Pawlenty first, quoting from the end of a Nov. 12 Strib locally authored online item:
Pawlenty said Minnesota should look at examples from GOP playbooks in other blue states, but the 2022 election also begs for deeper introspection.
"If you haven't closed a sale with your product in more than 15 years, it's long past the time to get a better product, better marketing or both," he said. "For statewide elections, that's where Minnesota's Republican Party now finds itself."
Staff writer Ryan Faircloth contributed to this report.
That Pawlenty remark was in the context of the midterm red wave not happening.
In another context, Bluestemprairie.com appearing to break the story the same day as the DFL released a post. Sorensen's Bluestemprairie version (having accompanying images) is detailed:
Nov 06, 2022
Mr. Kistner's June 29 unfortunate series of events
Above: the street side view of the June 29 crash into an electrical pole.
Here's the podcast mentioned above. Note the dates are "June 30" and the podcast" is "July 5," but our tipster assures us the taping took place on June 29.
[...]
Why are these items from social media important?
Bluestem received a tip Friday about a car wreck in Excelsior, MN, on June 29 by Minnesota Second District Republican congressional candidate Tyler Kistner. The accident occurred after the taping of the Ruthless Podcast in which special guests guests Tom Weiler, Tyler Kistner, and Sixth District Congressman and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Tom Emmer.
The photos and the podcast document that Kistner was drinking beer during the taping of the podcast (Emmer appears to have only consumed water).
Kistner later wrecked his car on Oak Street.
Here's a photo of the pole Kistner crashed into:
We'll be uploading a pdf of photos shortly, as our host site is still reluctant to upload images. Here are two photos from the scene of the accident:
Kistner June 29 vehicle crash photos uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
Was alcohol involved? We've been sent this witness statement about the wreck:
“On the night of June 29th, I heard a crash near my house and went outside to see what had happened. Other neighbors were out there as well. When I was near the car, I smelled alcohol, and before the police arrived, the driver moved things out of his car and across the street, including a drawstring bag of bottles.
That statement differs from the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department report; the reporting officer notes "I did not observe any indications of impairment."
It appears that Kistner was not breathalyzed. That being the case, Bluestem can't say he was driving while intoxicated.
MN02 GOP candidate Tyler Kistner June 29 Incident Report uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
The incident seems to have been kept very quiet, and I told the candidate replaced his totaled car to an identical one without saying anything publicly about the crash. Bluestem believes this action would require Kistner to obtain a new license plate. Perhaps someone sometime on the campaign trail has before and after photos.
It might do Kistner well to disclose what happened.
Why did the person in the neighborhood come forward? Earlier Sunday, Bill Salsbery reported for the Pioneer Press, MN 2nd District race between Angie Craig, Tyler Kistner is a very expensive tossup. The race is considered among the closest in the nation.
We'll be back with a PDF of photos from the evening of the crash.
UPDATE 11/8: The state DFL posted a news release on the wreck, on Sunday. Bluestem was not sent the email, though the content matches what I received: NEW: DFL Shares Newly Discovered Evidence Related to Tyler Kistner’s Previously Undisclosed Single Car Crash on June 29th. [end update]
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There are further images and a police report copy in the original while only two of the images were copied over, some Tweet content not copied, etc.
SO READ THE FULL POST AT
Hat tip to Sorensen for getting a degree of detail. It appears likely Kistner was driving his own auto, but do we know?
An even better story, Kistner wisely deferring to a designated driver, Emmer being designated. We can speculate. We don't know all, but from Sorensen, we know something more about what Pawlenty called "the product."
DFL's post, online here. Tittle:
NEW: DFL Shares Newly Discovered Evidence Related to Tyler Kistner’s Previously Undisclosed Single Car Crash on June 29th
11/06/2022
Tyler Kistner totaled his car on drive home from podcast taping at a bar in June, where he was photographed holding a drink
Witness says Kistner smelled of alcohol following the crash and removed a drawstring bag of bottles from his car before police arrived
Angie Craig defeated Kistner to keep her MN CD2 seat. Emmer was chair of the RNCC for the recent election cycle. Read about it.
https://www.gop.gov/leadership/national-republican-congressional-committee-chairman/
The most recent "product" is as it did. From Sorensen's report with images, "the product" at the event before the single-auto-involved incident.
 |
| Emmer on the right. |
Paul Pelosi was not lucky enough to have a police report like the one Sorensen published when his Porsche directly met another auto, police responding. Then he got hammered. We hope that none of the July event's featured guests, nor any attendee, have any such bad fortune as Mr. Pelosi has endured. Kistner's white SUV looked like a nice transit vehicle before it was totaled.
Back to Pawlenty and his "product" comment, in the context of the auto incident, back when Emmer was running for Guv, there was reporting here and here. Such historical coverage suggests Emmer having cause to not be a designated driver if having consumed any alcohol earlier. Again, Kistner likely was driving his own vehicle. That is the most sensible circumstantial inference, indeed, there is no strong cause at all to doubt the police report. In its identification of the involved driver.
No matter what else. Eyewitness observations reported by Sorensen. Whatever.
Last, today in Ramsey, Anoka County, where I live, the leaves have fallen except the red oaks holding onto some into spring, and there is the first snow fall happening with temperatures low enough that it sticks.
Roads will be slick and traffic will be seasonally inexperienced with snow driving. It happens every first snow of the season.
The first snow always has a bit more danger. So drive carefully, it will take as much time as it takes to get from place to place. Rushing can take longer if sliding into a ditch or another vehicle or a roadside pole. Or being stopped by police for dangerous driving under the circumstances.
Accidents can happen even during a mid-summer evening, but are most likely events of the first autumn to winter snowfall.