What two parties? DFL and Green. Zippo, nada, nothing for the GOP. The fact that prominent city Republicans have signed on to this is a fairly good indication of one of two things:
(1) this is a genuine effort at electoral reform which patriotic Minneapolitans of all parties can support in good faith; and/or (2) city Republicans think earlier elections will help break up the existing political club which runs the city.
Or at least, so some people including Mr. Abbott would think. That they think so in no way means that others beliefs are somehow automatically invalid. I'm not seeing any real persuasive evidence for either of these two statements.
Remember, the "secret" Republican plan to take over the world includes promoting the Green party as a way of siphoning votes away from the DFL (remember it was the Republicans who paid for Ralph Nader TV ads in Minnesota in 2000).
Why would Republicans be in favor of something that would more firmly entrench the DFL and, in the process, hurt the Green party?
Imagine an entrenched Green party in Minneapolis. That would scare the begeezus out of both the DFL and Republican party. Folks around the state and nation might suddenly realize they have a choice of something other than the entrenched "two-heads of the political hydra" and throw some Replubicans here and some Democrats there out of office. They might even elect Greens, Independents, Libertarians or horrors, Socialists!
Realistically no political party is competent enough to engage in this level of Machiavellian drama. The truth is no one knows and no one can predict what the political consequences will be if Rep. Kahn's lawsuit is successful.
I'll agree no party could pull that kind of Machiavellian intrigue off -- it's just too darn hard and complicated to keep a secret. That's the acid test for most conspiracy theories in my mind. However, one doesn't need the whole DFL party in on the secret. The Taxpayers League has done quite a number on the state while really on representing about .004% of the populace.
And this is where David Brauer is also wrong about discussing "unknowable" motives of people (a good thing to avoid in journalism, but not in politics) -- there ARE movers and shakers here in town not only capable of such high Machiavellian maneuvers, but who are already engaged in such things. I could name some names, if I had to under duress.
That the political consequences are impossible to predict does not stop the involvement in intrigue -- not all people believe they are as incapable of knowing the future as most of us might, for one thing. Others are willing to take the risk that it doesn't go there way because they pay off will be so big if it does.
It is easier for Rep. Kahn's critics to spin these extravagant conspiracy theories than to accept the fact that she might be right.
Greg Abbott
I don't know what Ms. Kahn's motives are. It would be wonderful if she would state them and we could all believe her statements. But it's not too important -- she may be a pawn in some other schemer's plot for all we know.
The basic problem is that this whole thing does not pass the smell test. There's nothing extravagant about that.
Far more injury to the citizens will be done if it turns out that one of the parties involved does have ulterior motives than if we fix the wards to conform to city charter rules (they don't) and let the election happen when everybody expected it to happen. I don't see a cry among citizens about their lack of representation and calling for new elections. I only see a few influential politicians and some citizens they've gathered to their cause. That makes it suspect from the get-go.
I frankly think all districting should be drawn by computer program without regards to political party or other groupings. Otherwise all we ever get will be districts gerrymandered to favor those who draw them. To believe otherwise seems the height naivete.
Chris Johnson Fulton High-Machiavellian schemer in my spare time.
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