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Friday, May 08, 2009

The story circulating is Elwyn Tinklenberg wants another shot at losing to Bachmann. Is he the "Gerald Ford" of the Sixth District?

While he's been in and out of government service over the years, Elwyn Tinklenberg has never been elected to anything beyond city council and mayor of Blaine, Anoka County, Minnesota. If he were to run again for mayor of Blaine, I would endorse that.



While omitting from his official resume his appointed time as an Anoka County official, a curious omission that this cycle likely will be corrected, voters should be interested in what he did then. Officially, he touted being Blaine's mayor, Jesse Ventura's appointee, and a former preacher. That's not mentioning the years between 1996 and 1999.

Being Blaine's mayor ended in 1996. Being appointed by Ventura - part of Tinklenberg's strong roots with his pack of IP cronies - was from 1999-2002 when he was, by appointment, the IP's head of MnDOT.

What Tinklenberg did when the door revolved from public office to private sector will always be a part of the man - who he's been, what he's been, what he did for his money.

And he's touted himself as being a "Blue Dog."



Gerald Ford was president, while having never been elected to any office beyond by the folks of Grand Rapids, Michigan and environs. He was a career politician, his entire life, never distinguishing himself in the private sector. He was a part of the more conservative part of his political party. He stayed loyal over time to the GOP and never messed in third party posturing or mischief.

And Ford was a bland and uninspiring individual - a backroom House member with years of seniority, but not an inspiring icon of anything. As a weak personality, he was not the kind of dynamic person you'd readily endorse with your hard-earned cash paid over as a campaign donation.

And when he ran for president - he lost.

With regard to Ford, however, the man did have the decency to only run and lose once.


There are similarities and differences.