Just a pair of remarks:
>
>[Why? All of the candidates
>seem good, but two (Doug and Dan) were still pretty new in the candidate
>role. I didn't detect significant policy differences between them, and
>wanted to see them continue to prove themselves in a longer campaign.]
1. Brauer's view on the two candidates illustrates one of the problems
with the caucus/convention/endorse model. Kress and Niziolek are
laudable candidates and either could be endorsed. However, endorsement
means one wins and is superior and one loses and is diminished. But the
convention of thoughtful people could not anoint one and condemn the
other and so had to resort to the only thing operable under the rules -
adjorn. The 10th Ward DFL convention thus sends an implied mesage that
neither candidate is worthy of DFL principles. I feel this is not so, so
what should the rules provide that they do not. We have two candidates
which either could be recommended to the electorate with pride, so why
not have rules that enable dual endorsement. Party activists will
understand how either Dan or Doug were endorseable on principles but I
fear the much larger group, the unwashed as it were, will not likewise
understand. What I suggest would entail a major amendment of DFL Party
Rules & Constitution - a certainly hard task - might there be another
way. Gray matter awaken.
>
>Earlier, the convention passed the reform I've been pushing to elect city
>delegates in the same election year, not at the previous year's precinct
>caucuses.
2. I snipped to 50% turnout angle on this reform. Off-year conventions,
especially at the ward level are always poorly attended - I have noticed
this for some 25 years now. The big turnouts have historically been the
endorsing conventions for national and statewide races, and this explains
the reasonableness of caucusing in the late winter before those races.
People who care enough to brave one February caucus in the big race year
will likely show up for the odd-year city caucus and so the same people
will gather. I can remember only one year when a significant issue drew
large numbers to our 10-10 caucus - it was the year Jesse Jackson ran for
President and many people formed up a Rainbow Coalition. Since then,
large caucus turnouts have been mostly a dream of the convenors. The
message is - to get turnout and therefore representative delegates
requires a compelling issue - at the city level just what might these be
that might be new enough to catch the fancy of the people on a late
February evening?
John Ferman
Harriet Avenue
Kingfield Neighborhood
Minneapolis
Ward 10 Pct 10
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