KISCADEN MOCKS KELLY DORAN
Classy move Sheila.
"Kiscaden, a 14-year legislative veteran, has refrained from criticizing the man to whom she had hitched her political wagon, calling him an 'exceptional leader' and a 'bright man.' But the stress and frustration of the last week might have peeked through when she joked at the Olmsted County DFL Convention this weekend, 'There's a vacancy at the top of my ticket,' and then, more mockingly, 'Stand by your man. Ha. Ha. Ha.'"
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Doran's exit leaves politicians gasping
It is hard to exaggerate the amazement and sheer dumfoundedness that many people felt at the sudden decision of businessman Kelly Doran to quit the race for governor.
It wasn't just the more than $1.6 million squandered or the thicket of "More Principles, Less Politics" billboards strewn across the state. It was the swiftness of it all -- coming just three months after state Sen. Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester gambled her political future on an outsider's shot of becoming governor by becoming his running mate.
"I think it's absolutely the most astounding thing I've heard in ages," said Nancy Brataas, a former state senator from Rochester and a political observer.
Kiscaden, a 14-year legislative veteran, has refrained from criticizing the man to whom she had hitched her political wagon, calling him an "exceptional leader" and a "bright man." But the stress and frustration of the last week might have peeked through when she joked at the Olmsted County DFL Convention this weekend, "There's a vacancy at the top of my ticket," and then, more mockingly, "Stand by your man. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Doran had at first run for U.S. Senate, but then, citing the strains the race was having on his family, switched to the governor's race.
Certainly, the other DFL candidates for governor -- Attorney General Mike Hatch, Sen. Becky Lourey of Kerrick and Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins -- didn't see it coming. Mike Hatch, considered by many to be the odds-on favorite to win DFL nomination, said he had seen Doran as a "very formidable candidate."
"For a first-time candidate, I thought he was exceptional in terms of being disciplined," Hatch said. "Usually, it takes a long time to develop that type of discipline when it comes to staying on message and keeping your platform, and he did a very good job with that. He also had significant financial resources."
Doran, a shopping mall developer from Eden Prairie, came across as informed and articulate. Tall and husky, he exuded a certain commanding presence. He also could seem testy. During one appearance in Rochester, a reporter asked him about his health care plan, and Doran told him to go check out his Web site.
Gubernatorial candidate Lourey said she enjoyed debating Doran in forums, and she thought he was enjoying himself.
"He and I actually had a lot of fun together. We'd joke back and forth. We ended up building a relationship that was enjoyable," Lourey said.
But while Doran seemed to enjoy the give-and-take of politics, Lourey suspected that Doran's wife, Maria, did not.
"There wasn't a lot of joy," Lourey said.
Doran's quick exit also underscored the toll political campaigns take on candidates and their families, politicians said. That reality has echoes here in Olmsted County. At a time of political resurgence, the Olmsted County DFL Party has struggled to recruit candidates for House and Senate seats, although that problem might have been partly remedied by the announcement of Wes Urevig for House seat 29A.
The fact about political life, Lourey says, is that it is all-consuming.
"Your life is no longer your own. You really do belong to the people, and your life is just completely open and every minute is used up, so you have to have that strong family support," she said.
Sudden Impact
The political ramifications of Doran's departure aren't yet clear, but they might be minimal.
Hatch, who had been focusing his energies and resources on the primary in an anticipation of a battle with the well-heeled Doran, said he doesn't plan to alter his strategy now.
"You're limited in Minnesota to what you can spend, and we were going to spend it on (the primary and general elections)," Hatch said. "This frees up (money)."
Kelley argues differently. The departure of Doran, who had long committed himself to the primary, means that Hatch and Lourey no longer have an excuse not to abide by the endorsement process, he says.
"There shouldn't be an impediment to the candidates committing (to) the endorsement," he said.
Hatch said he's sticking to his strategy.
"This whole thing has been about the primary and not the endorsement," he said. Source for complete article: Post Bulletin, March 28, 2006
"Kiscaden, a 14-year legislative veteran, has refrained from criticizing the man to whom she had hitched her political wagon, calling him an 'exceptional leader' and a 'bright man.' But the stress and frustration of the last week might have peeked through when she joked at the Olmsted County DFL Convention this weekend, 'There's a vacancy at the top of my ticket,' and then, more mockingly, 'Stand by your man. Ha. Ha. Ha.'"
##
Doran's exit leaves politicians gasping
It is hard to exaggerate the amazement and sheer dumfoundedness that many people felt at the sudden decision of businessman Kelly Doran to quit the race for governor.
It wasn't just the more than $1.6 million squandered or the thicket of "More Principles, Less Politics" billboards strewn across the state. It was the swiftness of it all -- coming just three months after state Sen. Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester gambled her political future on an outsider's shot of becoming governor by becoming his running mate.
"I think it's absolutely the most astounding thing I've heard in ages," said Nancy Brataas, a former state senator from Rochester and a political observer.
Kiscaden, a 14-year legislative veteran, has refrained from criticizing the man to whom she had hitched her political wagon, calling him an "exceptional leader" and a "bright man." But the stress and frustration of the last week might have peeked through when she joked at the Olmsted County DFL Convention this weekend, "There's a vacancy at the top of my ticket," and then, more mockingly, "Stand by your man. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Doran had at first run for U.S. Senate, but then, citing the strains the race was having on his family, switched to the governor's race.
Certainly, the other DFL candidates for governor -- Attorney General Mike Hatch, Sen. Becky Lourey of Kerrick and Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins -- didn't see it coming. Mike Hatch, considered by many to be the odds-on favorite to win DFL nomination, said he had seen Doran as a "very formidable candidate."
"For a first-time candidate, I thought he was exceptional in terms of being disciplined," Hatch said. "Usually, it takes a long time to develop that type of discipline when it comes to staying on message and keeping your platform, and he did a very good job with that. He also had significant financial resources."
Doran, a shopping mall developer from Eden Prairie, came across as informed and articulate. Tall and husky, he exuded a certain commanding presence. He also could seem testy. During one appearance in Rochester, a reporter asked him about his health care plan, and Doran told him to go check out his Web site.
Gubernatorial candidate Lourey said she enjoyed debating Doran in forums, and she thought he was enjoying himself.
"He and I actually had a lot of fun together. We'd joke back and forth. We ended up building a relationship that was enjoyable," Lourey said.
But while Doran seemed to enjoy the give-and-take of politics, Lourey suspected that Doran's wife, Maria, did not.
"There wasn't a lot of joy," Lourey said.
Doran's quick exit also underscored the toll political campaigns take on candidates and their families, politicians said. That reality has echoes here in Olmsted County. At a time of political resurgence, the Olmsted County DFL Party has struggled to recruit candidates for House and Senate seats, although that problem might have been partly remedied by the announcement of Wes Urevig for House seat 29A.
The fact about political life, Lourey says, is that it is all-consuming.
"Your life is no longer your own. You really do belong to the people, and your life is just completely open and every minute is used up, so you have to have that strong family support," she said.
Sudden Impact
The political ramifications of Doran's departure aren't yet clear, but they might be minimal.
Hatch, who had been focusing his energies and resources on the primary in an anticipation of a battle with the well-heeled Doran, said he doesn't plan to alter his strategy now.
"You're limited in Minnesota to what you can spend, and we were going to spend it on (the primary and general elections)," Hatch said. "This frees up (money)."
Kelley argues differently. The departure of Doran, who had long committed himself to the primary, means that Hatch and Lourey no longer have an excuse not to abide by the endorsement process, he says.
"There shouldn't be an impediment to the candidates committing (to) the endorsement," he said.
Hatch said he's sticking to his strategy.
"This whole thing has been about the primary and not the endorsement," he said. Source for complete article: Post Bulletin, March 28, 2006
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