--- Annie Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Don Samuels strikes me as a little "i"ndependent who
> just goes about
> getting the work done which in his ward is not an
> easy matter. Even if he
> joined with the other two Greens it would be
> interesting but not sure where
> it would lead for his future. And when people call
> this a one-party town
> it is just that and how things get done at this
> point in time so they all
> happen to get drawn into working with the DFL
> because there are not a lot
> of choices once there when it comes to getting the
> work done each of them
> needs to do. Lots of options there but I am not
> sure the DFL label
> fits. Can someone explain to me why do partisan
> labels have to be put on
> people who want to do good work through government
> for their communities?
>
> Annie Young - political junkie and community
> agitator,
> East Phillips
Annie is also the longest serving elected Green and
was on the short list for Green VP candidates earlier
this year. Of course the "even if was to join the
other Greens" line is self serving.
Don is a DFLer. He is their candidate. Like many other
DFLers in office currently, he may not have garnered
the endorsement at first, political tradition makes
him the standard bearer. If someone wants the
endorsement now, Samuels is the guy to beat for it.
Samuels is not a Green. He's willing to work with
whomever to get the job done or address an issue.
To answer your partisan label question, people use it
because voters recognize like values with those
labels. Small 'i' independents have a harder time(not
immpossible), because they have to count selling
themselves to every voter that will come out, or at
least enough to win. They have to count on their
interaction in the past or during the campaign will
sear their name in the voters head when it come to
election time.
A party label instantly identify some like, or not
like values, rather they be true or not. That Party
brand has years, and decades of ID with some strong,
effective personalities behind it. So there is an
automatic base, no matter how small it may be, there
are some who will work for you based on Party ID.
There are more who will vote for you on that ID as
well. Having a base to start with and build on allows
more time to present yourself to voters who are not
sold on party labels (most).
Sometimes a candidate runs with a party label who
could have probably won without it. They have a strong
base already due to community activity, publicity or
something of the such.
The trick is for the candidate to understand their
strength in the community, and the level of
support/distaste for the opposition/incumbent.
Eric Mitchell
St Paul
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