DFL operative claims Ciresi likely to remain on the sidelines

No, Ciresi won’t run Out on the campaign trail as a volunteer for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, I had many occasions to cross paths with Mike Ciresi.  My respect for him grew with each meeting.  I don’t believe for a minute that he will run for the U.S. Senate this year.

First, Mike Ciresi is an honorable man and he has promised publicly and repeatedly not to run against the DFL endorsement.  He won’t break his word.

Second, Mike Ciresi is a really smart fellow and he was quite realistic in noticing that he was running far behind Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer in state delegate strength.  For whatever reason, Mike’s campaign just didn’t resonate with delegates, and that was true from the first straw polls at the precinct caucuses back in February.  (Don’t get me wrong: I think Ciresi would have made a fine U.S. Senator.  His campaign just didn’t take off.)

Third, just as you indicated, Mike Ciresi is a practical man.  He spent a bundle of his own money on the 2000 Senate run and I doubt he wants to repeat that experience.

That is unfortunate… I have all the respect in the world for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and in a contest between he and Al Franken, Nelson-Pallmeyer would win hands down every time. However, I have developed a soft spot in my heart for a Ciresi return. Perhaps a Draft Ciresi movement is in the works…

Bad choices It is frustrating. Al Franken is a fatally flawed candidate who will lose an eminently winnable and vitally important senate race, something that is becoming increasingly clear within the DFL to hacks and non-hacks alike. Yet the party seems unabble to find a solution to this very solvable problem.

Is it really too late for the party convention to choose someone who has a chance to win in the fall? Is there really no possibility of a successful primary challenge from someone who would be both a superior candidate, and let’s face it, a more competent and able senator?

Satire I have to admit, I dread looking forward to a fall election season where I have to spend the bulk of my time explaining the difference between a politician and a satirist. Why should we have to? Particularly when the candidate concerned is a vastly better satirist than he is a politician?

Democrats should take a fresh look at the senate race. They should ask themselves, what qualities make for a good candidate and a good senator. They should ask themselves, who would they be proud to campaign for and with. And then they  should  ask themselves, who is the candidate who has those qualities. ‘

Sometimes it’s too late to correct a mistake, but it isn’t too late now.

If Ciresi won’t reenter I’d love to see kelliher jump in. I’ve become a real fan of hers this spring. I think she could win a primary on a low budget with a few televised debates. She’s strongest  dem candidate for any state wide office right now.  If it doesn’t work out it could help her in running for Gov. in a couple years.

Think this over a bit please, noexpert You offer that Margaret Kelliher just might make a run for the U.S. Senate seat and then that it would always help her visibility if she decides to run for governor later, even if she loses the Senate race.  I think this is a very flawed idea.

To do that, you see, she would have to get endorsed this Saturday (very unlikely) or to run against the endorsement.  That endorsement process, in my opinion, is one of the main strengths of the DFL party right now and it is perhaps the only way that any grassroots campaign can make any headway.

Running against the endorsement undermines the base and the very pool of supporters and volunteers that just might get her elected.  If Kelliher wants to use those resources, she better not destroy them on the way to the governor’s mansion.  Not only would it create ill-will in the party toward her candidacy, it would tend to destroy the very strength of any organization she might later need.

Even more odious is what destroying the endorsement process would do to grassroots democracy.  You’ve seen our pitiful mainstream media, how few reporters they now have, how superficial their election coverage has been, how quickly they pick up the most ridiculous gossip from the right-wing blogs (witness recent Franken smears).  You have witnessed the overwhelming power of money and celebrity in ALL recent elections.  Don’t you think that We The People should have some way of proposing our own candidates when the spineless, focus-grouped politicians merely represent the wealthy fat-cats to the detriment of the people.

Please consider the populist power of the causus/primary system and think twice before suggesting new ways to destroy it.

it was only wishful thinking because I think Franken is a weak candiadate and will lose to Norm in November. Doesn’t celebrity and the overwhelming power of lots of out of state $ have much to do with Al being positioned to receive the DFL endorsement.  I think a primary vote might result in both better campaign coverage and better candidates (in the future if not this year.)  I read blogs often enough to know you support JNP in the senate race. I hope he can pull it off. I attempted to become an uncommitted delegate so I could vote for Jack but have sort of lost hope for his candidacy.

If you think If you think Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer would make a good senator, you must have a reason.  What worked for you?  Is there a way that that could also work for the whole state full of voters?

You’ re right, of course, I am a very strong Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer supporter.  But it is also quite true that I am a very strong believer in the caucus/convention system.  I think it is the only way that true grassroots candidates have of being elected.  I have strong feelings, on the other hand, against elections that are bought by big money.

I think Jack would be an excellent progressive senator and is more electable than Al. I am unconvinced about the process  however, coming from a district where the grass roots are thin. My precinct didn’t hold a straw vote on caucus night and at my senate district convention I was about one of about 85 people voting for delegates to represent a district with more than 15,000  general election voters. My grassroots knowledge of the candidates consisted on one phone messsage from a volunteer for each each side and hearing 5 minute speeches from the candidates that morning. I don’t see how this is preferable to a much higher %of people voting in a primary. Maybe its just sour grapes because i am not a delegate at the state convention.  Good luck with Jack’s campaign this weekend.

No, Ciresi won't run Out on the campaign trail as a volunteer for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, I had many occasions to cross paths with Mike Ciresi.  My respect for him grew with each meeting.  I don't believe for a minute that he will run for the U.S. Senate this year.

First, Mike Ciresi is an honorable man and he has promised publicly and repeatedly not to run against the DFL endorsement.  He won't break his word.

Second, Mike Ciresi is a really smart fellow and he was quite realistic in noticing that he was running far behind Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer in state delegate strength.  For whatever reason, Mike's campaign just didn't resonate with delegates, and that was true from the first straw polls at the precinct caucuses back in February.  (Don't get me wrong: I think Ciresi would have made a fine U.S. Senator.  His campaign just didn't take off.)

Third, just as you indicated, Mike Ciresi is a practical man.  He spent a bundle of his own money on the 2000 Senate run and I doubt he wants to repeat that experience.

That is unfortunate… I have all the respect in the world for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and in a contest between he and Al Franken, Nelson-Pallmeyer would win hands down every time. However, I have developed a soft spot in my heart for a Ciresi return. Perhaps a Draft Ciresi movement is in the works…

Bad choices It is frustrating. Al Franken is a fatally flawed candidate who will lose an eminently winnable and vitally important senate race, something that is becoming increasingly clear within the DFL to hacks and non-hacks alike. Yet the party seems unabble to find a solution to this very solvable problem.

Is it really too late for the party convention to choose someone who has a chance to win in the fall? Is there really no possibility of a successful primary challenge from someone who would be both a superior candidate, and let's face it, a more competent and able senator?

Satire I have to admit, I dread looking forward to a fall election season where I have to spend the bulk of my time explaining the difference between a politician and a satirist. Why should we have to? Particularly when the candidate concerned is a vastly better satirist than he is a politician?

Democrats should take a fresh look at the senate race. They should ask themselves, what qualities make for a good candidate and a good senator. They should ask themselves, who would they be proud to campaign for and with. And then they  should  ask themselves, who is the candidate who has those qualities. '

Sometimes it's too late to correct a mistake, but it isn't too late now.

If Ciresi won't reenter I'd love to see kelliher jump in. I've become a real fan of hers this spring. I think she could win a primary on a low budget with a few televised debates. She's strongest  dem candidate for any state wide office right now.  If it doesn't work out it could help her in running for Gov. in a couple years.

Think this over a bit please, noexpert You offer that Margaret Kelliher just might make a run for the U.S. Senate seat and then that it would always help her visibility if she decides to run for governor later, even if she loses the Senate race.  I think this is a very flawed idea.

To do that, you see, she would have to get endorsed this Saturday (very unlikely) or to run against the endorsement.  That endorsement process, in my opinion, is one of the main strengths of the DFL party right now and it is perhaps the only way that any grassroots campaign can make any headway.

Running against the endorsement undermines the base and the very pool of supporters and volunteers that just might get her elected.  If Kelliher wants to use those resources, she better not destroy them on the way to the governor's mansion.  Not only would it create ill-will in the party toward her candidacy, it would tend to destroy the very strength of any organization she might later need.

Even more odious is what destroying the endorsement process would do to grassroots democracy.  You've seen our pitiful mainstream media, how few reporters they now have, how superficial their election coverage has been, how quickly they pick up the most ridiculous gossip from the right-wing blogs (witness recent Franken smears).  You have witnessed the overwhelming power of money and celebrity in ALL recent elections.  Don't you think that We The People should have some way of proposing our own candidates when the spineless, focus-grouped politicians merely represent the wealthy fat-cats to the detriment of the people.

Please consider the populist power of the causus/primary system and think twice before suggesting new ways to destroy it.

it was only wishful thinking because I think Franken is a weak candiadate and will lose to Norm in November. Doesn't celebrity and the overwhelming power of lots of out of state $ have much to do with Al being positioned to receive the DFL endorsement.  I think a primary vote might result in both better campaign coverage and better candidates (in the future if not this year.)  I read blogs often enough to know you support JNP in the senate race. I hope he can pull it off. I attempted to become an uncommitted delegate so I could vote for Jack but have sort of lost hope for his candidacy.

If you think If you think Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer would make a good senator, you must have a reason.  What worked for you?  Is there a way that that could also work for the whole state full of voters?

You' re right, of course, I am a very strong Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer supporter.  But it is also quite true that I am a very strong believer in the caucus/convention system.  I think it is the only way that true grassroots candidates have of being elected.  I have strong feelings, on the other hand, against elections that are bought by big money.

I think Jack would be an excellent progressive senator and is more electable than Al. I am unconvinced about the process  however, coming from a district where the grass roots are thin. My precinct didn't hold a straw vote on caucus night and at my senate district convention I was about one of about 85 people voting for delegates to represent a district with more than 15,000  general election voters. My grassroots knowledge of the candidates consisted on one phone messsage from a volunteer for each each side and hearing 5 minute speeches from the candidates that morning. I don't see how this is preferable to a much higher %of people voting in a primary. Maybe its just sour grapes because i am not a delegate at the state convention.  Good luck with Jack's campaign this weekend.