Drew and many others work hard, more than most activists. Just because we, including me, did not show up in SD 25 does not mean we should not be critical. We have all gone door-to-door in the snow and rain, worked the parades in the heat and rain and worked the phone banks night after night. Some of us do this campaign after campaign, in my case, for the past 15 years. We all worked where no others showed up so please get off that high horse but stay with your other excellent points.

I think the point that is being lost, is that depending on conservatives to work in districts not their own for a candidate that is not all the exciting to a conservative view is, in the main, a failure of our state party. But not having many outside volunteers is not the reason for the inexcusable loss in SD 25.

Also, we must understand the reason for the defeat and that is exactly what Drew pointed out – the Left is better organized with a comprehensive plan that is well funded and we are not. It isn’t a matter of depending on volunteers but we must start working smarter and the Left is outsmarting us with a new game plan that was, in SD 25, very effective.

Maybe Ron Carey would better served everyone if he was out obtaining more funding rather than walking the streets. We need a smarter direction that is well funded.

Gene Kasper
Annandale

Well I guess you have to have some background noise when you are working on your monster truck in the garage.

But, thanks for noticing!

Nah. We got the substance. Style just helps you get your point across.

Again, being clinical here – Heaney’s “style” is terrible. There’s no reason to listen to him if you’re not…:

a) a kool-aid-drinking DFL stormtrooper looking
for validation, or

b) someone who likes listening to train wrecks.

I’m b, by the way.

While I have obvious ideological differences with AM950, I get very clinical about the actual business and technique of radio; “it’s not personal, it’s business”. If Janet Whatsherface hired me to be AM950′s program director (for a LOT more money than my day job pays me, mind you), I could suspend my politics long enough to make it kick ass.

And yeah, Haney…er, “has opportunities for improvement”. It’s not just that he sounds like a DFL press release or a Media Matters story or an Atrios post; he organizes topics terribly, his call handling is atrocious, he doesn’t sound comfortable on the air, and – worst of all, since this would at least help solve some of his other issues – he doesn’t project energy. At all.

That’s not a trivial thing; your voice and content travel through a mike, a board, a transmitter, the air, and your radio before they get to the listener; each of those stages saps off a little of the energy of your presentation, from the listener’s perspective. If you’re not *projecting* energy, it won’t get to the listener. And Heaney just doesn’t.

(And yes, Michael does)

I’d be happy to!

I am amazed more then a dozen folks actually can sit and listen to that drivel.

4-5,000 listening during a typical quarter-hour. An average of 3-400 concurrent streams throughout the show from people outside the broadcast area. An average of 20,000 podcast downloads a week (across all six hours) out at Townhall!

It must be the same dozen, over and over, huh?

Here on the prairie, your SD42 endorsed republiCon Mayor is on record as calling former Republican Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens and former Republican Council Member Ron Case “left of center.”

You republiCons loathe anyone not ideologically “pure”; your quest for “purity” only demonstrates your party’s intolerance.

I find Mark Heney to be one of the weakest radio hosts I have ever listened to. If he gets a caller who has a difference in opinion he is funny as hell to listen to flounder all over and try to dig his way out. He honestly sounds like a petulent child who’s mommy gave him a radio show for Christmas but gets all upset when his ideas are challenged. I find he often gets rid of any caller who disagrees with him first, and then goes on the attack after the caller is gone to challenge him any further.

I am really surprised he still has a show, he is far from entertaining or informative. All he does is drone on and on about how awful Republicans are.

I’m pleased to hear that democrats don’t listen; by all means keep your pointy little heads buried deep in the manure pile.

For myself, I think the time I spend listening to Mark Heney’s “Minnesota Matters” program is well spent.

There is nothing so satisfying as having the opportunity to call in when an elected democrat appears and ask them tough questions.

I’m not sure what I enjoy more, listening to the smarmy, smug, guest democrat I’ve put my question to sputter and stammer, or listening to all of the embaressed democrat sheep call in to try and pull their elected representatives out of the hole that they have enevitably dug for themselves.

i will say that i’d rather have you broadcasting and blogging your bullshit than in any way contributing to the GOP ground game.

just thought i’d add a quick word, since i’m usually the democrat too busy to respond to any of this, as i’m busy outworking all of you.

I am amazed more then a dozen folks actually can sit and listen to that drivel.

Thanks for all that you do.

LL

The message was heard loud and clear: act. If you have a complaint, complain while acting. Just act.

We all understood when you guys mentioned how the base has been incorrectly labeled as “zombies” by AAA/Andy Aplikowski. You didn’t mention his name, you didn’t mention his blog, but we all understood the subtle point.

I’m not a zombie. But according to AAA, I am. This guy has some nerve to claim he’s a conservative voice on anything.

Great shots at guess who!?!?! What a pathetic loser!!