GOP rallying around Emmer

Posted at 11:29 AM on May 1, 2010 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Republicans, including Gov. Pawlenty, GOP Reps. Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen, are rallying around Tom Emmer, the party's newly endorsed candidate for governor. The Republican Party held a unity breakfast this morning to show that they're 100% behind Emmer, who will likely be the candidate on the ballot this November. Emmer, who defeated fellow legislator Marty Seifert to win the endorsement, rejected DFL criticism that he's too conservative to win in Minnesota.

"Eight out of ten of the people out on the street agree with out beliefs when it comes to smaller government," Emmer said. "When it comes to people back in charge of their opportunities, giving them their own opportunity to be the best that they can possibly be without government determining what that it is. Those are our values not the other side. We are mainstream Minnesota."

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said Republicans are far from unified since former Republican staffer Tom Horner is running for governor as a member of the Independence Party.

Democrats endorsed Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for governor but she's facing a primary challenge from former Senator Mark Dayton and former legislator Matt Entenza.

Comments (5)

"DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said Republicans are far from unified since former Republican staffer Tom Horner is running for governor as a member of the Independence Party. "

And the GOP shall respond to the DFL... "Who is Tom Horner??"

Posted by Jeff Miles | May 1, 2010 11:57 AM

And Minnesotans shall respond to both the DFL and the GOP, "Welcome, Governor Horner."

Posted by Tom Horner | May 1, 2010 12:51 PM

And people will respond to both the DFL and GOP, "Tom Horner is our next governor!"

The majority of Minnesotans are tired of extreme liberal and conservative politics where nothing gets done because the DFL and GOP will not work together. We cannot have four more years of that nonsense.

Minnesota is facing serious challenges and Tom Horner has the best plans for addressing those challenges. He will work with both parties to bring people together around good solutions.

Posted by Barb Vaughan | May 1, 2010 12:59 PM

Barb and Tom, I have a few questions.

What happens if the legislature disagrees with what Tom Horner wants to do? Is there a Plan B for that scenario?

Isn't "If I'm elected, nobody will disagree anymore," another way of saying, "If I'm elected, nobody will have any principles anymore"? Or is it that you think everyone will adopt your principles? Again, what's the Plan B, just in case that doesn't pan out?

Legislators used to disagree with the last IP governor when he was in office. Whose fault was that? If the answer is "the legislature," couldn't someone say that you're engaging in the same "my side's all right/your side's all wrong" polarized rhetoric that you criticize? If the answer is "both bore some responsibility," doesn't that completely undermine the argument that IPers are endowed with special conciliation skills, or a special ability to see The Truth?

And even if we assume no partisan prerogatives, isn't it unrealistic to think that a body of people, made up of 201 individuals from different parts of the state with different life experiences, representing different local economies and cultures, are going to all agree with each other on everything simply because the Governor has an (I) after his name? Legislators used to run for office without any formal partisan identification on the ballot until 1972. Yet, people still disagreed with each other back before then.

What about issues like taxes, where GOPers consider any increase as "extreme," whereas DFLers consider a refusal to look at raising taxes as "extreme"? This isn't a dispute over "how much do we raise taxes," this is about "do we consider it at all." Where's the middle ground there? Don't you have to accept one side's premise? And wouldn't that be an implicit admission that one side isn't "extreme," and that both sides aren't equally bad?

Posted by Chris | May 1, 2010 4:34 PM

I'm not suggesting that legislators all will join in rhapsodic unity after my election. Of course there will be disagreement. But there will be solutions based on principles, on reform and on moving government forward. And to your implication that on issues like taxes or spending cuts a governor (any governor, one presumes) has to take all of one position or not get anything done, that suggests that only single-party government is viable these days. It's not working great in Washington at the moment. There are two things you are missing, Chris:
First, Minnesotans are ready to engage around leadership that has a vision, is respectful and is willing to have honest conversations with them. Consensus isn't coming from the Legislature. It needs to be imposed on the Legislature -- which is how and why Minnesota now has Northstar Commuter, public health reform, and other public policies I've helped move forward.
Second, if the debate is only about whether we raise taxes or cut spending, we will continue the stagnation. I agree with that. It's why the debate needs to be reframed around fixing Minnesota, not fixing government.

Posted by Tom Horner | May 1, 2010 5:41 PM

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