Today, on the Anniversary of Jan 6, what's best to talk about? For Minnesota, Walz abandoned seeking a third term, so that's a topic. How about some thought there? How about Draft Tina Smith?

I admit to forming opinions and having thoughts spurred by my reading. After first abandoning any Jan 6 rehash as boring and "back then" I admit not reading Gary Gross' blog as frequently as it might serve as food for thought.

Gary and I are opposites of policy beliefs, but - nonetheless - a post of his turned on the thought of with Walz, out, who, and then, after some searching, Tina Smith, if she'd run, would be a hell of a good candidate and would make a good, progressive more than not, Governor.

Gary posted, yesterday,

Is Tim Walz dropping out? Is Amy Klobuchar running for governor?

[...] I don't know why Sen. Klobuchar would be interested in leaving Washington, DC and returning to Minnesota. Saying that's a head scratcher is understatement. Further, if Gov. Walz dropped out, his legacy would be irreparably tarnished. Gov. Walz didn't respond quickly to the George Floyd riots. He didn't take the Somali Medicaid fraud seriously. [...] 

With that enough of a quote, Klobuchar would not be my first choice, nor second, but I believe Gary is correct that she's an entrenched DC fixture.

But that got me saying to myself, Tina Smith, instead, is available. She's fed up with DC, bless her for not fully enjoying the cesspool, and when she was running things for Mark Dayton, she ran a tight ship, being on top of things as needed.

Smith was an abortion right advocate, her bona fides there, womens' rights over their own bodies, is unquestioned. She's been more the progressive when considered next to Klobuchar. Her administrative chops are beyond question.  Couple that with better politics than not, and with name recognition and no rattling skeletons, and it looks good to me. Again, if she'd do it. That's an uncertainty that overrides all else.

But what/who? Zach Stevenson has just been named MN House party leader, and it would appear ambitious to a fault if he turned that aside to seek something higher.

Being unfamiliar with things, Mike Lindall and perhaps MN House Speaker, what's her name, from outstate, are GOP "luminaries" so the field is ripe for continuation of DFL dominance of statewide offices.

BOTTON LINE: Tina would be good for the job.

That said, spin out Gary's unlikely speculation. If Amy were to run for Guv, she'd win. Then, the log jam for the Smith seat could split; i.e., per NPR:

Two qualified candidates, one more the progressive, for the open Smith seat, could not split things, Flanagan to replace the more progressive Smith, and Craig to replace the conservative Klobuchar, should Amy seek the now open Governor's seat.

Gary himself said it's unlikely Amy would relocate, and on that we agree, but if you at all consider that scenario, Flanigan and Craig would each then have a straight shot to the U.S. Senate, since the Republicans have nobody at all worth consideration for DC.

Another scenario, Flanagan, or possibly Craig, would shift to seeking the open Governor seat, and the other would have a near-guaranteed path to the Smith seat in the Senate.

The Crabgrass guess, likeliest winning-for-sure scenario is Flanagan and Craig fight it out, and Smith gets recognized for her competence and appeal, and agrees to run. Others in the DFL besides Smith having the decency to stay out of her way.