In an ideal world Thissen as governor would be excellent. He and Becky Otto seem the best two in the field, so far, with it unlikely any candidate later announcing would be better. There most likely will not be an Our Revolution candidate emerging in Minnesota with a chance of winning at Governor. It's the electorate.
Strib reports:
Thissen will have to persuade the DFL activists who decide the endorsement at next year’s party convention to overlook recent political history. Under his leadership, House DFLers lost their majority in 2014 and even more seats in 2016. DFL activists are particularly worried about the 2018 election, with Republicans in position to seize full control of state government for the first time in nearly half a century.
A son of schoolteachers who went on to graduate from Harvard and the University of Chicago Law School, Thissen became speaker in 2013 after leading DFLers to a sweeping victory in House elections the previous November.
In the ensuing two years, with the DFL fully in control of state government, the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton raised income taxes on the wealthy, paid back money borrowed from school districts and increased their funding, froze public college tuition, legalized same-sex marriage and medical marijuana, raised the state minimum wage, paved the way for unionization of thousands of personal care attendants and took on other issues like school bullying and women’s economic equality.
There are idiots. With a never ending tedious mantra, nothing else to say, in their own behalf:
“It’s no wonder Thissen led the House DFL into the minority under his failed leadership — Minnesotans simply can’t afford his style of government,” said John Rouleau, executive director of the GOP-aligned Minnesota Jobs Coalition. He cited several other highlights of Thissen’s stint as speaker — the creation of Minnesota’s MNsure insurance exchange and approval of a $90 million in state funds for a state Senate office building that became a favorite target of Republicans.
The fact legislative majorities were lost while Thissen was speaker was not his fault, but will be said to be.
Thissen said he learned lessons from a series of DFL House race losses in 2014 that followed the party’s burst of activity at the Capitol. “We haven’t shown up in all the places we need to be,” he said, referring to areas of greater Minnesota where the DFL lost legislative seats that it had held for years. “And, we need to better about respecting everyone in the state.”
He first ran for governor in 2010, and finished a surprisingly strong third at the DFL convention; he took over as the leader of House Democrats in 2011 and relinquished the post at the end of last year. He said he has traveled around Minnesota as much as nearly any elected official in the past decade, having conversations with DFL activists and regular voters.
Bottom line current feelings. If voting in a primary, it would be Thissen or Otto getting my vote, of candidates emerging so far. With a tilt toward Otto because of a faith that she'd deal more properly with Tom Baak than any of the other DFL'ers. Who emerges as the GOP candidate is uncertain. They have no one with the promise of Thissen or Otto, or Walz for that matter. They are clowns, but too many who vote in Minnesota want clowns, particularly ones close to Jesus or saying so. Thinking back to Tom Pawlenty as governor, it is important that there be a DFL victory after Dayton's leadership period. If anything, the present Republican mood is substantially worse than Pawlenty. Speaking of faith and voting entirely as GOP leadership, in its "wisdom" decides, is not representing anyone but GOP leadership. Close to Lucero is not top notch, in the view of some but unfortunately not enough of our state's voters - in some districts. Peggy Scott also comes to mind.
_____________UPDATE_____________
Harvard undergrad and U.Chi law school are hurdles few could clear.
