I think Hillary will be the most divisive canidiate to ever enter a race. People even on the left HATE her. I do not blame you, her hubby Bubba did a lot of damage to the democRat party. Problam is they became the power couple of the democRat party and they will not tolorate some young punk who has not been tested, has no experience, and worked for slum lords. (All Clinton claims of Osama, er I mean Obama).

Guess you will be one vote the democRats will have to do without.

Hmm… well, no. I will not vote for Hillary. And here’s why: I am a woman and I know that a woman cannot lead this country the way it should be run. Call me sexist, biased, whatever… but it’s true.

Just imagine if there was some sort of crisis… women are known for freaking out in crises… you can’t argue with me there. And that’s just one example.

She could really screw this country over.

Also… I do not LET the party tell me who to vote for, whether it be the Republican party or the Democratic party. It’s MY choice. Not there’s. I’m not some ignorant imbecile who can’t think logically about politics.

That’s all I have to say about that.

Hmm… Guess they did go lay by their dishes.

Actually I say he must not be a Republican nor Conservative because he seems to have thin liberal skin. You see we have heard all the cute little names you side has come up with over the years for Republicans, so I find it VERY funny how my repeating what Mr. Ted Kennedy said as “racist”.

Did not mention race, creed or religion. Simply have an issue remembering his name after the years of hearing the Osama name. Yep, what a racist. Now if I was really trying to play the name game, did you even know his middle name is “Hussien”.

Why it seems some other liberals who have been paid off by the Clinton machine like to mention the Hussien name, bring up his drug use past, and why Hillary herself has even said he was a lawyer for a major slumlord. Jezzz, at least I did not attack like that.

You don’t think that that rightwingnut is really a Dean plant, sent here to make republiCons look really, Really, REALLY stupid, do ya?

‘Cause if Dean really DID send him here, this guy’s doin’ a heck of a job….

And people need to give credit where credit is due, and Governor Pawlenty deserves a LOT of credit.

Personally, I really liked the posititions Peter Hutchinson took and stood for; personally, I’d like to see Minnesota adopt Instant Runoff Voting wo a vote for a guy like Hutchinson really IS a vote for a guy like Hutchinson, and not a vote against one of the big two.

It’s my NSHO that had IRV been in place, Hutchinson would have pulled a LOT more votes, than he did.

my bet is you are no Republican or at the very least, not a conservative.

All the names we have had to hear about President Bush and every other Republican by our liberal friends here, the Osama, er I mean Obama line is a little payback.

Like I said, it is the insecurity of folks like you that gets concerned over that slip up on the name. You know as well as I do Osama, er I mean Obama will have to deal with thousands who will buy into the name issues and his inexperience. The far left base of the democRats LOVE the guy and get very upset over any negativity sent his way. Everyone has given him a free pass up to now, which I think is due to the fact the press knows as well as the Clinton machine, that this whole Osama, er I mean Obama histeria was never meant to be anything other than a subject for the press to focus on to give cover for Hitlery.

SCAindecisive Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 9:15 am
“Hitlery” as you call her… is going to get her ass kicked by OBAMA… at least in this beautiful state of Minnesota. So shove it, you moron.

Who is the moron here? Good for you big fella, you went and cast your vote for Osama, er I mean Obama. Without wuestion the best he could hope for is a VP spot with Hitlery. She paid for this nomination and damn all you activist is you do not get on board and show your love for Hitlery.

You will be told to vote for a Clinton, and you will do so and act happy about it.

I do get a kick out of the locals who actually thought they had a say in their party as to who will get the nomination. Silly wabbits.

When you are right, you are right.

My first premise, with regard to Hatch and Hutchinson, was off.

Thanks to your good work in supplying the numbers, I see now that there were 108,000 votes, even with Hutch in the race, that Hatch could have picked up and won the election.

He did not pick up any of those 108,000. All he needed was to pick up 1 of those votes. So for Hatch, or anyone else for that matter, to blame Hutch for Hatch’s loss is wrong-headed.

Your defense of Franken is so funny, I can’t stop laughing. Only in your world is it perfectly “Minnesota Nice” for a guy to make fun of a college kid. Only in your world is it “Minnesota Nice” for a guy to cock his fist at a radio talk show producer. Only in your world is it “Minnesota Nice” to make off color jokes aboht gays. Yeah, that Al Franken is really a nice Minnesota boy.

I didn’t lie. Air America was funded in part by funds that were taken from the boys and girls club. Hopefully that money has now been replaced. The point is that Air America was so incapable of drawing an audience and advertisers that they fund by rich donors or stealing. Thus the quality of Franken’s job is questionable. People might attack Rush, but he gets 20 million
listeners a week and his commercials are sold out. So why did you lie about me there!

Norm’s record won’t get him fired in November. It’s nice to know that you agree with me that ideas matter (hint eight putt Tommy), and if the Republicans run on ideas we will have a great November sorry to disappoint you HCDFL. Norm understands that!

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

And they’re the ones on your side, purging your side of moderate, reasonable Republicans.

You know, RINO’s?

Making fun of a person’s ethnic name is racist, there is no two ways about it. Even if Ted Kennedy made a mistake first, it still makes us all look bad when you continue to repeat it. And it does come off as fear mongering. I’d prefer if people like you weren’t on my side.

It seems some get a tad upset with the Osama, er I mean Obama comment.

Some cry babies even go so far as to say it is “racist”.

Some news for you idiots in case you missed it, it was Mr. Ted Kennedy who started that! In front of a very large crowd at that. Not only did he say “Osama, er I mean Obama, but even screwed up further by than saying “Obama Bin..” before he finally caught himself.

Those of you who are upset by this show your insecurity of Mr. Osama, er I mean Obama as your candidate.

Fear not, The whole Osama, er I mean Obama thing was cute and all, but if you think he ever had a chance against the Clinton machine, you were as fooled as twopudd is about any subject.

Twopudd, you talk about being TOLD who to vote for which I find funny as that is what I have been saying will happen to democRats. You WILL BE TOLD to vote for Hitlery. She bought and paid for this nomination and you foolish little activist just best get on board with this and show your love for Hitlery.

Lick my jump boots, leg.

Now, let’s look what you said, more than a few posts ago:

from post #34: “Look at the results from the top of the ticket to the bottom. Amy Klo, at the top, received X number of votes. The remaining DFL candidates, with one exception, got pretty close to that same number of votes. The one exception, of course, is Hatch.”

You are factually incorrect. There is a marked drop off from what Amy polled.

Let me walk through your numbers one more time to see if got them right.

Amy got 271,000 more votes than Hatch. Hutch got 141,000 total. That reduces the number down to 130,000. Pawlenty got 22,000 more than Hatch. That reduces the number down to 109,000.

So if Hatch could have gotten about 1 vote out of that 109,000, he would have had one more vote than Pawlenty and would have won the election.

So, my point is this: Don’t blame Hutch. Blame the 109,000 Amy voters who did not cast a vote for Hatch.

This isn’t Ron Carey saying that is the strategy it’s plain sight and just listening to Al. Unfortunately for Al most of the voters in Minnesota don’t know the real Al. Of course Democrats don’t care about disgusting bad taste comments unless a Republican says them apparently.

And than Norm throws the supperior ideas.

By the way don’t you care that Al earned a liviing for a while by money stolen from boy and girls clubs>

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Yes, you HAVE been tryin’ to hang that on Al, but it’s simply not working; moreso, it’s reinforcing what I’ve been saying:

GOP LEADERSHIP doesn’t tell the truth, and the reasonable person simply cannot trust GOP LEADERSHIP.

Furthermore, if your party continues to try to hang that “Angry Al” crap on Franken, your party will – correctly – be seen as engaging in mean-spirited “character” assassination.

And that’s a losing strategy.

Now, compare your “Angry Al” strategy of PERSONAL attack with the “Norm ‘Smokescreen’ Coleman, R=Lapdog” JOB PERFORMANCE attack.

Norm’s probably a heck of a nice guy, but: he didn’t do his job. And that’s why he’s going to get “fired” this November.

-interesting

http://powerlineblog.com/

Keep in mind the only way to control the party is to control the election of Senate District officers or your equivalent and eventually these people vote on who run the party. Be a delegate and change it that way!

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

I went to a caucus for the first time last night. Everyone kept commenting about how there were so many young people coming out to the caucuses, and how they hoped those young people would still be around for the election. Are you kidding me? Of course they’ll be around!! My generation is thirsty for CHANGE… they’ll do anything they can to see that it happens.

I think it’s awesome that so many people my age (I’m 23) and younger are getting involved in the political process. It really needed to happen for the sake of future campaigns and elections. I mean, if no one in my generation cared about politics, then the government would pretty much be screwed in like 10-20 years… with everyone feeling apathetic toward the political scene. This election is inspiring young people AND people who don’t normally vote… it’s inspiring them to CARE. They are no longer taking for granted the freedom this country has to offer to its’ citizens. They want to be a part of where America is going and who will lead us there.

As for the disorganization surrounding last night’s caucuses… I think the people who were running them did the best they could with the materials they had. I don’t think anyone could have predicted how many people would show up. And if you think about it… it’s EXCITING that caucuses ran out of ballots and had long lines!!! It means that people CARE about what happens regarding the leadership of this nation.

Let’s look at the glass half-full, huh people? Don’t be so cynical.

Mccain got killed in my area and the state over all. That shows in Minnesota that we still care about ideas.

Eightputt:

Thanks for reinforcing my point about personality drives losses. We have been saying for weeks that Franken’s personality will cause a loss if he’s the DFL nominee. You retreat too personality issues on Hatch.

Furthermore more ballot position doesn’t matter. Yes Kennedy got killed, but every candidate on the Republican ballot polled better then Kennedy.
The difference in 2006 was that the Republican base was demoralized and didn’t turn out in numbers of the DFL.

This is why I’m saying that the turnout didn’t matter. We were much higher in the area where I was at it looked like people wanted to defend the principals of the Republican party. In 2006 we had lower interest and energy and that we have displayed and maybe too much confidence. It was kind of given we thought that Tim will easily as will our two constitutional officers. Furthermore I still think there is time if Mccain winds up being the candidate that he can increase his chances of winning.

There’s a larger base that understands the dangers this year. That’s the start we need.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Yeah, “right”.

If DFLers were gonna play that game, they’d have crossed over to vote for ol’ Multiple-Choice Mitt.

‘Cause Mitt is simply NOT electable, by the GOP rank and file.

Say, didn’t ol’ Multiple-Choice Mitt WIN, in MN??!?

You don’t suppose…..

Nah. Couldn’t happen, here….

Because that’s SOP, ever since Gingrich wrote “Language: A Key Mechanism Of Control”.

“All I want to do is solve the problem and get more people involved?”

What – you some kind of commie, or – even worse! – a RINO??!?

“Or are we not supposed to talk about our shortcomings so we can improve the process?”

There’s no room for losers in today’s GOP, pal – and if ya make mistakes, don’t let the door hit ya in the ass. It’s a small tent the GOPers own – and that’s the way they like it.

“Should we just sit on the sideline like sheep?”

No, you should SEND MONEY, and THEN sit on the sidelines, like sheep. Oh – and don’t forget to vote – for who you’re told to. Remember, you’re either with ‘em, or against ‘em. There’s no middle ground, in today’s GOP.

“sounds like you’re one of those who stand on the sidelines (or in the cheap seats), far from the field, and make critical comments without offering any suggestions for solutions.”

You could make that assumption, but you would be wrong.

I have no axe to grind with the state party other than to say that we as a party had a great opportunity to impress thousands of new caucus attendees and let them know that we need them to participate in politics in 2008. Unfortunately that did not happen. Personally, I wish Ron Carey and the rest of the folks at the party nothing but success.

I did talk to several folks who said they will not attend again. I told them that we really need their help but they said that if this was the best we could do they would not be back. that is sad.

“I still can’t figure out how you reached your conclusion that “thousands” will never come back again”

Here is how I figure it, there are about 4,000 precincts in Minnesota. If just one person per precinct said that they will not come back because the caucus was a disaster, which would mean that thousands of people in Minnesota would never come back again. Just an educated guess on my part, nothing more .

“My bet is you spend far too much time reading National Review blogs, listening to Rush/Hanity/Lewis — heck, you probably worship Hugh Hewitt and think Romney will be the next President.”

I don’t read National Review’s blogs, but I do get their magazine. I do listen to Rush every once in a while. I do not care for Hannity or Lewis and have never listened to Hewitt. I don’t understand your point.

Can I ask why you feel the need to attack me personally? All I want to do is solve the problem and get more people involved? Or are we not supposed to talk about our shortcomings so we can improve the process? Should we just sit on the sideline like sheep?

“It worked” because Hatch made it work. Minnesota Nice does not comport with calling a reporter a “Republican whore.”

They could not give me a number. I full well understand that because the number would vary by precinct even within a BPOU. What astounded me is that they could not give me a percentage, e.g. 10 percent more than 2006, 20 percent more, etc.

So when MDE pats the state party staff (and by extension himself since the state party is a source of his income) on its collective back, I have to point out that there are those of us with no pecuniary interest in making money from the state party who don’t agree with his “good job” comment.

Ya might not like his politics, and many don’t, but: personally, many of those that don’t like his politics still like him.

And the GOP successfully capitalized on that likeability, and contrasted that position by positioning Hatch as “the angry pitbull”.

It worked, and it worked because there was someone else to vote for.

Had Hutchinson not been on the ballot, it’s a safe bet at least 21,109 folk would have held their nose and voted for Hatch – which would have pushed Hatch over the top.

Hatch = 1,007,460
Ritchie = 1,049,432 (next lowest DFLer)

difference = 41,972

Hutchinson = 141,735 votes

Coincidence? Not so much….

For whatever reason, you seem to have an axe to grind with the state party leadership. Run for Chair or Deputy Chair in the next election. Apply for a job at Party headquarters.

Did you reach out to any of the first time caucus goers who you are sure will never come back?

I still can’t figure out how you reached your conclusion that “thousands” will never come back again — your sample size seems to be a few “folks” with whom you work. They are probably armchair quarterbacks like yourself.

My bet is you spend far too much time reading National Review blogs, listening to Rush/Hanity/Lewis — heck, you probably worship Hugh Hewitt and think Romney will be the next President.

I’d suggest you run for a leadership position in your BPOU or send your resume in to the state or national party to offer your services.

Those numbers prove my point.

Hatch ran 211,000 votes behind Amy Klo. You could expect that kind of drop-off down ballot. Hatch, however, was one slot below Amy. The drop-off has to be some sort of record for the difference between one slot on the ballot and the next one down.

Moreover, Hatch could not get the same number of people who voted DFL for AG, SOS, and Auditor to vote for him. All of those candidates outpolled him. If he had just got somewhere near those vote totals, he would have won.

My point: Don’t blame Hutch. Yah, sure, he was on the ballot. Blame the voters who voted for Amy Klo/Ritchie/Swanson/Otto but could not bring themselves to vote for Hatch. And, besides, we will never know for sure if those voters 1) cast their lot with Pawlenty, 2) voted for Hutch, or 3) skipped that race and went down the ballot to vote for the other DFLers.

“I’ll be ecstatic if they stay involved AFTER this election; then I’ll know they’re serious about helping the party and the cause. Otherwise, I’ll count it as a fluke to get their presidential candidate ahead and nothing else.”

After this election? How about during this election? Why is it that no one really seems to cares about people who attended their caucus for the first time and had a bad experience? Who cares where they have been or why they came, at least they got active last night and they deserved the best the Republican Party had to offer, but many got the worst.