally learned my lesson about liveblogging. The two things you absolutely cannot take for granted at a liveblog venue: Internet access and power. Without both of course, you are dead in the water. I had intended for this to be a liveblog of Wednesday's Minnesota GOP activists' meeting of the minds, but a, shall we say, cluster of circumstances conspired first to delay then put an abrupt end to that idea.

"MN GOP: Where Do We Go From Here?" was a panel discussion about the future of the Republican Party of Minnesota, in the aftermath of the 2012 elections. The party has been devastated by overwhelming election defeats, financial mismanagement, scandal, infighting among its various factions, and an image of exclusion — and that's aside from the constant attacks from the Democrat party and their allies in the media, Hollywood, and political action committees.

I arrived at the Blue Fox Bar and Grill in Arden Hills (located on the corner of Lexington Avenue and, ironically, Red Fox Road) just after the scheduled 6:00 pm start to the pre-event social, only to find the parking lot full to overflowing into the neighboring businesses. It was even more crowded inside the bar, where easily over 200 persons packed the bar, tables, and booths, making it difficult for the waitresses to make their rounds, laden with food and drink.

This may have been what Samuel Adams called the "animating contest of freedom" looked like. People from all walks of life, gathered in a pub, debating the questions of liberty, at times listening intently, at other times loudly objecting or talking amongst themselves, then applauding an eloquently-spoken point.

The panel was moderated by blogger and talk radio host Mitch Berg and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson. Announced panelist Sen. Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville) was unable to attend. Fortunately for the discussion, commentator and activist Erin Haust was able to sit in for Thompson.

The moderators posed several questions to the panel, some submitted by audience members on index cards. Several recurring themes emerged:

Is the Minnesota GOP the party of addition and multiplication, or division and subtraction?

This line from Kurt Bills's concession speech sums up what the panel identified as the Minnesota GOP's most pressing problems. The various factions within the party — so-called Ron Paul libertarians, social conservatives, TEA Party fiscal conservatives, moderates, and the party establishment — are eating themselves alive and killing the party from within. Instead, Republicans should focus on what they agree on, get elected, then debate the rest. This internal feuding is wasting energy, turning off the grassroots, and discouraging everyone else from joining the party. Party activists should remind themselves that their common opponent is the DFL.

The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor. —Ronald Reagan

The Minnesota GOP is attempting to fight a twenty-first century opponent with stone knives and bear skins.

There is a black-and-white video of Ronald Reagan from the 1960s giving a tour of the "modern" political campaign phone bank. (I couldn't find it on YouTube, if you do, please send me the link.) The Gipper proudly explains the modern techniques of compiling neatly-typed telephone number lists of Republicans by precinct, and how the volunteers call everyone on the lists to remind them to vote Republican on election day.

The problem for Republicans is, this was how Republicans contacted voters in 2012, a half century later.

Social media maven Erin Haust sounded a high-tech wake-up call for Minnesota Republicans. She explained how Democrats are light years ahead of Republicans in data analytics and social media. She urged BPOU activists to work together to create "viral" videos on Facebook and YouTube, advertise on Facebook "now" for 2016 (she remarked that it may already be too late for 2014), use memes and infographics, and get regular articles in local newspapers and online websites like Patch.com.

Haust mentioned WeAreChange.org and Project Veritas as examples of the effective use of video for conservative messaging:



Republican campaign strategist Andy Parrish recommended the book The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care), reviewed in 2010 on RedState. It's an eye-opening account of how liberal-progressives used a privately-funded political machine to work on projects from "policy generation to leadership recruiting, coalition building to grassroots activation...dozens of 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and 527 organizations...worked in perfect harmony to take down the Republican establishment and install left-leaning policymakers in its place." After reading it, Minnesota conservatives will better understand what has been happening here in Minnesota, and how it might fight back.

The Minnesota GOP needs to appeal to minority communities and independents by stressing our common values.

Walter Hudson, commentator and member of the Minority Liberty Alliance, explained how Minnesota Republicans should reach out to minority communities by first listening to what's important to them, and then explain why conservatism offers better answers than liberal-progressives. Dan Severson, president of the organization, and 2012 U.S Senate candidate Kurt Bills are already making inroads in this way. Later, Hudson recalled that for most of the country's history, people immigrated to the United States to escape the tyranny of their homelands, with no guarantee of anything except precious freedom. This is a message that resonates with the Hmong who told of their fight against the Communists for the CIA at a recent Minority Liberty Alliance meeting.

Politics in Minnesota creator Sarah Janecek, who proclaimed herself the "only moderate Republican in the room," offered a similar approach that she has used to talk to independents: instead of focusing on labels like conservative vs. liberal, talk to people about opportunity, reframe the message based on values, and why conservative ideas are superior.

The Minnesota GOP needs to get its house in order and figure out how to win elections in the twenty-first century.

Parrish proclaimed that The Republican Party of Minnesota is "a disaster." He said that it's time for the RPM to declare bankruptcy, start over, give candidates and BPOUs the tools to run an effective campaign, including effective voter ID, microtargeting precincts, messaging.

Haust said that the party needs to recognize that Democrats are engaged in a perpetual campaign, and to abandon its "campaign season" mentality. She said that activists need to be engaging friends and neighbors continually, as liberal-progressives have been doing for years.

Mark Westpfahl, chairman of Senate District 2 Republicans, agreed, adding that Republicans need to be more active in the community between elections, and run for local offices. He added that party activists also need to trust each other and cooperate within and between BPOUs.

Hudson said that the party needs to understand that winning campaigns and winning ideology (public policy, public opinion) are two different efforts, and to conduct them independently instead of as one process. He added that conservatives don't need to wait for the state party to tell them what to do, pointing out that this evening was not organized by the party. (It was the brainchild of Steve Hensley of Real Capitol View.)

Janecek asked what did Minnesotans get when Republicans controlled the state House and Senate (for the second time in her lifetime, she added)? Government grew, two failed constitutional amendments, financial mismanagement, and scandal (and a less than optimal response to it by elected leadership). Republicans instead need to deliver on its promises of smaller government, fiscal restraint, and economic growth.

Janecek and Stebbins claimed that Ron Paul won young voters by leaving social issues out of his campaign, and focusing instead on economic issues.

The last question asked panelists, what do Republicans agree on?

Ron Paul Minnesota 2012 chair Marianne Stebbins: Economic freedom, fiscal conservatism, school choice.

Westpfahl: Government is more obtrusive in people's lives than it should be.

Severson: Our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are given by God; government with the consent of the governed.

Janecek: Focus on the economic issues, and we win the majority.

By the end of the evening, Hudson had so eloquently espoused various conservative principles that one of the panelists had to admit, "Nobody [on the panel] wants to follow Walter."

Not surprisingly, the party's problems were not solved that night, but perhaps getting them aired out was a critical first step.

Where do we go from here?

Many of the top thought leaders in the Republican Party of Minnesota will gather this Wednesday evening to discuss the most critical questions facing the party in the aftermath of the 2012 election cycle.

"MN GOP: Where Do We Go From Here" is a forum jointly sponsored by Real Capitol View and True North. Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner, and Mitch Berg, talk radio host and blogger at Shot in the Dark, will moderate the evening, which starts at 7:00 pm at the Blue Fox Bar & Grill in Arden Hills.

If you are an activist, BPOU leader, TEA Party member, blogger, or anyone else who wants to avoid a repeat of 2012, please show up to help us figure out where we go from here. Check back here, on True North, and Real Capitol View for recaps of the discussion.

Follow the event on Twitter, hashtag #mngop13, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/realcapitolview.

A time for choosing

Kurt Bills, the Republican endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate, sent the following message to supporters. It is directed squarely at those Republicans who either stayed home on Election Day, or used their vote to "send a message" or "teach a lesson" to the Republican party "establishment," for endorsing the "wrong" candidate.

Elections have consequences. With Gov. Mark "Tax The Rich" Dayton and two liberal U.S. Senators later, how did that work out for ya?

I would add to Bills's commentary the practice of certain former Republican elected officials to undermine the candidacies of Republican-endorsed candidates by publicly endorsing their DFL opponents. The First Amendment applies to these members of the old guard as much as to any other American, but such a public repudiation of the party is also a betrayal to those of us who still work to advance Republican values.

If you have issues with the Republican Party, and many of us do, fine, next election cycle, run for delegate in your precinct, fight for changes to the platform, work hard for the candidate of your choice. But days before Election Day, it is a time for choosing. Vote next Tuesday, but please don't sabotage our fight from within.

In June 2009 Norm Coleman conceded his Senate race to comedian Al Franken.

He lost the race, after 6 months of recounts and legal battles, by 312 votes.

In December 2010, Tom Emmer conceded his race for Governor after a similar recount, losing by fewer than 9000 votes.

Both races have something in common much more important than the fact that they ended after recounts: they ended with extremely liberal politicians taking power entirely due to the defection of Republicans to third-party candidates.

In a very real way, Democrats didn’t win those elections as much as Republicans chose to lose them.

In my mind, that is shameful. Do any of the Republicans who voted for Dean Barkley or Tom Horner really believe our state and our country are better off with Al Franken and Mark Dayton as Senator and Governor?

The reasons for some Republicans to defect from Coleman and Emmer are a mirror image of each other. Some Republicans expressed dissatisfaction with Coleman because he was not conservative enough for their taste; in Emmer’s case, others thought he was too conservative.

They were looking for the “Goldilocks” candidate in the race, and voted for a third party candidate or stayed home. In the Emmer race, former Republican Tom Horner garnered over 250,000 votes, more than 25 times the margin by which Emmer lost. Not all those votes were disaffected Republicans, of course, but too many of them were.

The results are stark: Minnesota didn’t get a centrist, “goldilocks” Senator or Governor. They were saddled, instead, with two of the most liberal politicians in the country representing them in Washington and St Paul.

Republicans who didn’t vote for their Republican candidates are responsible for the passage of Obamacare, a bill that would have been stopped had Norm Coleman been in the Senate.

I am not one to believe that we should abandon our principles and simply adopt the Party line. Many of you recall that I am the Republican Senate candidate today because I ran an insurgent campaign from outside the Party structure.

I firmly believe it is our responsibility to fight within the Party to ensure it represents our principles. Ronald Reagan was an insurgent, and eventually won out against the Rockefeller Republicans after nearly two decades of work in the trenches.

During that time Reagan was both a loyal Republican and a principled warrior for his cause.

That is what each of us needs to be today. Day in, day out each of us needs to work tirelessly to persuade other Republicans to our side when we disagree; and day in, day out we need to fight to defeat Democrats who are pushing policies which if left unchecked will bankrupt our country and undermine the constitutional foundations of our country.

Ronald Reagan hit it on the nose when he declared: “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor.”

That is why I am voting for a Republican straight ticket this Election Day…and why you should, too.

SD44 campaigns heat up

David Gaither, Hamel Rodeo Parade, July 8, 2012.

The campaigns in SD44 are in full swing and hotter than a firecracker on Independence Day. The candidates are door knocking, walking parades, and meeting and greeting at summer festivals in the district.

Businessman Mark Stefan, who is challenging current Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), had supporters in campaign shirts at both the June 30 Music in Plymouth 5K run and the 40th annual music and fireworks event on July 4. Stefan, who worked on the campaign of state Senate candidate Norann Dillon, has traded places: now Dillon is managing his campaign.

David Gaither, who is challenging current Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), had the most popular giveaway item of that sweltering evening at Music in Plymouth: handheld fans. The entire stock of several hundred were distributed in the first hour. Sen. Bonoff had a booth near one of the park entrances, handing out balloons and greeting constituents.

Voter ID advocates from ProtectMyVote.com were on hand to raise awareness and answer questions about the photo ID amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, which will be on the ballot in November.

Hard-working U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills walked the Hamel Rodeo Parade on a sunny and hot July 8 not once, but twice: once before the parade started, then in the parade itself. The Minnesota state legislator and economics teacher will challenge current Sen. Amy Klobuchar with a simple but powerful message of "Economics 101." Kurt and his supporters are Tweeting with the hashtag #noklo2012. Rep. Erik Paulsen's (MN-3) typically large volunteer contingent also braved the hot sun to walk the parade with his orange campaign signs. Gaither walked the parade with his wife Susan, as his volunteers handed out frozen ice pops to the crowd.

Bonoff and Gaither to woo swing voters

Tuesday's town hall meeting at Plymouth City Hall hosted by Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) was a Legislative session recap event for constituents, not a re-election campaign event. Still, a few likely campaign themes emerged during the senator's amicable 90-minute conversation with twenty or so of her constituents.

Senator Bonoff has been building her brand as a non-partisan, "moderate" legislator. Some Republican candidates in this area have done the same. Bonoff touts a bipartisan style at the Capitol. She even included a photo of herself with the popular retiring Sen. Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista) on the 2012 Legislative Report flyer that was distributed at the meeting. Her last campaign signs omitted the DFL label, and some of her constituents are still surprised to learn that she's a DFLer.

With victories in a special election and two general elections so far, she must be doing something right. But are Bonoff's Plymouth and Minnetonka constituents getting what they voted for?

Despite the nonpartisan branding, Bonoff was elected Assistant Minority Leader by the Senate DFL caucus. She is responsible for ensuring that Senate DFLers vote in concert to advance the DFL party's and Governor Mark Dayton's agendas (read: Vikings stadium). It is by definition a partisan role.

After voter ID legislation carried by former Minnesota Secretary of State and current Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) was passed, then vetoed by Gov. Dayton, the Legislature sent a voter ID amendment to the Minnesota Constitution directly to the voters. With her DFL partisans in the Minnesota Senate, House, and Gov. Dayton, Sen. Bonoff opposes the ballot question, in spite of polls that show 80% of Minnesotans have consistently supported the idea since 2006.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, "Bundlers are people with friends in high places who, after bumping against personal contribution limits, turn to those friends, associates, and, well, anyone who's willing to give, and deliver the checks to the candidate in one big 'bundle.'" The center's web site lists over 500 bundlers for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, only five of whom are from Minnesota. Terri Bonoff is one of them.

Republicans who hope to unseat Bonoff with their endorsed candidate, Sen. Bonoff's SD43 predecessor David Gaither, will not impress swing voters in this district by attacking the incumbent with overheated direct mail attack pieces. On the flip side, Occupy-style rhetoric will also suffer a cool response from the folks who eschew At Issue and Almanac: At the Capitol for brunch at The Original Pancake House or a burger at The Muni. Voters in this west metro district, where the women are strong and the school districts are all above average, will respond to the candidate who clearly presents the better plan to solve local problems and improve the statewide economy.

As I greeted Plymouth City Council member Tim Bildsoe after the Bonoff meeting, he said, "I guess this is the start of the season for you." So it is. Grad parties and weddings will soon make way for door knocking, campaign lit dropping, parade walking, sign pounding, candidate debates, and shifts at the get-out-the-vote phone bank. And blogging. See you on the trail.

Grassroots cultivated at caucus

Some folks showed up over an hour before our precinct caucus was called to order Tuesday night. Either they were excited to vote in the presidential straw poll, or they relied on a postcard they received with the incorrect time shown! By 7:00 pm, when state law dictates the caucus is to be called to order, our convener had misplaced his agenda which specifies several items that must be addressed, also per state law. The room where we met had no American flag, but fortunately our convener brought a desk-sized flag for just that contingency.

The rest of the caucus went much more smoothly!

Our voting in the presidential straw poll reflected the statewide totals: Rick Santorum, 23 votes; Ron Paul, 15; Mitt Romney, 10; Newt Gingrich, 4. If anyone wondered whether the Tea Party is still relevant in Minnesota (or Missouri or Colorado), there's your answer.

We had over fifty persons sign in, plus one observer. In non-presidential election year caucuses, attendance is sometimes so low that we can't elect our allotted number of delegates. No such problem this year: we elected a full roster of delegates and alternates, who will represent our precinct at the first post-redistricting BPOU (Senate district) convention in March.

The youngest attendee will turn 18 in time to vote in November. Several Vietnam veterans were there, as was a Russian immigrant who fled Communism—only to encounter, to his chagrin, ever-growing statism from both American political parties. I recognized many from previous years, but as always there were also many first-time caucus goers.

Judging by the conversations, the top issues that brought folks out on Tuesday night seemed to be election integrity, the national economy, the right to life, and right-to-work. We had so many sign up to be election judges that we had to use a couple of pages from a yellow legal pad when the printed sign-up sheets were full.

In addition to the presidential candidates, several local candidates had letters, literature, or signs at our caucus: Congressman Erik Paulsen, Rep. Sarah Anderson, state Senate candidate Norann Dillon, and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek.

Resolutions to the party platform were mercifully few this year. My resolution to greatly streamline the platform failed on a close vote that required a division of the house. A resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to make Minnesota a right-to-work state also failed on a close voice vote. While I recognize the need for a party platform, I find the current platform too long and detailed, and the resolutions part of the convention agenda a marathon exercise in contentious hair-splitting.

Our biggest challenges will be, as always, fundraising and volunteer recruiting, and forming a new BPOU after the redistricting maps are released (by February 21). It seemed on Tuesday that there is enough dissatisfaction with President Obama and the economy, and positive energy from the Tea Party, to keep the grassroots fed and energized through the next nine months of conventions and campaigns.

The journey to 2012 begins with one step

In spite of the historic 2010 wave that gave Republicans control of both houses of the Minnesota legislature for the first time in two generations (not to mention the U.S. House of Representatives and nearly the U.S. Senate), in SD43, it's close but no cigar. Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) continued the A-side Republicans' unbeaten streak going back to Jeff Johnson in 2002 (the first election after redistricting), while Norann Dillon and Brian Grogan improved the GOP's performance, just not enough to unseat DFL incumbents Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) and Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka).

Anderson won her third election handily by 15 percentage points, winning 13 of 15 A-side precincts (the Medicine Lake precinct was a tie at 111 votes each). Dillon and Grogan both finished with around 3.5 percent deficits. That was a half-point improvement over Judy Johnson's close 2006 finish against Bonoff, and an over 8 point improvement over Grogan's first run against Benson in 2008. Grogan captured all 4 Plymouth precincts and 4 of 13 Minnetonka precincts. (The 2010 results are unofficial until certified by the canvassing board.)

The good news for Republicans is that the SD43 team now has another election cycle worth of experience, and significant Republican momentum, at the start of the road to 2012. Dillon and Grogan are seasoned campaigners could run or support other candidates in two years. Dillon in particular did an excellent job of using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in her campaign, and Grogan's opposition voting record research was very thorough. Judging by campaign communications that played down partisan labels and portrayed them as "moderate," and by narrowing election margins, the DFL incumbents have recognized SD43 voters' desire for less spending, lower taxes, and a more favorable business climate.

The wild card for 2012, even more so than the outcome of a gubernatorial recount in Minnesota, will be legislative redistricting. In the first election after redistricting, the entire legislature will be up for election (including the Senate), as well as the U.S. House of Representatives and President. This will present a challenge to the new, post-redistricting BPOUs, or Basic Political Operating Units. After redistricting is complete in February 2012, the new BPOUs must organize, adopt by-laws, elect leadership and delegates, and endorse and elect candidates, all before November.

Activist interest will be high for the presidential election year. People like to get elected delegates at their precinct caucus, but many end up being "inactive activists." The new BPOUs would do well to set a high bar of commitment for delegate and leadership posts, including attendance at conventions, active networking within the precincts, active campaigning for endorsed candidates, volunteer recruiting goals, and lead fundraising.

BPOUs should host monthly informal coffeeshop discussions and special events, to draw supporters who won't attend a formal BPOU committee meeting, and capture their names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and social networking contacts. SD45 Republicans has been very creative and successful in this regard. As soon as possible, groups of suburban BPOUs should meet to share ideas and plan over the next two years so the new BPOUs can hit the ground running after the redistricted maps are drawn.

Ersatz Republicans

After years of governing from the left, SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) and HD43B Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), like many of their DFL colleagues, are campaigning toward the middle. Bonoff has gained endorsements from business groups (which are becoming increasingly anti-free market), at least one of her parade appearances featured a costumed actor as the Statue of Liberty, and Republican door-knockers have heard from some SD43 voters who think that Bonoff is the Republican endorsee. Benson is endorsed by former Republican governor (and current RINO) Arne Carlson.

Yet their voting records, very closely following DFL leadership Sen. Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), House Majority Leader Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis), and even Congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama, belie these canny yet misleading efforts at partisan makeovers for the 2010 elections. Voters in other districts should also evaluate their DFL incumbents' claims against their voting records now for an informed vote on November 2.

For example, if Benson is on-board with Tom Emmer's emphasis on jobs as he claims in his latest campaign literature piece, then why is he authoring the Minnesota Health Plan bill, which eliminates 1100 health insurance jobs in Minnetonka and Plymouth? If Benson is all about jobs, why hasn't he addressed the onerous regulatory environment in Minnesota for the last four years he has been in office? This effort alone would have kept thousands of jobs in Minnesota. If Benson is for jobs, why does he vote for a fourth income tax tier on families earning $150,000 or more, which hurts small business owners? If he is about jobs, why does he support billions in tax increases on businesses and high income families?

If Bonoff is such a fiscal watchdog, why does she favor an expansion of the sales tax so that state government can spend even more of Minnesotans' money? If she is such a "moderate" Democrat, why has she voted with the liberal DFL caucus almost 9 out of 10 times, and consistently scores among the lowest on scorecards from the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and Minnesota Majority?

The DFL has finally recognized that Minnesotans are tired of the runaway spending and insatiable taxation that has forced businesses and jobs out of The Gopher State. To save their seats, these DFL incumbents may have had deathbed conversions on taxes and spending, but I wouldn't count on it lasting much longer than the day after Election Day, regardless of the outcome.

SD43 picnic fundraiser

Please join me this Wednesday for SD43's event of the season! Share a barbecue picnic with the Republican Party of Minnesota slate of candidates, from SD43 to the statewide offices and Congress:

U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen, Tom Emmer for Governor, Pat Anderson for State Auditor, Dan Severson for Secretary of State, Chris Barden for Attorney General, SD43 candidate Norann Dillon, HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson, and HD43B candidate Brian Grogan

Date: Wednesday, August 25

Catering by Famous Dave's
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
5:30 pm Food served
7:00 pm Program begins

Cost: $15 Adults, $6 Children 6 and up, 5 and under FREE

Where: Carlson Cheshire Park
14440 Cheshire Parkway
Minnetonka, MN

Sponsored by Senate District 43 Republicans, Larry Thompson, chair.


View Larger Map

UPDATE: We had great weather and turnout for the SD43 picnic! Here are my photos from this event:

Norann Dillon knocks SD43 this Saturday

SD43 challenger Norann Dillon will continue door knocking around SD43 this Saturday, with the assistance of members of the Minnesota Young Republicans. Dillon is such a tireless door-knocker, she must be on her second lap of the district by now.

The YRs are working hard this election cycle across the state, particularly in CD3 where the "Blue to Red" campaign is targeting DFL incumbents, including SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff. This year's YRs are party animals with a full event calendar, a snappy new web site, and abundant enthusiasm for commonsense and efficient government, lower taxes, and enjoying campaign activity with fellow Republicans.

The forgotten man

In a thought-provoking podcast interview, Walter Hudson (Fightin' Words blog) interviews Don Allen, an African-American North Minneapolis activist who feels that the Republican Party of Minnesota has for too long written off his neighborhood, and other DFL strongholds, like so much bad debt.

Why doesn't the RPM have more boots on the ground in North Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, or Lucky Rosenbloom's Dale Street neighborhood? (Rosenbloom should be one of Hudson's next one-hour interviews.) According to Allen, some folks in the urban core think that funding distributed by the city, state, and federal governments (and spent by school districts) should be more accountable and transparent (ahem, are you listening, Pat Anderson?), and that concerns about light rail transit's impact on neighborhoods are falling on deaf DFL ears.

Allen thinks that conservative solutions to urban ills should be heard and discussed within his community. He has invited Republican officials to stop by his town hall meetings at the Sunnyside Cafe, but so far they have been no-shows. Allen wants Republican leadership, not just well-meaning twentysomething "outreach" coordinators, to begin cultivating relationships in his neighborhood.

It will take more activists like Allen and candidates like Eva Ng, who ran for mayor of Saint Paul last year; Barry Hickethier, who is challenging Sen. Larry Pogemeiller (DFL-Minneapolis) in SD59; and Joel Demos, who is challenging Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN5); running year after year, to plant conservative ideas and grow a GOP presence in the cities.

As Hudson suggests, it will likely take more like a decade than an election cycle to change voting habits, and the RPM has some tough return-on-investment decisions to make with limited resources. But with that hopey-changey thing not working out so well, what better time than 2010 to get started?

The bus stops here

Northwest metro Republicans are invited to enjoy a barbecue dinner, nice summer weather, and greet the last stop of the Republican Party of Minnesota's statewide Freedom and Prosperity Bus Tour, as it arrives at the party's new Third Congressional District office at 111 Cheshire Lane in Minnetonka, this Friday around 6:15 pm. You can also pick up a lawn sign, meet party staff, and work a phone bank shift. The event will cap the three-day statewide bus tour across the state with stops in twenty cities.

Scheduled to appear are: gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, Lieutenant Governor candidate Annette Meeks, Attorney General candidate Chris Barden, State Auditor candidate Pat Anderson, Secretary of State candidate Dan Severson.

If you're elsewhere on the tour, check out the complete tour schedule and be there when the bus stops in your area:

Wednesday, June 30 - Red Wing, Winona, Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato, New Ulm, Hutchinson

Thursday, July 1 - Willmar, Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, Fertile, Bagley, Bemidji

Friday, July 2 - Grand Rapids, Brainerd, Little Falls, St. Cloud, Elk River, Minnetonka

RSVP on Facebook.

SD43 candidates on Facebook

All three SD43 endorsed candidates have established campaign presence on Facebook, and have begun to build their online networks. To find and "Like" their pages, simply enter Norann Dillon for Senate, Brian Grogan for Minnesota House 43B, and Rep Sarah Anderson into the Facebook Search. (The SD43 Republicans BPOU has a Facebook group with an active Wall.)

Dillon has the most established page, updating it from the campaign trail, chronicling her door knocking and formal appearances, and uploading photos. She also gets extra points for repeating her Twitter posts on her Facebook page, which has over 500 fans. Grogan's relatively new page features the candidate introducing himself in a short video. Anderson's campaign Facebook page just launched. As the HD43A incumbent, Anderson has produced several podcasts and is also well-spoken on video. She should make them more visible during the campaign.

Politicos at all levels are learning to use Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks for constituent and voter engagement. In suburban districts like SD43 where folks are spread out over wide areas with work and leisure that often takes them away from home, these tools can let candidates stay in touch, build support, rally campaign volunteers, and most importantly, get out the vote in ways that are more engaging than phone banks, e-mail, and direct mail.

Take back our state by taking back our party

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
—Plato

My able colleagues at True North have posted an excellent new 2010 Precinct Caucus guide. It includes a primer on Minnesota's precinct caucus system, definitions of terms, and an inspirational call-to-action by former Republican local party officer Andy Aplikowski.

"The beauty is that in Minnesota with our Precinct Caucus system, those who show up, actually do run the party," says Aplikowski. "We can take the party back and use it to return America to its freedom based roots, but - and this is important - we can't have a conservative and liberty based Republican Party if there is a minority of conservatives and those with libertarian leanings who show up to endorse candidates and become Delegates."

Mark your calendar now on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 7:00 pm, and show up informed and ready to roll at this very real and practical exercise in self-government. Your commitment at this lowest level in the party process will have an impact all the way up to the candidate endorsements, and help determine where the heart and soul of the party will be for 2010 and beyond.

State fair photoblog

Here are my morning and afternoon images of the Minnesota DFL (few visitors) and GOP (crowded) booths at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair, which ends today.

MNGOP leadership debate highlights problems, introduces candidates

It wasn't much of a debate.

Last night's event, billed as a "debate" among the candidates for chair and deputy chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, was really more of a forum to discuss what's broken about the state party out-of-power, and what party leadership can do about it. There was more agreement than disagreement on these points, so the issues were beside the point, although I thought that it was refreshing to finally hear these issues aired out in a public forum.

The evening did provide an unprecedented opportunity for State Central delegates, BPOU (local affiliate) activists, DFLers, and outside-the-party conservatives to meet and size up the candidates, up close and personal. It was also a great warm-up for next week's follow-up event in Maple Grove (more on that later).

So what was the consensus of the candidates on what's wrong with the Minnesota GOP?

• The party has strayed from its conservative roots, exacerbated when certain legislative candidates became incumbents(!).
• Lack of "customer service" to the BPOUs and Congressional District organizations; too much command-and-control.
• Outdated technology. Worst offender: the RNC-driven Voter Vault voter data base.

Starting with the deputy chair candidates, how would each candidate address these issues?

Bob Swinehart, a retired physicist from 3M, would apply his years of experience managing scientific and engineering departments, as well has his experience as an activist in the MNGOP (his is a current BPOU chair). He understands that the party needs to reach out to younger voters.

Dorothy Fleming, current MNGOP deputy chair, has certainly paid her dues, has a statewide network of activists, and knows party operations inside and out. Yet I didn't hear Fleming make the case for why, as an incumbent in the Ron Carey administration, she isn't part of the problem.

Michael Brodkorb, activist and (to say the least) blogger, would bring his familiarity with party workings, tech savvy, and outspoken articulation of conservative vision to the party. I wanted to start calling Brodkorb "Mr. Customer Service" for the number of times he emphasized the party's need, and his own devotion to, customer service to the BPOUs and Congressional district organizations.

As for the chairperson candidates, Carrie Ruud would bring her 360-degrees of experience as a grassroots activist, candidate, and legislator to the table.

Some in the grassroots I have spoken to are quick to dismiss Tony Sutton, current party Secretary/Treasurer as "more of the same," but as he pointed out last night, when he was executive director of the party in the 1990s, Republicans won majorities in the Legislature, which in turn served under a Republican governor. Life was good — so good that the late 1990s/early 2000s became the heyday for "moderate Republicans" who felt so free to stray from the platform and even party discipline that the name Republican became a name only.

Radio host and attorney Dave Thompson may be the dark horse of the field. Although his conservative credentials and skill as a broadcast personality are beyond question, he has no previous experience as an elected official or party boss.

I am not a State Central delegate this year, so I won't be casting a ballot in these elections, but after last night I would give the edge to Thompson and Brodkorb. I think that this duo would make the strongest statement to friend and foe alike that the Republican Party of Minnesota is committed to the transformative, high-velocity cultural change that will be needed to overcome the DFL in the elections of 2010 and 2012.

Your next chance to evaluate the candidates in person is next Thursday, June 4 at the Minnesota Republican Party Leadership Forum at Maple Grove Junior High School.

The most encouraging thing about these events is that they are not official MNGOP events. They are grassroots-driven, after-the-TEA-party efforts, which shows that the conservative movement is not only alive and well, it's gaining in strength and numbers. It appears that all of the candidates for state party leadership have taken notice.

Liveblogging the Minnesota GOP leadership debate

9:00 pm: Wrapping up, thank you, good night.

8:57 pm: Question 9: How would you work with BPOUs and Legislative caucuses? Ruud: communicate with the caucuses, do not interfere with the BPOU selection and endorsement process. Thompson: Ditto. Sutton: Ditto.

8:52 pm: Question 8: What improvements would you make in technology and how? Sutton: Voter Vault: replace with a Minnesota-grown data base, as the Second Congressional District has shown us in 2008. Devote one staff member to social networking, blogs, Internet technologies. Ruud: Voter Vault needs to be replaced. Web sites need to link the BPOUs, the state party can assist. Web meetings to bring outstate BPOUs into the process. Thompson: use the technology to win elections; tailor the communication medium to the voter (demographic). But let's remember that we must use technology efficiently to win elections.

8:49 pm: Question 7: Would you take a salary, why or why not? Thompson: I would take a salary, Chairman would be my first priority. Sutton: I would not take a salary, a volunteer organization should be led by a volunteer. "I am one of you." Ruud: I would take a salary, otherwise you limit who can serve if you don't pay a salary.

8:46 pm: Question 6: What BPOU experiences are needed in the paid staff of the MNGOP? Ruud: paid staffers should come from BPOU ranks and experience. Thompson: BPOU/CD experience is fine, but it depends on the needs of the job position. Sutton: if I am elected chair, the era of East Coast outsider staff is over. Activists expect a resource with experience, seasoning.

8:41 pm: Question 5: Do you believe that the state party has too much control over the BPOUs and congressional districts, and if so how would you fix it? Sutton: yes, and I would put the BPOUs back in control, and support the BPOUs like we did "back in the day" [my paraphrase]. Been there, done that. Ruud: Greater Minnesota needs more support from the party. Thompson: there is a sense that the state party isn't sensitive to the BPOU needs -- it's about attitude.

8:38 pm: [Back after network connection problems.]

8:29 pm: Question 3: What is your number one priority for the party? Sutton: elect more endorsed Republican candidates, to help change our state and country. "See my plan." Ruud: Build infrastructure, win elections, ensure a consistent conservative message. Thompson: elect candidates who will vote the platform, vote our values.

8:25 pm: Question 2: what attributes do you bring to the position of Chair, and why are you the best candidate? Thompson: I can inspire people to rally to the party by communicating the conservative vision of the party, all across the state. We have to stop allowing the Democrats to define us. Sutton: I understand how to run large organizations, I won't need "on the job training," I have a published plan of action. Ruud: I have a broad base of experience of running a BPOU, running as a candidate, being a legislature, running a private business.

8:22 pm: Question 1: What is the role of the Chair, and what should it be? Ruud: to service the BPOUs, give them the tools they need to elect their local candidates, to serve as a liaison to the national GOP, uphold the Constitution and platform. Thompson: communicator-in-chief, communicate the conservative vision. Sutton: set the strategic vision, operate the party to service the grassroots.

8:12 pm: Opening statements (3 minutes). Ruud: I have the grassroots experience and work ethic to help get Republicans elected. Thompson: I understand how to communicate the conservative vision and execute successful campaigns for candidates who will in turn implement the conservative agenda. Sutton: when the MNGOP had a conservative vision and was well organized (when I was MNGOP executive director), we won elections. I have the skills and experience to help us do it again.

8:09 pm: Chair candidates introduced: Carrie Ruud, Realtor, former legislator. Dave Thompson, radio personality, attorney. Tony Sutton, MNGOP officer and activist.

8:07 pm: Deputy Chair debate is concluded. Brief intermission while the stage is rearranged.

8:02 pm: Question 9: How would you repair the relationship between the state party and the "local affiliates" (BPOUs)? Flemming: transparency, decentralize, share "who we are," communicate. Swinehart: the state should lead the effort to share best practices among the BPOUs. Brodkorb: invite activists to become part of the process; leadership summits.

7:59 pm: Question 8: How would you handle conflicts of interest with your "day job," etc.? Brodkorb: Open executive committee, meet in every Congressional District in the state, more transparency. Flemming: I have no potential conflicts. Swinehart: I have no potential conflicts (I am retired).

7:56 pm: Question 7: Would you take a salary, why or why not? Swinehart: would accept expenses only. Brodkorb: would not take a salary, but salaries for Chair and Deputy Chair should be disclosed and tied to roles, responsibility. Flemming: would take a salary, because salary = accountability.

7:51 pm: Question 6: What do you believe is the role of the Deputy Chair in getting Republicans elected to state and local offices? Flemming: encourage candidates and volunteers. Swinehart: provide candidate training and support tools. Brodkorb: what we're doing isn't working, some incumbents don't want to run again, they are not getting the tools to win.

7:48 pm: Question 5: What would your role be in relation to the BPOUs? Brodkorb: customer service, providing to the BPOUs & CDs as I did as a MNGOP field staffer. Flemming: did not directly answer the question, but cited the desire of activists to engage on issues. Swinehart: deliver the tools needed by the BPOUs.

7:44 pm: Question 4: Would you change anything about the platform, and why? Swinehart: The platform could benefit from some "simplification." Brodkorb: I think we need to preserve the path that activists have via the caucuses to modify the platform. Flemming: The people we elect should follow the platform.

7:40 pm: Question 3: What would be your number one priority as Deputy Chair and how would you make it happen? Flemming: get high school students involved, "fix" Voter Vault (voter data base). Get information out to party activists. Swinehart: embrace all demographics (not just "people who look like me"). Talk to your neighbors on the issues. Brodkorb: Build the party, win elections. Win back majorities, retain governor. Help activists feel valued and included.

7:37 pm: Question 2: What attribute to you bring to the party? Brodkorb: technology expertise, communicate, bridge the technology gap. Flemming: I love being with people, listening to them, networking, writing. Getting people involved. Swinehart: management experience.

7:36 pm: Flemming: I enjoy traveling, listening to BPOUs, appearing on radio shows, getting out the message.

7:34 pm: Brodkorb: the party needs to better define the roles and responsibilities. I believe that customer service (for BPOUs and Congressional districts) should be the focus.

7:31 pm: First question: What is the role of the Deputy Chair, and what should it be? Swinehart: No strong opinion, since the by-laws are vague, but the Deputy Chair and Chair should be in agreement on it. I can lead teams, listen; cheerleading, not so much.

7:28 pm: Flemming: The party needs to get better at communication: talking points, putting the "party" back into the Republican Party. (Mentioned the local Red, White & Brew social networking gatherings.)

7:20 pm: Opening statements by each candidate. Swinehart: I have a different background than the other candidates (technical management at 3M). That's what I bring to the party. Brodkorb: The party needs to be in "customer service" mode. The party needs transparency. Committed to serving as a volunteer Deputy Chair. Recognizes the importance of (contact) list development.

7:17 pm: Introducing Deputy Chair candidates Bob Swinehart, retired 3M physicist, MNGOP activist; Michael Brodkorb, activist, blogger; Dorothy Flemming, current Deputy Chair.

7:14 pm: Meeks: Campaign 2010 begins now. Morrissey: We're hoping for change back to conservatism.

7:13 pm: My quick headcount: 125-150 in the seats.

7:10 pm: No questions from the floor. All questions from the stage. Order will be at random. Moderators Annette Meeks and Ed Morrissey being introduced.

7:04 pm: Derek Brigham from SD 45 is calling the evening to order. Most are still in the lobby noshing and hobnobbing. Sharing a table with @noahkunin (Twitter handle).

6:59 pm: Meet & greet underway in the lobby. Cameras & PCs getting set up in the auditorium. Talk amongst yourselves on Twitter, search for #mngopdebate.

6:58 pm: Set up in the press area at the debate!

Visit North Star Liberty tonight at 7:00 pm CDT for my liveblog of the Minnesota GOP Leadership Debate. I will also be monitoring Twitter @mattabe and #mngopdebate for your comments.

Could Dave Thompson lead the MNGOP back to principled conservatism...

...or lead principled conservatives to a third party?

In the days after the national Tax Day Tea Parties, the GOP had better wake up and smell the tea. Within several weeks, thousands of everyday citizens organized themselves into hundreds of rallies in towns large and small all over the country, with the help of online social networking tools and talk radio, without the support of any political party. Indeed, many elected politicians and the chair of the Republican National Committee were denied the opportunity to speak at these events. The Tea Parties were nonpartisan, expressing dissatisfaction with the runaway spending and high taxation of Democrats and Republicans alike.

If the GOP fails to commit to shrinking government, increasing liberty, and reducing taxation, they could discover that the start of the Tea Parties marked the end of the Grand Old Party.