With the recent announcement that Governor Pawlenty will not be running for a third term, the race is on from the right to announce or announce that you are thinking about announcing. Even before the Pawlenty news there was already a slew of candidates on the left who are running or thinking about running.
Politics in Minnesota has a handy dandy chart for you to see who is officially in, who is thinking about being officially in, and who they believe is definitely out.
Politics in Minnesota has a handy dandy chart for you to see who is officially in, who is thinking about being officially in, and who they believe is definitely out.
Here are the names on the Left either running or thinking about running:
- Tom Bakk
- Chris Coleman
- Mark Dayton
- Matt Entenza
- Susan Gaertner
- Steve Kelley
- Margaret Anderson Kelliher
- John Marty
- R.T. Rybak
- Paul Thissen
Here are the names on the Right either running or thinking about running:
- Pat Anderson
- David Hann
- Paul Koering
- Paul Kohls
- Marty Seifert
- Charlie Weaver
Honestly, my initial thought is one of unimpressed apathy with the entire field. What are your thoughts? Do you have a dream candidate? Throughout the summer my hope is to do some more detailed profiles on the various candidates who officially announce. Stay tuned...
Logging you in...
Don Casey · 825 weeks ago
It's great that you are motivated enough to establish your own website. But why post on the Times' site if you do not allow comments there? It's simple "reader convenience," which should be a goal. Why should someone read a Times' website blog, then have to come to this site to comment? Do one or the other -- post here exclusively, or post on the Times' site and allow comments.
Haven't had time to explore your new site and the comments feature, but a first impression: It appears the comments feature here do not allow for the same free-flowing exchange of views that the Times' site does. And shouldn't a vigorous exchange of views be a primary goal? Shouldn't it be encouraged and made as easy as possible?
Just eyeballing the "top blog" column, I see only four comments for five blogs. That's pretty weak response -- unless you didn't like the volume of comments on the Times' site and would prefer to "preach" rather than encourage (and perhaps engage in) an exchange of differing views.
A thought: Perhaps you don't want to post everything you write on the Times' site (i.e. not being a "hog"). That would be a thoughtful gesture -- worthy of the person I perceive you to be. But if you want to post your "best" efforts there, allow comments there -- and link to this site for those interested in your views on other topics.
Frankly, if I can't comment (IF I want to), I simply won't read your Times' blogs. I don't even bother with those that have the comment approval feature turned on. But then I suspect the absence of my views would be no big loss.
I don't understand why the Times site even allows barring comments or limiting them to those "approved." Those are totally contrary to the purpose of a newspaper's opinion function -- to encourage a FREE EXCHANGE of views. And we are all better served when we are exposed to the views of others -- particularly those which vary from our own.
You've disappointed me, Muse. Big time.
Political_Muse 35p · 825 weeks ago
1. I cross post my stuff here from my home base blog to give it added exposure. It is not my intention to "hog" anything. If you notice those two posts are more than 12 hours apart which indicates to me that people are simply not utilizing it as often as I may be and I don't believe that that is my fault. When people post it will simply bump anything I write out and I can live with that.
2. Little did I realize that shutting down my comments here and directing people to my home blog would cause any outrage. There was no other reason for it than to perhaps organize the discussion into one location with a new commenting system which I had installed. Perhaps I should have sought out peoples reaction before taking this step.
Thank You for the input Don. I really did not intend to take this step out of any malice or ill will towards my St. Cloud Times readers. Right now I am considering putting the comments back in place.
DasE · 825 weeks ago
Anyway, I'm waiting for our own Tarryl Clark to advance. I know she doesn't yet have the statewide exposure that's likely necessary to make a run for governor, but I think that she has many qualities that would make her a viable candidate. It would be great to have a local woman (MN's first female governor, right?) in office.