[original link credits, here and here] Two caveats, and the second is the BIG one, first, the thing on the Governor's candidates should reach also to the IP, to candidate Horner (for someone familiar with the IP and the Barkley campaign against Franken and Coleman, lack of mention of the IP presence now, or re Franken and Coleman, was a bit strange).
MOREOVER: Kelliher is endorsed, but has no lock on anything with a DFL primary in the works where polling indicates MARK DAYTON, not Kelliher is the current front runner by a substantial margin (and with Matt Entenza so far a polling footnote).
See: links, here and here - with the ending excerpt from the second item.
I see Dayton as the better choice of the three, and will vote that way. Any of the three, if winning the primary, would have my vote, for certain, against Tom Emmer. But for now, any op-ed that ignores mention of Mark Dayton is distanced from on-the-ground realities.
I am certain Hal was more concerned with the gist of his hopes, rather than that glaring there-will-be-a-primary "detail."
Good luck to you, Hal. I do hope you get all who are running in District 18 to take the high road, from now all the way to November's election day.
And I know, Hal, you did not say it but are aware - state and local - there is a need to fix the potholes.
_____________________POLLING FACTS______________________
Among likely voters, Mark Dayton leads Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Matt Entenza in the contest for the Aug. 10 primary to choose the DFL Party’s nominee.
Although Kelliher has tied her campaign in part to her gender, Dayton holds a similar lead over her among women (36 percent to 28 percent).
Dayton also enjoys a slight edge over the presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tom Emmer, among Minnesota adults.
When matched up with the two other contenders for the DFL Party’s nomination -- Kelliher and Entenza -- Emmer is slightly ahead.
____________UPDATE_____________
Anyone presuming Kimball is a DFL party lock-step regular, drinking ideological Koolaid, it way off base. Some might forget that in looking at individuals and policies last election cycle he favored Barkley over Franken and Coleman. He did not let the IP label get in the way of guessing who might be best for the job, or might have better ideas. I think Hal is wholly free from any ideological baggage equal to that carried by too many GOP hopefuls these days, in their near missionary zeal towards abstract imagery trumping realities - as in probably waiting for the private sector and the "invisible hand" of the market to fix the potholes.
This cycle, in contrast to Hal, I favor the Sixth District candidate with IP activity in her background, Maureen Reed, while I believe Kimball knows and favors Tarryl Clark.
In both last cycle and this one, Kimball and I exhibit differing choices, but each of us forms opinions independent of any party regular machinery or insider shaping.
It is having independent judgment. I liked Franken better than Barkley, and like Reed better than Clark, based on considerations besides who says what about endorsements and such. I respect and mention and endorse Kimball's ability to also not be a lock-step marcher in someone else's parade.
Kimball will first and foremost exercise his best independent judgment, if elected. That might be less true for GOP idealogues who more frequently than not are surfacing in their own party purge of those they label "RINO" - including many long term GOP officials not in lock-step with current tastes of the ultra-right.
I see Kimball's independence in practical judgments and willingness to work with others as being closer than many Republicans approach, to Steve Dille, the long-term GOP District 18 Senator who declined to run again.
I believe there are far, far too many current GOP zealots who would be casting their vilest "RINO" terminology at Dille, had he chosen to run again.