Kelly Doran, what we've learned
Kelly Doran was willing to invest millions of dollars to become Minnesota's next US Senator, and then Governor. Doran choose to go the route of seeking support from the DFL and their primary voters. His campaign was lead by John Woodle the spokesman for Independence party governor Jesse Ventura. His runningmate was a sitting state Senator who won as a member of the Independence Party. Somehow he was convinced the only way to win was to join one of the two big money parties even though he himself invested the money to make the lack of money in the Independence Party or the difficult prospects of raising money as an independent irrelevant.
The result nobody cared. Given his initial intention to run for US Senate it would seem he would have been a perfect fit to join the Independence Party and make the run as he would have been a strong favorite to win the parties nomination. He was by no means the perfect candidate, but given the stage he would have been given with the combination of his money and the status that the Independence Party has built over the years he could have had something he never had with the DFL, hope. If nothing else he would have been given a loud voice in the debates to focus on the issues that matter most to Minnesotans. In the process he took Shelia Kiscaden to the DFL party with him, and while she is still a good Senator a little more of her freedom to make the best decisions for her district and Minnesota is gone.
In the end because Kelly Doran decided the only way to move Minnesota forward was from one of the polarizing parties the chances of Minnesota actually moving forward slightly decreased. Peter Hutchinson and Robert Fitzgerald are continuing the fight Mr. Doran failed to win because they choose to fight with their allies in the Independence party. Lets hope that as the supporters of Doran and Kiscaden look for a new candidate they look to the spot where Kelly Doran began his fight, as a concerned Minnesotan ready to take this state forward, not where he ended the fight as a member of a polarizing political party.
posted by mike @ 6:05 PM
7 Comments:
Doran might still have been able to win the DFL gubernatorial nomination.
Mark Dayton won the September primary six years ago and beat an incumbent, despite not having the DFL endorsement.
The possibility always exists especially in a 4 way race, but Dayton was a known DFLer who had a long background of being part of the DFL.
Dorans past contribution's to Republican and Independence Party candidates worked against him. In November he absulutly could have won, but the big money parties don't care that he could have won.
How do you think a Mike Hatch-Tim Pawlenty-Peter Hutchinson race turns out?
I see it as good and bad for the IP.
What's good: Hatch and Pawlenty could get really ugly, making a third party look good.
What's bad: Hatch is a brawler -- I could see him as the boxer winning with two black eyes and a broken nose because the other guy got knocked unconscious.
Given it's the race we've expected all along, it's the one Peter is best ready to take on.
We don't yet know what Hatch can do when battling in the publics field of view. Attorney General is a high profile office, but the race to win that office is not looked at much higher then state auditor.
The fact that the GOP press release on Dorans withdrawl aknowledged and attacked Peter Hutchinson. That tells you the GOP is scared of him.
At this point I want Mike Hatch more then ever, if Steve Kelley or Becky Lourey emerge at this point it will mean they have momentum following them, and it will be more difficult to get the public on board that they are flawed.
I'm a little worried Peter Hutchinson might have a difficult job convincing people why he's so great, but part of that is probably that I've seen him speak several times and am no longer drawn in by what he has to say as I know what he's gonna say before he says it more often then not.
I'm not sure if Pawlenty's people are afraid of Hutchinson. It seems they think they can just lump him in with the DFL. How does the IP separate itself?
Anyone want to help "non-candidate" Tim Pawlenty in 2006?
Where do you think the small percentage of Doran supporters will go now that he is gone?
Another local politics blog (whose name I wont advertiase is saying that Kiskaden will be runnig with Hatch. Do you think they will go with her?
Let's hope Hutchinson can call them in. Any little bit helps.
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