Saturday, February 02, 2008

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer: A lot like that other Professor turned US Senator

Another older but fun story out of Ely.
In the DFL tradition of Paul Wellstone, he’s bright, feisty, unafraid of corporate pressures and sure of his priorities. He teaches Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, and inspired one supporter to pen a campaign sign saying “Send Another Professor to Washington.”

We'll report on Jack's meet and greet in Buffalo later!

1 comment:

TheBig Roz said...

He's so much like that other Professor. Even his evolution into running for Senate and his campaign are so much like Paul Wellstone's.

Like Jack, Paul ran unnsuccessfully for office one time previous to running for Senate. Both were green college profs the first time. Both had a core of committed activists working with them. Then, the second time they ran, they ran for Senate.

Both Senate campaigns started a little slowly and underfunded, but energetically. Both grew enormously as candidates as their Senate runs devloped. Then into the campaign, as people heard them speak, as people got to know them, they started to come over to their campaigns in droves.

Now the caucus to state convention endorsement comparison continues - with a projection about Jack's campaign. Paul only got 30% of the state endorsement vote the first ballot. Virtually everyone loved him, but there were initial concerns about electability. (Jack is in the same situation today.) Eventually, Paul's ardent supporters and his evident depth as a candidate of the people won the day and he was endorsed. You know the rest of the story. He went on to beat a well funded incumbent Republican, and became the conscience of the Senate.

Jack has the same qualities of integrety, speaking skills that transform listeners into passionate followers, pure and gutsy progressive politics. Jack, like Paul before him, is a Professor who is poised to win the Senate seat back for us.