Let Blaine Represent Blaine, NOT Your Campaign.
Posted by Andy on March 21st, 2006
Now that the 6th District Endorsement process has begun, I can only think of it being like knowing how sausage is made. All the dirty little secrets and political tricks are coming out. And people wonder why no one gets involved in and hates politics.
Because they can’t stand it when people cheat to win or get ahead.
Let the people decide for themselves. Don’t dictate how people have to vote so that their person wins. That is the way legislators think. This is their caucus mentality. You’ll have to vote for 3 things you hate, just so you get 2 things you like.
Politics sucks, but what sucks more is when politicians make it plain for everyone sees how sausage is made.
Let my BPOU pick who we think should be Delegates. Let Blaine represent Blaine, not your Campaign.
The absolute last thing I can support is a politician who is willing to rig a system to get to DC. If you can look someone in the eye across their kitchen table and then use them to get ahead, what the heck are you going to do to them all the way from DC.
Poor form!
Sphere: Related Content
March 21st, 2006 at 11:08 am
Any particular names in mind when you wrote this?
March 21st, 2006 at 11:30 am
Yes, one
March 21st, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Something happened last night after we spoke I take it?????
March 21st, 2006 at 2:08 pm
6th District Endorsing is getting ugly
March 21st, 2006 at 2:19 pm
So, Andy, what would you replace the caucus system with?
March 21st, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Oh jesus Brent, is all you do just try to find a differing view from me?
I’m pissed off because it seems like someone is trying to subvert the caucus system by railroading their own supporters at the expense of the entire Convention body as a whole.
May the best man win doesn’t seem to be what one campaign has in mind.
March 21st, 2006 at 3:32 pm
What precisely is the charge? Over at ARAC, Tony is using phrases like “stuffing the ballot.”
A loaded term to say the least.
Is the charge that a campaign let delegates sympathetic to it know which other delegates are also sympathetic, so they could vote for like-minded candidates, thus supporting the candidate of their choice?
I don’t see what’s wrong with that. Are delegates supposed to vote not knowing anything about who other delegates might support? In a system where getting the most delegates is how you keep score, as a delegate I’d like to know who else supports my candidate.
March 21st, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Changing the rules was part of my problem with what happened at SD52. Then there is the fact that no one plans on coming to the convention and using the 30 or 60 seconds allowed to prove to the delegation why they deserve to be a delegate to represent them. That is they way it is supposed to work.
Delegates and alternates from BPOUs to the State and Congressional districts are SUPPOSED to represent the BPOUs FIRST, not the campaigns. I have no problem with people supporting anyone, but I have a big problem with a campaign that may be trying to rig the process.
March 21st, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Oh jesus Brent, is all you do just try to find a differing view from me?
No, not really. I’m just interested in your ideas of fixing the problem. In my view, something isn’t a problem unless there is a reasonable solution. I don’t really see a reasonable solution here, so I’m not convinced that there is a problem with getting people to go to the caucus and become delegates to support you.
I’m pissed off because it seems like someone is trying to subvert the caucus system by railroading their own supporters at the expense of the entire Convention body as a whole.
It makes me mad when people participate just to endorse someone or vote in a straw poll and then leave without participating in ACTUAL business, or adjourned the convention BEFORE the business is done. The former is what I understood happened in SD52 last Saturday. So I’m not mad that the candidates have gotten people involved just to endorse them, I’d be upset that these people don’t care about politics.
May the best man win doesn’t seem to be what one campaign has in mind.
It never is. It’s all about winning. To me this all sounds like a bunch of sore losers. “I couldn’t get as many delegates involved! Waah! Waah!” I agree with Jeff. My convention is this weekend, and I’m going to make sure that I don’t vote for delegates who support certain candidates and issues. I expect others will do the same. I’ve never voted for a delegate based on how they “support” the BPOU. (Whatever that means?)
Brent
March 21st, 2006 at 4:57 pm
So basically, the BPOU is worthless? That seems to be what you’re saying. Nothing matters except for supporting the correct CD candidate huh? Maybe you haven’t been involved in this level before, but a crap load of stuff happens besides just the CD endorsement.
If this is all predetermined, and all the work on me making it as fair and impartial as I can don’t matter, somebody owes me for the last month of my life.
Call me old fashioned, but when I trust people, and deal with them honestly, I get pretty damn mad when they abuse that trust and pry information from me, so that they can exploit that information.
I’m saddened that it appears that all the other stuff we’ll be doing Saturday doesn’t really matter.
Oh, and don’t think there is nothing besides the endorsement at the CD conventions.
March 21st, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Andy,
I’ll agree that delegates to a convention should do their job and participate in the business at hand. I’m just unclear on what exactly is being alleged about last weekend. (Before your post, all I knew about it came from the DumpMB site, and you’ll forgive me if I don’t automatically take what’s there as gospel.)
Is there a charge that a campaign told its delegates that they should show up, vote and leave right away? If people, being people, did that on their own, the campaign should not be blamed.
You mention abuse of trust and prying information from you. In what way has that happened? (I’m genuinely curious.)
As for voting for slates, again, I’d expect every campaign to try and do exactly that.
March 21st, 2006 at 5:54 pm
The rules were changed to have the endorsements early, and also I think, to have the CD delegates be the State delegates. The later bothers me because a number of the delegates are probably only interested in pulling the lever for Bachmann, and none of the other orders of business. They should be courteous to the rest of their BPOU and let others fill the state delegation at the very least. And changing the rules in this way, was probably done with dubious motives. I suspect that the other candidates were not there, and there was political pouncing because of it.
I guess I’m a more sentimental political guy. I’d like to actually get to meet the people who are running for delegates, listen to them speak, and then vote. I do not like the fact that people are coming in with their cheat sheets so they know how to vote for people they don’t even know. I know it is standard operating procedure but it is still wrong in my mind. I’d like to think that what all these people who are getting up there Saturday to give speeches will mater, but I guess it doesn’t. I have no problem with people being predisposed to a candidate, but for pete’s sake, give others the benefit of the doubt. What if Bachmann missed the best delegate we have in the BPOU? But they aren’t on that list, and people show up and don’t vote for them. That sucks! And that is exactly why people never show up again, they get duped once, and never ever show up to help again. Meanwhile, Bachmann will have gotten what she wants, and we’ll never see her again either.
I have a serious problem with dishonesty, and I feel like honesty is an issue when it comes to politics.
I just can’t post specifics. But I can tell you I have a strong feeling that there will be attempts to get our convention to work for a CD candidate.
March 21st, 2006 at 6:21 pm
What happened at SD52….
Were the rules changed or subverted?…NO
Election to both 6th and State was a change I submitted to the Rules Committee as SD 52 Chair back and approved by the Rules Committee in November of 2005…We get things done early in SD52.. That change was fully explained by me, at the convention. Only the 52A endorsement was delayed. Otherwise, nomination and balloting for 6th Cd Delegate started after lunch as it has for years.
Was I asked to move up the time of balloting?….Yes….Did I move it?…NO …ballots take time to be prepared.
Were slates used by the campaigns?..YES…as they have been before..and will in the future.
Did a large block of the 52B delegates leave after voting for delegates?…YES… What else is new….
I have to give Eva Young credit, she is the only one to give me a call and get the “REAL” story, instead of spreading rumors and seeing Black Helicopters everywhere.
Any other questions, fire away
Thanks
John McCallum,
Chair,
SD52
March 21st, 2006 at 8:14 pm
So basically, the BPOU is worthless? That seems to be what you’re saying. Nothing matters except for supporting the correct CD candidate huh? Maybe you haven’t been involved in this level before, but a crap load of stuff happens besides just the CD endorsement.
Andy, I’m an elected BPOU Officer, I think I know what goes on at the convention. I just don’t know what it means that delegates “support” the BPOU. All delegates have one purpose, to support their candidates and resolutions. If they don’t care about the resolutions that’s unfortunate but not unusual.
If this is all predetermined, and all the work on me making it as fair and impartial as I can don’t matter, somebody owes me for the last month of my life.
I don’t know, I think you’d better file for the last month of your life back. Honestly, to be blunt, if you did not realize before this weekend that the endorsement contest was all about delegates, that was extremely naive. It’s always been about getting delegates to the 6th convention. Any candidate that wasn’t working on maximizing their delegate count wasn’t really serious abuot running.
Call me old fashioned, but when I trust people, and deal with them honestly, I get pretty damn mad when they abuse that trust and pry information from me, so that they can exploit that information.
I don’t have anything to say about that. There’s information that candidates can have access to before being endorsed, and they have a right to it. No more then that though. Again, if they don’t take full advantage of that information, they aren’t really serious about running.
I’m saddened that it appears that all the other stuff we’ll be doing Saturday doesn’t really matter.
The resolutions? Maybe it is good that only those really are interested in the resolutions stay to participate. It makes their participation worth more if those who don’t care leave. Of course, I’d rather have everyone care, but the reality is that everyone does care.
Oh, and don’t think there is nothing besides the endorsement at the CD conventions.
I really think the answer is to get enough people involved that the delegates who come for a specific purpose don’t effect the outcome. Will that happen? Probably not. That’s politics.
Brent
March 21st, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Cheer up, my friend. It’s all good. I know John from my rabble rousing days in SD48 (Hi, John!) He helped me out with some things we were working on. He knows the ins and outs and runs a good ship. Brent is spot on: The candidates are looking for every edge. They’re supposed to do that. You have no control over how people try to work the process. It’s politics. They want to win.
All you can do is manage the process to be fair for all parties. That has been done thus far. It has caused some consternation, as you are no doubt aware, but at the end of the day no one can cry that SD51 runs a crooked game. In fact I have received feedback that we are very efficient at what we do and that are efforts are appreciated. Don’t get bummed about the negatives. Focus on the accomplishments and build from there.
The BPOU is only as good as it’s members. And we have some very good ones who have been doing this for a long time. I trust they will preserve the BPOU’s standing throughout this. Beyond that, give the delegates something to rally around. Give them a voice. They will support the BPOU.
These are heady times for SD51. Get your dancing shoes on. The next dance is in our house.
March 22nd, 2006 at 12:02 am
As to the assertion of impropriety: (The rest will have to wait until sleep catches up with me after the Pawlenty fundraiser this evening.)
I was reassured everything is above board tonight at the Pawlenty fundraiser, but it was dismissive. I will concede that initial reports are to be questioned, and until further evidence is submitted of wrong doing I may be over reacting.
But, I will reiterate that if slick parliamentary shenanigans is the desired operating procedure for securing the endorsement of the entire 6th CD, I will be so very disappointed.
Let the best candidate win! The issues should be what is deciding this.
March 22nd, 2006 at 9:33 am
Brent- I’d kinda like to see people want to stay for everything, so I’m sorry that you want them to leave. Shouldn’t we be trying to get more people involved, not less?
My whole point of this is when you get honest people who show up that day, and end up getting run out because they weren’t privileged to be on a certain list, they never come back. Which, even-though is standard operating procedure, destroys any local BPOU support. All these candidates are sweeping in to energize their supporters, and as soon as the candidates are done with SD51, our people will be dragged away from our area never to volunteer again.
And I have the opinion that a delegate from SD51 elected to CD does have more responsibility than to support their own candidate. They are a representative of SD51.
March 22nd, 2006 at 10:04 am
Wholly agreed, Andy. As a duly elected BPOU delegate it is my duty to represent my BPOU in all matters that may come before it, including endorsing whom I think will be the best congressional candidate, as well as representing those who elected me in any other business. If folks can’t stick around for the whole nine yards (including after the vote for CD delegates takes place), they don’t deserve the honor to be delegates.
-Leo-
March 22nd, 2006 at 11:35 am
Psycmeister,
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one. Thanks.
March 24th, 2006 at 12:33 am
“I have to give Eva Young credit, she is the only one to give me a call and get the “REAL” story, instead of spreading rumors and seeing Black Helicopters everywhere.”
Thanks John for the kind words….
March 28th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
I agree…let the process work without trying to subvert it or abusing the rules.
I will say it…what Bachmann is doing is ANTI-grassroots. Furthermore the fact that she has adopted a “anything to win” mentality proves to me why she should NOT go to Washington. I would even go so far as to say that she should not be in St Paul but that is not within my control.
Warning to the Bachmann campaign…you better NOT try this crap at my BPOU. I have no problem rolling up the sleeves and playing nasty right back. What you are doing is 100% about winning, not at all about doing what is right.
What is the most disappointing is the Bachmann slate members who are “Republicans”. Republicans have been preaching since Clinton’s days that character matters. This tactic from Bachmann may be legal, it may be within the rules and it may prove organizational skills. It also proves a lack of character. Bachmann is interested in one thing: Winning. That means that everything else (principles, morals, ethics, platform, etc) take a second seat at best. With all due respect (what little is due) that is the type of person that ruins this country, politics and everything that the Founders wanted.
I am disappointed in the party’s members for not recognizing this for what it is. The moral character of the party is disintegrating before my eyes this year.
March 28th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
John McCullum,
If you wish to come onto our show to set the record straight you are welcome to do so. 320-251-1990, Sundays from 1PM-3PM.
We will make time for you in our 2:00 hour this coming Sunday. Otherwise, we are fairly booked for quite some time.
March 31st, 2006 at 7:27 am
Nice Site! I have a bearded dragon called Gucchi and a border terrier called Ruby.They both hate each other and run a mile when they see each other! I enjoyed your blog- Thanks. R
April 5th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Nice Site! I love all the comments on this page. Do you have a rss feed I can subscribe to? Thanks
May 17th, 2006 at 6:06 am
Like the look of the site and the information. Just wanted to say keep up the good work!
Rob
May 25th, 2006 at 11:29 pm
I am jealous of this blog. I also agree, hey I am upside down or even right side up :-). I will add your url to my favorites.I will be back shortly.