Responding to: *Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 06:09:30 -0800 (PST) *From: Eric Mitchell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *Subject: Re: [StPaul] Abiding by endorsements - Ramsey Co Commissioner *To: [email protected]
Saint Paul issues devotees & Eric:
Okay, fair enough. I'll dispense with the personal responses. The tone of your previous message and the implication that I am your friend just seemed like the same patronizing response I would get from party folks (_City_ DFL party folks - you asked for specificity) when I tried to work with them: "There, there, Cristy. We know more than you so we'll make decisions our way."
EM: "Where do you get off thinking one endorsement is a no-brainer since a candidate has garnered another? You get the DFL endorsement from DFLers, you get AFSCME from members, you get SEIU from members and you get PM from members. You work for each one."
I did start managing the Helgen campaign until August, when the volunteers were dwindling and enthusiasm was waning. I was not involved in the endorsing convention so your point about my "poor planning" for the endorsement is not relevant to this discussion.
I had decided in February NOT to run for the city council seat, even through Progressive MN had endorsed my candidacy. A family member had suffered a massive heart attack and I thought it wise to step aside, knowing that I could not devote my full attention to the race.
Lee politely and persistently asked for my help later that summer, and after meeting with his family I decided that it would be a good challenge to support them. I spent a LOT of time defending Lee's family from INSIDER party accusations that his family was "not committed enough" to campaigning when in fact, it was HIS choice to run, not Deb's or Evan's.
After Lee won the primary (shocking even our Progressive MN supporters - you should have seen Dan McGrath's jaw drop at the victory party) then suddently support began flooding in. When Lee proved he was a viable candidate and there were two people on the ticket, that was when we attempted to garner the endorsement. It was between Jim Reiter and Lee Helgen at that point.
As for Lee getting the endorsement himself that spring, as I recall he was flying back from D.C. (on work business) on the day of the convention, and he had not heard I decided not to run. 'Can't blame him for not having an endorsement strategy if he found out THAT DAY that he would be the only candidate to challenge Reiter.
You'll have to ask Lee about whether he intends to pursue endorsement next time around. I no longer work with him and have moved on to other campaigns. I think he'd better get to know his ward well, since Kathy Weyandt Jackson earned 24% of the vote in her short two week campaign in a 5-way race. Kathy is likely to have a more organized response next time, and without Kris Reiter and her thug campaign manager Bob Fletcher (now her husband, I hear), Lee will really have to work hard at re-election.
EM: "That's pretty insulting to all of the delegates who take the time to participate in the process. You don't agree with some of their decisions so now they can't possibly care about their families and neighborhoods. Again, where do you get off stating this?"
I mean no disrespect to the delegates. I was a delegate in 2002 to the state convention and got to see how 60% of the room wanted either Dutcher or Lourey for the nominee over Roger Moe. Wow, 60% of the delegates were ready for a DFL woman for governor... I won't digress to much because this is not a state issues list. It just goes to show how the rules and process of the DFL can be used to preserve the status quo - we ended up with a same old, same old candidate. I don't remember if I voted for Ken Pentel or Tim Penny that time around but I knew I couldn't be a party member if I couldn't support their choice.
As a party officer, I had signed a pledge that I would not support any candidates outside the endorsees. What happens when we don't like our endorsees!? Disaster!!
E.M. "You seem angry."
No, not angry. 'Just giving my honest critique of the party from my own experience as a campaign manager and former party activist. I like to model my community activism in the Wellstone model (disclosure: I am one year out from my graduation from Camp Wellstone). Sometimes we have to challenge those institutions that are outdated or exclusive to marginalized groups, including women, minorities, youth, the disabled, etc.
That's what I tried to do. You seem angry too. Sorry if I provoked that response; it seems like you did not have the whole history in front of you when you chastised my poor strategy in garnering endorsements.
No bad feelings, I hope. Best wishes to your and your family.
Cristy
* * * * * * * * * * * * Cristy A. De La Cruz Highland Park resident
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