The folks over at Minnesota Monitor hosted a liveblog conversation with Bob Olson tonight. Olson did a great job getting his message out and defining why he is the best candidate to defeat Michele Bachmann in November. My only regret is that the event was not more highly publicized but I don't have any information as to why that might have been so I hesitate to lay blame at anyone's feet.
I particularly enjoyed this exchange:
Question: Bob Olson and independent voters Bob, How do you feel your campaign will do amongst independent voters? In what ways would a Bob Olson candidacy appeal to those people in the middle?
by: Political Muse @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 6:41:17 PM [ Reply ]
Good question Michele Bachmann only received 50.04 percent of the vote in 2006. Hardly a mandate and that was before people outside her old state Senate district knew a lot about her. I think independent voters are looking for a new direction. This is a change year.
Michele Bachmann has spent the last 8 years trying to scare and divide voters. I've been in the business world working on the big issues affecting our economy -- home ownership, higher education, health care, energy. I think people will see the distinction.
by: Bob Olson for Congress @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 6:44:21 PM [ Parent | Reply ]
Still... John Binkowski maintained that if he weren't running on the IP ticket, he would have been a Republican, and Mark Kennedy held the district with pretty decent majorities in 2002 and 2004. In this campaign, are you finding a need to reach out to more conservative voters, or do you feel a more progressive message is the right way to bring people around to support you?
Joe Bodell also writes Minnesota Campaign Report - now on SoapBlox!
by: Joe Bodell @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 6:49:05 PM [ Parent | Reply ]
Olson later responded to the follow up by Bodell:
Catching up with Joe B. You ask --- John Binkowski maintained that if he weren't running on the IP ticket, he would have been a Republican, and Mark Kennedy held the district with pretty decent majorities in 2002 and 2004. In this campaign, are you finding a need to reach out to more conservative voters, or do you feel a more progressive message is the right way to bring people around to support you?
I think the economy and Iraq are the two biggest issues facing the district and the country. It doesn't matter which candidate you supported in 2006, you're still feeling the impact of the Bush-Bachmann economy, $2.90 a gallon at the gas pump, higher college tuition, health care costs, etc.
by: Bob Olson for Congress @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 7:01:36 PM
Keep up the good work Bob!
