Muse has an interesting take on the race in the 6th CD and Tarryl Clark's rumored entry.
I agree with Muse. This isn't 2008 where Bob Olson's challenge...well...despite 128 blog posts here about him...was futile at best.
I know Bob Olson, and Reed is definitely not a Bob Olson clone...did you hear me?
The 6th Congressional District is better served by having a good, open, and honest endorsement battle.
Enter Senator Tarryl Clark.
I've been hemming and hawing at this one for more than a week. Should Clark get into a large but shallow Gubernatorial pool? Or would Clark and Minnesota be better served by her running in the uber competitive 6th?
After Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher announced that Jaime Tincher is her campaign manager, I changed my mind on where Clark should run. Through my eyes, after working with Jaime as a State Senate candidate in 2006, MAK made the best hire of the 2010 election cycle.
Getting into the race in the 6th makes sense now. It immediately hurts both Tinklenberg and Reed.
Back in 2006, Tinklenberg received no less than $36,000 from labor PAC's before his failed endorsement run against Patty Wetterling. Post endorsement, labor wrote more checks to Patty Wetterling.
2008 was a smoother run for Tinklenberg as he garnered every major labor endorsement...and for that matter...every endorsement in the district in his bid to unseat Congresswoman Bachmann.
Clark's entry into the race changes that dynamic. Labor will not be so quick to give Elwyn boatloads of money with a candidate of Senator Clark's profile. It also neutralizes the strengths of Tinklenberg's new campaign manager.
Some argue that a woman will be the logical choice to beat Bachmann. While Reed shares the same chromosomes and has a strong background on health care and higher education, she lacks the strong name recognition and political guile possessed by Senator Clark.
Clark has been all over the 6th in the past, helping candidates at all levels, party building and being a leader. That will go a long way in a long endorsement fight.
So with that said...if Senator Tarryl Clark has not been drafted yet...then lets just get it on and get it done!
8 comments:
While I agree that Tarryl currently has more name recognition than Maureen, I do not think that will be an issue if Maureen runs an effective field campaign. During all the online hoopla about Tarryl jumping into the primary, I think many DFLers have overlooked the question over whether she would make a good candidate in the general election. She will certainly be able to mobilize the Democratic base, but it's pretty clear that Michele Bachmann has done a good job mobilizing the Democratic base on her own. Dr. Reed's biggest appeal is that she has the potential to mobilize Democrats, Independents, moderates, as well as disaffected Republicans. I welcome Tarryl entering the race, but I strongly feel Maureen is the best candidate because--if she runs an effective campaign, which I trust she will--she has the best shot at beating Bachmann in the general.
"Dr. Reed's biggest appeal is that she has the potential to mobilize Democrats, Independents, moderates, as well as disaffected Republicans. I welcome Tarryl entering the race, but I strongly feel Maureen is the best candidate because--if she runs an effective campaign, which I trust she will--she has the best shot at beating Bachmann in the general."
Isn't this EXACTLY what we heard about Tinklenberg in '08?
I agree with Pitty. I think Reed is the best candidate. While Clark may seem like a good candidate at first glance, she will get quickly labeled as a lefty because of her history with the party and her voting history, especially her Senate tax votes. Reed has the experience without the baggage.
Sure, people said similar stuff about El. But where Tink failed, I think Maureen can succeed. We can probably agree that El did not run a great campaign, and the only reason he brought in money at the end was because of Bachmann and Chris Matthews, not anything he or his campaign did. From where I'm standing, Dr. Reed's campaign is showing much more promise. She raised 230K compared to Tink's 54, and she and her supporters are showing a pretty strong presence online (over 900 followers on Twitter, strong reactions to blog posts, a large facebook following, etc.). Moreover, as I know you're aware, the notion that she appeals to Independence voters and moderates, and can actually turn them out, isn't just talk. She's certainly got a long way to go, but I honestly believe that a coalition is going to be necessary to win the district, and I think Dr. Reed's got the best shot at building one.
Muse - Janet Robert said it about herself, didn't she?
Pitty - Good to see you on blogger since July, 2009. Will you be starting a blog? The more DFL opinions blogged, the better.
Blue man & Muse -
With Tink saying he will run in a primary, and he anticipates a three way primary,
1- Do you think he is reading the tealeaves correctly?
2- Will the cacuses be irrelevant?
My guess
1- He will not do as well in caucusing as Clark. Reed is a wild card. What's she say on issues???
2- Cacuses will be important, the endorsed candidate, if it is a three way race, has an edge.
Another thought, is Tink hoping on a gender card thing, suggesting a three-way primary, against two women?
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