53% in Rep. Seifert's home town would concern me if I were the Representative. I sure wish he would have just stayed with what worked. Rep. Seifert, your going to have to do something that takes courage if you want the votes. You need to help solve the state problems. It can't be done on just cuts alone. You know that, break with Pawlenty. Sales tax on clothing, makes sense, the huge increases over the past 7 years by Pawlentyt, shouldn't just be on the backs of property owners.
we probably define career politicians in different ways, merion. I believe anybody that serves more than eight years in one office (or two six-year terms in the US Senate) is a career politician. Seifert is a career politician. So is Entenza. So is Dayton. there are just too many in this field. Another note: Rybak supported Ralph Nader, which is about as liberal as you can get. MN is moderate-left, not Massachussetts-left.
Minnesota has too strong of a recent history of electing morons to public office to pick anyone out of this poll. My guess would be lady gaga if she changed her residency, ala, al "the clown" franken.
RR, you sidestepped my response about Rybak not being a career politician. I agree it would be nice to have someone fresh and independent, but the last time we tried that we got Ventura -- fresh, certainly, but in the end ineffective at producing results, although I would take him any day over the state-destroying Pawlenty. Maybe someone SO wealthy they can't be touched by special interests (like New York Mayor Bloomberg) -- Dayton's not that rich, but other Minnesota heirs might be.
I am sure Rybak will care a great deal about rural Minnesota, just like Pawlenty. If you are from the Twin Cities, you will make sure that is taken care of. Rybak will just be Pawlenty from a different side (although I'd take him over Entenza or Dayton in a heartbeat). As far as Marty goes, I couldn't agree more -- he is a whiny, divisive career politician who will have no chance in a general election. We need a true independent voice to step up.
RR, compared to Seifert, I would hardly say Rybak is a career politician. Rybak didn't run for the mayor's position until he had been out of college 23 years, unlike Seifert who pretty much began being a professional politician while IN college. Seifert ran Arlene Lesewski's campaign, then himself was elected to the House right out of college and has stayed there. Rybak worked as a weekly newspaper reporter, then eight years at the Minneapolis paper, then became a publisher and business developer before getting elected to office. That's a substantial non-career-politician background if you ask me. He put in his time in the real world, unlike Seifert.
What, really, have most of these accomplished other than legislative in-fighting. Rybak, at least, has the rapid and coordinated recovery to the I-35 bridge collapse to take partial credit for, plus he brings energy and POSITIVE thinking to Minnesota's problems, something the others do not.
daisyd
53% in Rep. Seifert's home town would concern me if I were the Representative. I sure wish he would have just stayed with what worked. Rep. Seifert, your going to have to do something that takes courage if you want the votes. You need to help solve the state problems. It can't be done on just cuts alone. You know that, break with Pawlenty. Sales tax on clothing, makes sense, the huge increases over the past 7 years by Pawlentyt, shouldn't just be on the backs of property owners.
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ruralroute
for the record, merion, i would write in mickey mouse before voting for seifert. I never voted for him once for the State House seat.
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ruralroute
we probably define career politicians in different ways, merion. I believe anybody that serves more than eight years in one office (or two six-year terms in the US Senate) is a career politician. Seifert is a career politician. So is Entenza. So is Dayton. there are just too many in this field. Another note: Rybak supported Ralph Nader, which is about as liberal as you can get. MN is moderate-left, not Massachussetts-left.
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whyisthis
Minnesota has too strong of a recent history of electing morons to public office to pick anyone out of this poll. My guess would be lady gaga if she changed her residency, ala, al "the clown" franken.
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merioncooper
RR, you sidestepped my response about Rybak not being a career politician. I agree it would be nice to have someone fresh and independent, but the last time we tried that we got Ventura -- fresh, certainly, but in the end ineffective at producing results, although I would take him any day over the state-destroying Pawlenty. Maybe someone SO wealthy they can't be touched by special interests (like New York Mayor Bloomberg) -- Dayton's not that rich, but other Minnesota heirs might be.
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ruralroute
I am sure Rybak will care a great deal about rural Minnesota, just like Pawlenty. If you are from the Twin Cities, you will make sure that is taken care of. Rybak will just be Pawlenty from a different side (although I'd take him over Entenza or Dayton in a heartbeat). As far as Marty goes, I couldn't agree more -- he is a whiny, divisive career politician who will have no chance in a general election. We need a true independent voice to step up.
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merioncooper
RR, compared to Seifert, I would hardly say Rybak is a career politician. Rybak didn't run for the mayor's position until he had been out of college 23 years, unlike Seifert who pretty much began being a professional politician while IN college. Seifert ran Arlene Lesewski's campaign, then himself was elected to the House right out of college and has stayed there. Rybak worked as a weekly newspaper reporter, then eight years at the Minneapolis paper, then became a publisher and business developer before getting elected to office. That's a substantial non-career-politician background if you ask me. He put in his time in the real world, unlike Seifert.
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ruralroute
RT Rybak is just another run-of-the-mill career politician, merion.
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levelheaded
Sorry - Scientific!
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levelheaded
I sure hope this isn't a sceintific poll! My vote would be for anyone other than Marty.
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littleguy56289
Oh come on, Seifert would bring SO much leadership to the Gov. office, right!?!?
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merioncooper
What, really, have most of these accomplished other than legislative in-fighting. Rybak, at least, has the rapid and coordinated recovery to the I-35 bridge collapse to take partial credit for, plus he brings energy and POSITIVE thinking to Minnesota's problems, something the others do not.
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