Point-Counterpoint: Dean Johnson for Senate?

Editor’s Note: As a continuation of our 2008 Candidate Series, Joe Bodell and Robin Marty will continue debating the strengths and weaknesses of potential challengers to Senator Norm Coleman.  These posts should not be seen of an endorsement of any candidate.  Our previous counterpoint can be found here.

Marty: After being the naysayer in the last go around, it’s my turn to come up with some pros for a candidate, and so far I’m finding myself liking the idea of former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson running for the seat.  As a former Republican and moderate Democrat, Johnson would have the ability to siphon off conservatives unhappy with Norm Coleman, especially while Coleman moves more and more to the center as well.  I can already see the set up – “former Republican turned Democrat vs former Democrat turned Republican.”As the Majority Leader Johnson has the experience of working with both parties that would go over well in a senatorial candidate, plus he has appeal to the non-metro voters that a statewide campaign would need.  Johnson has name recognition all throughout the state, and will appeal to people who don’t want two “big city” DFL senators in office.  Obviously, the conservative groups will come after him, just as they did in his own race, but in some ways that cold be a boon to helping him fund raise, which is the only concern I have at this time.

Non-metro candidates don’t always have the financial backing that a senate campaign requires, and having groups like Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Minnesota Family Council trying to defeat him before the primary may help to give him the money and attention he needs to win.  I can already hear people asking whether he is progressive enough for the party.  In my opinion standing up and single-handedly keeping the marriage amendment off the floor, even at risk of his own seat, is about as progressive as you get

Bodell:  Ah, to be the respondent.  The alleged “conservatives who are unhappy with Norm Coleman”… I’m sure they exist, but they’re also probably the type of folks who would sooner throw Dean Johnson under the bus for switching parties on them than vote for him over Norm Coleman.  Yes, 2008 is a presidential year and thus a different beast than the 2006 midterm, but even in a presidential year, a candidate has to be able to solidify his base, and reach out to the middle.  Not all the way over to the other side where return on investment drops off the table.

I would contend that while bipartisan experience and respect are great things and looked for at this stage of the game by people like ourselves, it won’t matter in September 2008, when the entire Republican legislative caucus has endorsed Norm Coleman and is helping raise money for him.  Just because you have colleagues across the aisle at the state level doesn’t mean they’re going to help you (or NOT help your opponent) because you’re a great guy.

Yes, Johnson fell on the marriage amendment grenade to keep the Bigotry Bill off the ballot, and for that he should be commended – it was a great act of party loyalty to recognize the reality that such a bill appearing on the ballot might rally conservative voters to the polls.  But let’s not confuse party loyalty with progressivism.  The whole “sanding off the truth” scandal arose because Johnson, for better or worse, assured other pastors that the courts wouldn’t overturn the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, so the Bachmann Bill was unnecessary.  This isn’t the tack I would look for in a progressive Senator from a state that just went as blue as Massachusetts in a midterm election.

My questions in return – Amy Klobuchar was able to connect with voters all over the state, regardless of where she was from.  Do you think Johnson has the same kind of charisma to connect with both Minneapolitans and folks in Bemidji?  How does a Johnson for Senate campaign overcome the fact that his moderate Senate District turned him out on his ear this cycle?