Please say more. What specific items in the DFL platform support the
policies and actions (or lack of action) of the current mayor and council
related to the Block E development, racially-based traffic stops,
affordable housing, etc.
Rosalind Nelson
Bancroft
At 06:40 AM 3/27/01 -0800, Carol Becker wrote:
>I think some of this discussion comes from a lack of agreement on this list
>of what a political party is and what its role is in our community. Here is
>the definition I would propose: a political party is a group of people who
>have a set of core beliefs (a political platform). The members (delegates)
>have a social contract with the larger community to spend the time examining
>these candidates and measuring them against these core beliefs. They then
>vote (an endorsing convention) on the candidate they believe will most
>closely uphold the core beliefs of the party. The party then endorses the
>candidate who most closely appears to hold these core beliefs. The party
>then helps to get this candidate elected so it can be sure its beliefs are
>represented.
>
>In Minneapolis, the DFL has done a pretty good job of selecting a set of
>core beliefs that match the core beliefs of the majority of citizens. I say
>this because history shows the DFL endorsement carries a lot of weight with
>voters. It isn't the only endorsement that carries weight - we have also
>debated the weight of the endorsement of Stonewall DFL, the Police and Fire
>unions, the Central Labor union, the DFL Feminist Caucus, and other groups.
>But for the majority of voters (in broad terms), feel they can trust the
>people who are the DFL to find candidates that adequately represent their
>views. (This is a general statement, however, because we all know of
>candidates who did not have the DFL endorsement who were elected.)
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