The End of Extremes... Please!

PLEASE VOTE! It is your civic duty.

Trends are funny things! In 2006, a wave swept Republicans from the four corners of the Country, leaving a "new mandate" in place. My message following that election was, "expect the same stuff, different party." Meaning that the other party would swing to the other far extreme. With the momentum that followed, the 2008 election garnered a substantially similar result.


Following the Obama win, I was quoted as follows in the Albert Lea Tribune:

Matt Benda, former Republican candidate for the state House District 27A seat, said recently politics have been so dramatic from one extreme to the next that he fears the country will again have a president who does not govern from the middle.

Unfortunately, the party winning two successive elections with those types of numbers felt that they had been given a mandate. As a result we were given massive bailouts, staggering deficits and health-care reform no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, these extremes have done little to ease the fears that we all feel on mainstreet.

As described in a recent Wall Street Journal article, Americans see the Democrats as the party of big government and Republicans as the party of big business. The author concludes, "That leaves no party left to represent the American people."

Hopefully, both parties will realize that we need to find a new normal. The problems we face are real and affect real people in a huge way. Political bickering should not be the status quo.

It appears a foregone conclusion that the Republicans will take control of the US Congress and may take over the US Senate. In our First Congressional District, Randy Demmer certainly can win the day with the enthusiasm gap and a good tail wind from the national mood. He will be a great leader and will help eliminate the extremes. Truth Check -- it is not true that Demmer supports privatizing social security. Read Tim Penny's (former Democratic Congressman) refute here.

As for Minnesota State races, Tom Emmer is still in the hunt for Governor, despite his history of extremes. Yet, Dayton is so extreme in the other direction! It's been an odd year for the Governor's race, with our local paper even refusing to make an endorsement for Governor. Perhaps a split House = R; and Senate = D would be a good "governor" for the Governor?

Let's hope this prediction by commentator, Micheal Lewitt does not come true, "... bad ideas are likely to gain ascendancy and provide political cover for American politicians trying to avoid making the tough choices needed to right the American economy."

Hopefully, this will be the year where the swing will not be as extreme and government can roll up its collective sleeves and get some work done.

Remember -- VOTE!!
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Anatomy of a State Political Convention

I recently attended the 2009 Minnesota Republican Convention. According to news reports, some 1,200 people attended as voting delegates at this non-election year event. As I've done frequently for the last 20 years, I attended as a delegate and participated in this grass roots political process.

For those unfamiliar with this process, here is a primer: In the spring of an even year (election year), each political party holds is precinct caucuses. This event, generally dubbed as the beginning of the election process in Minnesota, ends with the election of delegates and alternates to the convention of "BPOU" (Basic Political Operating Unit) -- in Greater Minnesota by County. During an election year, delegates and alternates are elected to during the BPOU or County Convention to both the State and District Convention (1st Congressional District for me). These delegates are then empowered to be the official voice of the State Party and Congressional District for two years (the even election year; and the odd non-election year).

A candidate seeking the party endorsement, must receive it (by vote of the delegates) at the appropriate District or State Convention.

This past weekend was the off-year State Republican Convention. An off-year is a building year, as the next election is more than a year away. Yet, these conventions are important as the building blocks for the success or failure of the party in the next election. In addition, this year was surrounded by the buzz created by a straw poll of the delegates of their first and second choice for receiving the Republican Party endorsement to run for Governor in 2010.

I decided that my determining factor in who I would support in the straw poll was how well I thought they would perform in a "purple district." A purple district (like Albert Lea) is one that is not consistently Republican (Red) or Democrat (Blue). I wanted to support a candidate that would attract independent voters and provide a boost to local Republican candidates.

I questioned the top five candidates and posted their responses on my new found friend twitter (you can view the results of these interviews to the left of my blog). In the end, I supported Marty Siefert as my first choice and David Hann as my second.

I enjoy the opportunity to see candidates at this early point in the campaign helps to separate the real person from the campaign glitz.
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