On 12/27/02 1:08 PM, "Constance Nompelis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Some notes on the recent discussion: > > Mark Snyder said: "I do wonder if Valdis will lose > some votes because of his Republican endorsement this > time around..." > > CN: I don't really think it hurts a candidate to have > MORE support than lesIndependentsants and some > Democrats supported Valdis last time around, and this > year the MRC has joined them. Valdis is fiscally > conservative, which is a trait appreciated by most > Republicans, among others. Valdis is bringing people > together rather than splitting them apart. I apologize if my earlier comments suggested that having the Republican endorsement was a bad thing. The point I wanted to make was that historically (at least recent history), Republican candidates have not fared well in Minneapolis. I don't think anyone can really dispute that. One might conclude from that trend that Minneapolis residents generally do not agree with what they perceive to be the Republican agenda, in which case, I think my question was fair because in 2001, Valdis ran as an independent and some (especially DFLers) who supported him then might be less inclined to do so again if he's running with Republican endorsement. However, I suppose it's also possible that the lack of success among previous Republican candidates in Minneapolis might simply be a reflection of those individuals not connecting with Minneapolis voters, in which case, perhaps Valdis might be someone who could break that trend. Like I said, he certainly ought to be considered among the frontrunners. I also hope those who read W. Brandon Lacy Campos' interview with Shane Price noted that Valdis is certainly not the only candidate who supports federal mediation. And Valdis is certainly not the only candidate who recognizes the need for greater fiscal responsibility. I would argue that Shane Price's experience with working for Hennepin County makes him unique in understanding just where some of the duplications and overlaps lie among services provided by the city and the county. And as I stated earlier, while many candidates make the claim that they are the ones to unify the diverse neighborhoods of 3rd Ward, Shane Price is the one candidate in this race who has demonstrated an ability to draw support from both North and Northeast residents together in last year's 3rd Ward campaign. Not only did Shane receive roughly 50-50 support from both sides of the river in the primary, but he did so again in the general election, when 54% of his votes came from the NE precincts and 46% came from the N precincts. Valdis may be getting "great response" from Northside residents now, but I would be surprised to see him go from getting only 13% of his support from N precincts last year to getting something approaching half as Shane did. Mark Snyder Windom Park _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
