1. 6th Ward Race
2. 8th Ward Race
3. 10th Ward Race
4. EM Boatner's column on Gay Youth Programs
5. My response to Mike Krause's column on local races and need for gays to
focus on legislative special elections
6. Lilligren Campaign Polling Calls to Voters
Lavender Magazine has an article about the 6th Ward Race
http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1502.php
Candidate Dean Zimmerman drew a sharp contrast between he and openly Gay
Robert Lilligren in that race:
Zimmermann, in answer to the statement that the choice between him and
Lilligren will be tough for many GLBT voters, remarks, "Tough? What's tough
about it? I have a history of being outspoken on questions of civil liberties.
"When the issue of equal benefits for spouses/partners came up at the
Council, I and Council Member Lisa Goodman were the only ones who spoke up
about how the gays on our Council were being short-changed."
Zimmermann adds, "Robert just sat there on his hands. I think this shows
the clear difference between Bob and me.
"Whether it is GLBT issues, policy issues, or constituent service, I'm not
just a vote; I am an advocate."
Dean Zimmerman's Ad:
Dean on his bicycle in his Green Tutu, standing next to the Fire Chief
(disclaimer says that photo doesn't imply endorsement).
*************************************************************
8th Ward candidate interviews in Lavender:
http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1503.php
All 8th ward candidates support gay marriage.
10th Ward Race:
Scott Persons has an effective ad that has non-Minneapolis resident, Paul
Skrbec (Stonewall DFL Chair) promoting him. Ralph Remington has an Ad -
but the ad gives no information beyond his name.
Ralph Remington has made his Stonewall screening answers public here:
http://www.ralphremington.com/STONEWALLquestions.htm
I'd like to challenge Scott Persons to make his Stonewall screening answers
public - because many gay voters would just as soon see both questionairs
then make their own decisions on who to vote for.
**************************************************************************
Lavender:
Managing Editor EM Boatner discusses Gay Youth:
http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1528.php
<<Time Magazine in its October 10 issue and our "Northland Notes" column
this issue both address the issue of out gay youngsters, making me aware of
a trend I didn't even know existed.
According to John Cloud's feature article in Time, Ritch Savin-Williams's
recently published The New Gay Teenager (Harvard University Press, 2005),
and numerous other sources, I learned that thousands of kids are coming out
as young as 13 and 14.
This avalanche of new queer youth has come as a surprise (and shock) not
only to the religious and conservative right, but also to the GLBT
community itself, which, for the most part, has focused youth-oriented
efforts on the troubled, the homeless, substance abusers, or hustlers." >>
Read the whole thing.
Krause analysis of Minneapolis/St Paul Races - especially Minneapolis:
Lavender columnist, Mike Krause discusses the "political maturity" of the
GLBT community:
http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1506.php
Lisa Vecoli, a GLBT activist who herself ran for a State Senate seat from
South Minneapolis in 2000, observes that GLBT political power built up over
the last 20 years is being undermined, at least this year, as much by
political apathy as any other factor.
Vecoli helped engineer the endorsement of the Stonewall DFL Caucus for
Minneapolis mayoral candidate Peter McLaughlin, but she acknowledges that
the GLBT vote in the city seems to be fairly evenly split between
McLaughlin and incumbent Mayor R.T. Rybak.
Some analysts would argue that having the GLBT vote spread among many
candidates and campaigns is a sign of a maturing political movement.
It also reflects that support for the civil rights of GLBT residents, at
least within most of the urban area, is a consensus issue not even part of
the political debate.
This year, GLBT voters are more likely to decide among the mayoral
candidates based on their positions on the city- and county-enacted smoking
bans as on a candidate's positions on GLBT issues.
EY: This shows that in Minneapolis Stonewall DFL's endorsement does not
translate into GLBT votes. This was true 4 years ago also.
What Krause is missing is political gays in MN focus excessively on
Minneapolis and St Paul - at the expense of working on swing legislative
districts. Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota has met with and had a good
discussion with Plymouth candidate Judy Johnson. Johnson will also be
meeting with the anti-gay groups: Minnesotans for Marriage (misnamed), and
the Minnesota Family Council (also misnamed). The meeting was an
introduction meeting - not a screening session. Three of us went and
observed the Republican District convention district 43. Unlike the 58th
District convention in Minneapolis (and from what I've heard of the 59th
district convention), there was no wingnuttery, no anti-gay lit pieces, no
speeches about people marrying animals - or perhaps trees (this was
congressional candidate Dan Matthias's speech) - just discussion of
accountable government. Judy Johnson is President of the League of Cities
- and used to live in Minneapolis. She used to intern for John
Derus. Some democrats have encouraged her to join the Democratic Party -
and she is staying in the Republican party. Friends of mine in Stillwater
said that Stonewall was not there helping when the notoriously anti-gay
Michele Bachmann was running in 2000 and 2002. Stonewall DFL's assistance
could have made the difference in those races.
Voter Reg Campaign call paid for by Lilligren campaign:
For original post, see Lloydletta's Nooz:
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2005/10/is-robert-lilligren-campaign-doing.html
Barb Lickness and Mark Snyder respond:
At 10:14 AM 10/16/2005, Mark Snyder wrote:
On 10/16/05 9:24 AM, "Barbara Lickness" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Nothing nefarious going on here Eva. I don't know why you would say the
call
> was "strange". There are no "strange" questions being asked. Pretty run
of the
> mill for a political campaign in my mind. Certainly as long as you have
> mingled in politics you can't think polling voters is a new or "strange"
> phenomenon. The woman doing the polling is not "from the Lilligren
campaign"
> as you quoted, she was hired by the campaign. There is quite a
difference in
> those meanings.
Might Eva or Barbara share what the questions being asked were, which would
allow the rest of us to decide whether they are "strange" or not?
Barb continues:
Robert is mailing literature to the voters, doorknocking the voters,
appearing at events and celebrations voters are hosting and yes, educating
them to get registered, showing them where to vote and polling them through
an independent source to find out who they may be supporting and what their
issues are.
Robert wants to convince the voters of the 6th ward that he is passionate
about his desire to represent them, that he is working hard to get their
vote and through his accomplishments as a freshman council member that he
is the best choice to represent the people of the 6th ward.
Barb:
Thank you for clarifying that Russell. I would also like to state that
the Lilligren campaign is definately NOT engaged in push polling. We
are just polling voters. Robert has guided all of us who are working on
his campaign to stay on the "high road" and run a campaign based on the
issues and why he is the best person to represent the 6th ward during
the next term.
Barb Lickness
Whittier
Avid supporter of Robert Lilligren in the 6th.
EY:
What bothered my source is this person said they were doing calling from a
non-partisan organization - Voter Registration Service. She asked them who
they were working for - and eventually the woman admitted to working for
the Lilligren campaign.
The call ended at that point. I told my source that when she gets calls
like that - she should find out what the questions are and take notes -
then find out who is calling.
I called both campaigns at the numbers listed on campaign website. There
was someone available at the Zimmerman campaign who told me someone else
had reported something similar. Robert Lilligren's voice answered the
campaign number, but he has not returned
Unless I hear otherwise, thank you Barb Lickness for stating clearly and
directly the Lilligren campaign just hired a firm to do polling for the
campaign.
Eva Young
Near North
Minneapolis
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lloydletta's Nooz
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com
Dump Michele Bachmann
http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759,
US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1381.html
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