“I think what I had to say at FarmFest was received very, very well,” Barkley said. “That is when I got a chance to speak. The audience was packed with Republicans who applauded everything (Sen. Norm) Coleman said.
“The two candidates, Coleman and (Al) Franken, spent most of their time throwing barbs at each other,” he said. “If this were school, I would have gotten hit by their spit balls aimed at each other.”
With all of the Coleman and Franken baggage, Barkley is a very viable third option for people.
He's a moderate, socially progressive/liberal and fiscally conservative which fits Minnesota voters well.
3 comments:
Barkley is a dabbler, an unserious candidate who would muck it up for the progressive candidate in the race in order to get his glory.
He ran for Congress in 1992, drawing 16% of the vote, in all likelihood giving us Rod Grams over Gerry Sikorski in the Sixth.
He ran for Senate twice, in 1994 and 1996, before realizing that Jesse Ventura's celebrity was the real key to getting elected.
Does anyone think Barkley had much to do as Ventura's campaign manager in 1998? He was rewarded with an appointment to a government job, and rewarded again by appointment to Paul Wellstone's seat, where he served 62 days - the Senate was in session only briefly during that time.
Then he ran Kinky Friedman's campaign for governor in Texas, and anybody who catches Friedman on the cable "news" shows can see what a joke he is. What did Barkley see in him?
Oh - and somewhere in there he worked as a contract lobbyist for a tobacco company and an outfit that wanted to privatize prisons.
Last July he tried to persuade Jesse to run for Senate by telling him about the 70-75 weekdays off annually as a slacker, er, Senator.
You're giving Dean Barkely way too much credit. He may be a nice guy, and he's from Annandale after all, but come on. Has he ever shown a commitment to anything?
I say he gets 12% this time, equally bleeding Franken and Coleman, Franken gets 47% and Coleman gets 41%; a decisive Franken victory.
You can take that to the bank. (They'll hand it back to you there, but you can take it.)
Barkley will become the Harold Stassen of the IP.
Unserious candidate? Which candidate is running TV and radio ads telling us he's "serious"?
We mucked this thing up by endorsing Franken. Too many people drank the kool-aid, too many party faithful sold out for Franken and now the DFL ticket is screwed.
Franken is running a campaign in mirror image to the Kennedy 06 debacle.
My prediction...
Coleman 48
Franken 38
Barkley 14
Franken's demeanor does nothing for him out in my area. In fact, talk to people who are doorknocking for DFL candidates outside of the Iron Range and the 4th and 5th CD's.
People are not impressed by Franken...and Senator Prissy is lagging significantly behind Al.
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