Elections, Part I
Nov. 5th, 2006 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puzzle_meI'm still undecided on a few offices, but for the most part I'm decided.
A few notes, while I consider myself a liberal progressive, I consider myself a fairly pro-capitalism, pro-free market liberal progressive. I don't think that the free market solves everything, but I'm also against putting huge barriers (like price caps and trade tariffs) in the way of the free market. I'd say that I lean liberatarian, but I don't because I also don't think taxes are all that bad. As a popular lawn sign in my neighborhood says - "Happy to pay for a better Minnesota!"
I'm also generally a pragmatic voter. Idealistic voting is all well and good, but I personally (usually) have no problem voting for a candidate that is acceptable and is more likely to win, rather than the candidate that is ideal but that is likely to lose.
So, here goes. Those of you expecting to see a pure blue slate will be dissappointed.
Senate:
Amy Klobuchar, D. I was pessimistic about Amy's candidacy when she first announced, because I don't think she's a very charismatic speaker. But she has such a strong appeal to Minnesota soccer moms that my pessimism has mostly evaporated. I like her stances on most issues. She has run a wonderful, and mostly positive campaign. She is strong on environmental issues. I do wish that she explicitly stated her view on abortion and gay rights on her website, but then neither does her opponent. I'm pretty sure both candidates have their opinion on those issues well documented elsewhere.
Congress - District 5:
Keith Ellison, D. I'm not crazy about Keith, but I also think that attempts to tie him to the Nation to Islam have been overblown. He has had a strong working relationship with Jewish legislators in the Minnesota State Senate and he attends a mosque that has done a lot to do joint outreach with the Jewish community. I think it would make a great statement to the world to have a U.S. Congressman who is muslim and who believes in the right of Israel to exist and defend itself.
That said, there's is supposedly a poll in progress of this district (the first one of the cycle). If it shows him lagging behind Tammy Lee, the Independence Party candidate, I'd probably be willing to jump sides to keep the seat in liberal hands. My overall view is that Tammy Lee is more style than substance, but I'll take style over the substance that the Republican candidate is offering.
State Auditor:
Rebecca Otto, D. She has the endorsement of the past three state auditors, which includes past Republican governor Arne Carlson. I think this statement by Carlson about sums the race up for me: "Carlson, who held the post for three terms from 1979 to 1991 before serving two terms as Governor, says he's switched his support from Republican Pat Anderson to Otto over concerns about how partisan Anderson has become. A Republican himself, Carlson said Anderson's predecessors made a point of avoiding partisan behavior, and that it is important that the state auditor be independent-minded."
Secretary of State:
Mark Ritchie, D. I like his approach to enhancing voter turnout, rather than trying to restrict voter registration further. He recognizes that the problem with voting in Minnesota is *not* voter fraud, it's getting people to the polls in the first place.
Governor:
Here is where I get undecided. I really don't like our current governor, Tim Pawlenty. His 'no new taxes' pledge at the state level has driven up property taxes on the local level. He is conservative on social issues, and his refusal to work across party lines helped lead to our government shutdown in 2005. While thousands of state employees went without pay, he still got his paycheck.
Unfortunately, I also really hate the Democratic candidate. While I would normally hold my nose and vote for him anyways, since I'm a pragmatic voter, as Attorney General he's made it his mission to go after health care providers and pharmaceutical companies. You can maybe see why I don't like him so much. Earlier this year, he proposed legislation to recover the cost of cleaning up meth labs by suing companies that make pseudoephedrine products. This would directly affect the company I work for. This is also stupid, because it is not illegal to make products containing pseudoephedrine! Many states have limited distribution of pseudoephedrine products by putting them behind the counter (a move highly opposed by most consumers), but as far as the FDA is concerned they are still OTC products and can be sold off the shelf.
There is an Independence Party candidate running, Peter Hutchinson, who I really like. But he's currently running at 7% right now in the polls. Hatch and Pawlenty are neck-and-neck.
I will probably decide this one in the polling booth. And then I probably will refuse to tell you all how I voted on it.
Attorney General:
John Johnson, R. The Democratic Candidate, Lori Swanson (who I'm not linking to because her website did not play well with Safari), has vowed to carry on Mike Hatch's legacy and priorities. Um, no thanks. While I do think our legal system needs reform, I don't think suing it into oblivion is the way to go about reforming it. This coming from someone who doesn't really think lawsuits are a huge problem facing our country. I'd kind of rather the AG focus more on other priorities. Like, say, actual criminal activities.
John Johnson's main consumer protection issue is prevention of identity theft, which is fine with me. I'm not sure I completely buy into his "Meth Free Minnesota Plan", but at least his plan for combatting meth isn't suing the pharmaceutical companies. I'm voting for him over the Independence candidate because he's more likely to beat Lori Swanson. Those of you who are going OMGWTF about me voting for a Republican can take solace in the fact that Swanson's 18 points up in the polls, so this vote will probably be largely symbolic.
I'm sure you're all waiting with baited breath for the rest of my election rundown of the rest of the races, but I'm off to door knock in Anoka for a while. (For Patty Wetterling.) More later.
A few notes, while I consider myself a liberal progressive, I consider myself a fairly pro-capitalism, pro-free market liberal progressive. I don't think that the free market solves everything, but I'm also against putting huge barriers (like price caps and trade tariffs) in the way of the free market. I'd say that I lean liberatarian, but I don't because I also don't think taxes are all that bad. As a popular lawn sign in my neighborhood says - "Happy to pay for a better Minnesota!"
I'm also generally a pragmatic voter. Idealistic voting is all well and good, but I personally (usually) have no problem voting for a candidate that is acceptable and is more likely to win, rather than the candidate that is ideal but that is likely to lose.
So, here goes. Those of you expecting to see a pure blue slate will be dissappointed.
Senate:
Amy Klobuchar, D. I was pessimistic about Amy's candidacy when she first announced, because I don't think she's a very charismatic speaker. But she has such a strong appeal to Minnesota soccer moms that my pessimism has mostly evaporated. I like her stances on most issues. She has run a wonderful, and mostly positive campaign. She is strong on environmental issues. I do wish that she explicitly stated her view on abortion and gay rights on her website, but then neither does her opponent. I'm pretty sure both candidates have their opinion on those issues well documented elsewhere.
Congress - District 5:
Keith Ellison, D. I'm not crazy about Keith, but I also think that attempts to tie him to the Nation to Islam have been overblown. He has had a strong working relationship with Jewish legislators in the Minnesota State Senate and he attends a mosque that has done a lot to do joint outreach with the Jewish community. I think it would make a great statement to the world to have a U.S. Congressman who is muslim and who believes in the right of Israel to exist and defend itself.
That said, there's is supposedly a poll in progress of this district (the first one of the cycle). If it shows him lagging behind Tammy Lee, the Independence Party candidate, I'd probably be willing to jump sides to keep the seat in liberal hands. My overall view is that Tammy Lee is more style than substance, but I'll take style over the substance that the Republican candidate is offering.
State Auditor:
Rebecca Otto, D. She has the endorsement of the past three state auditors, which includes past Republican governor Arne Carlson. I think this statement by Carlson about sums the race up for me: "Carlson, who held the post for three terms from 1979 to 1991 before serving two terms as Governor, says he's switched his support from Republican Pat Anderson to Otto over concerns about how partisan Anderson has become. A Republican himself, Carlson said Anderson's predecessors made a point of avoiding partisan behavior, and that it is important that the state auditor be independent-minded."
Secretary of State:
Mark Ritchie, D. I like his approach to enhancing voter turnout, rather than trying to restrict voter registration further. He recognizes that the problem with voting in Minnesota is *not* voter fraud, it's getting people to the polls in the first place.
Governor:
Here is where I get undecided. I really don't like our current governor, Tim Pawlenty. His 'no new taxes' pledge at the state level has driven up property taxes on the local level. He is conservative on social issues, and his refusal to work across party lines helped lead to our government shutdown in 2005. While thousands of state employees went without pay, he still got his paycheck.
Unfortunately, I also really hate the Democratic candidate. While I would normally hold my nose and vote for him anyways, since I'm a pragmatic voter, as Attorney General he's made it his mission to go after health care providers and pharmaceutical companies. You can maybe see why I don't like him so much. Earlier this year, he proposed legislation to recover the cost of cleaning up meth labs by suing companies that make pseudoephedrine products. This would directly affect the company I work for. This is also stupid, because it is not illegal to make products containing pseudoephedrine! Many states have limited distribution of pseudoephedrine products by putting them behind the counter (a move highly opposed by most consumers), but as far as the FDA is concerned they are still OTC products and can be sold off the shelf.
There is an Independence Party candidate running, Peter Hutchinson, who I really like. But he's currently running at 7% right now in the polls. Hatch and Pawlenty are neck-and-neck.
I will probably decide this one in the polling booth. And then I probably will refuse to tell you all how I voted on it.
Attorney General:
John Johnson, R. The Democratic Candidate, Lori Swanson (who I'm not linking to because her website did not play well with Safari), has vowed to carry on Mike Hatch's legacy and priorities. Um, no thanks. While I do think our legal system needs reform, I don't think suing it into oblivion is the way to go about reforming it. This coming from someone who doesn't really think lawsuits are a huge problem facing our country. I'd kind of rather the AG focus more on other priorities. Like, say, actual criminal activities.
John Johnson's main consumer protection issue is prevention of identity theft, which is fine with me. I'm not sure I completely buy into his "Meth Free Minnesota Plan", but at least his plan for combatting meth isn't suing the pharmaceutical companies. I'm voting for him over the Independence candidate because he's more likely to beat Lori Swanson. Those of you who are going OMGWTF about me voting for a Republican can take solace in the fact that Swanson's 18 points up in the polls, so this vote will probably be largely symbolic.
I'm sure you're all waiting with baited breath for the rest of my election rundown of the rest of the races, but I'm off to door knock in Anoka for a while. (For Patty Wetterling.) More later.
