Open Letter to the Governor Pawlenty and the Powers That Be
Don't hold rallies at 8AM. Never.
Make no mistake about it - we conservatives, the people who put you in office, will turn out in droves for our causes. You remember, as do I, the big taxpayer rallies during the Carlson and Ventura administrations, which routinely drew 3-5,000 people...
...on a Saturday afternoon. Not on a Friday morning.
Oh, sure, we'll turn out on weekdays if our lives and civil liberties depend on it. Maybe you remember some of the various gun control hearings over the years, when despite the Metrocrats' best efforts (embargoing committee hearing times until the last minute, and changing times and locations as late as possible to make it harder for outstate citizens to participate), we'd turn out 150, 200, even 600 people for crucial hearings, almost always outnumbering the gun grabbers by a minimum of 10-1, despite their home turf advantage.
But for a routine rah-rah rally? Dude, you have to meet us halfway. Unlike so many of our opposition - the Volvo-driving, free-range alpaca-wearing, patchouli-wearing, "Happy To Bend Over To Protect The Budget Pay For A Bloated Bureaucracy Better Minnesota crowd, we work for a living. Hard. We are not lobbyists by training, nature or inclination. Even those of us who live in Saint Paul go to the Capitol only when it's time to chaperone the kids' class fieldtrip.
So why on earth not put it on a Saturday afternoon?
You got, by most counts, 200 people to the rally. Which is not bad for a Friday morning, but it certainly did cause the bad guys to titter with glee; weekday rallies are the province of the liberal wastrel, the perpetual student, the bribed school kid, the union worker with the insta-holiday, the Highland Park matron with spare time and white upper middle class guilt in equal proportion. And they had a field day, tittering about the "low turnout". Now, in their smug self-righteousness they may very well equate "can't come out to rally on a workday" with "no support for tax cuts"; their loss. But if you put the rally on a Friday morning to snag media coverage - did it work?
Criminy, Governor Pawlenty - at least play to our strengths.
Posted by Mitch at
April 18, 2005 08:06 PM
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High marks for attempted spin, Mitch. But 200 is pretty lousy no matter how you slice it. After all, there are a lot of people who work full-time and are free at 8 A.M. Me, for example. That only 200 people could bother show up for the event is pretty terrible for the organizers.
Then again, with at least one GOP defector in the House, pack a lunch if you want to get a tax-free budget through. Last I checked, you need 68 votes to pass the budget; the GOP has 67.
Posted by: Jeff Fecke at April 18, 2005 09:02 PMI was there as I noted in my blog. It was theraputic for me after having written a couple of big checks the day before.
But I was also at all of the Saturday rallies, which were much more effective in P.R. value.
I later learned that the Gov had whistle-stopped about 5-6 cites that day, no time to speak or interact.
You're right. But April 15 is a Saturday next year.
Posted by: R-Five at April 18, 2005 11:07 PM"High marks for attempted spin, Mitch. "
Where "spin" = "information you don't agree with".
Posted by: mitch at April 19, 2005 06:55 AMInteresting thoughts, Jeff. Perhaps a Republican or two MIGHT get pealed off in the House. Possible. I could name the likely candidates.
Of course, anyone walking away from their caucus is committing an act called: Policital Suicide. Sviggum put the knife out and took care of Arlon Linder last year....you don't think he wouldn't do it again?
Also, you might get a pass in the House...but what happens when the bill (with its tax increases) hits the Gov's desk? V-E-T-O.
THEN....you need 90 House votes....AND....45 Senate votes. That means you have to turn 24 Republicans in the House AND 9 Republicans in the Senate.
In a word....Checkmate.
Posted by: Dave at April 19, 2005 08:46 AM8am on a Monday? Here's the problem with that: To a conservative, government is, and should be, an add-on to life. The activities of real life go on, and then, when there's time, you review the budgets and requests, check the complaint box, and discuss new road-building materials. To a liberal, government is central - if there's time after making new rules for other, stupider, people to follow, then they'll go to work.
So, 8am Monday works perfectly for the "Here's The Way You Need To Live" crowd.
Posted by: bob at April 19, 2005 09:58 AMDave--
The GOP's already lost one, Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea). That makes it 67-67. One more and the DFL will be passing their bill through--and as it is, the tie in the House makes it impossible for the GOP to get its bill through.
(By the way, Dorman's punishment has been the chairmanship of the Capital Investment Committee. Boy, sucks to be him.)
As for the Veto--sure, Gov. Timmy. Go ahead. Veto higher spending for education. Veto more funding for roads. Do it because rather than a jury-rigged system of fees and magical casino money, the legislature actually bit the bullet and passed a modest tax hike to pay for the type of government most Minnesotans want.
And next year, when citizens are even angrier, you tell 'em that Strom told yo what you had to do. I'm sure that'll make it all better.
Posted by: Jeff Fecke at April 19, 2005 10:33 AMJeff:
Dorman has not left yet. Based on what I hear from his actions in committee meeting, I start to wonder if he doesn't have more than a few screws loose.
Posted by: Dave at April 19, 2005 10:50 AMWouldn't be the first Rep you could say that about--on either side of the aisle *cough Phyllis Kahn cough*. But I'll happily take his vote.
Posted by: Jeff Fecke at April 19, 2005 10:37 PMI just saw Pawlenty speak at 7:30 AM in Mounds View. It was at a chamber of commerce function. There were more people there than at the capital rally. People had to pay to be there as well($10).
What does that mean? Maybe some people aren't as committed to holding down taxes as they say they are. I was at the rally and have pics from there. I didn't see many bloggers there.
But these comments are far removed from the actual rally now aren't they? If people get the chance to sit down and look at a chart of State spending, that rally will be HUGE next year we're talking thousands. Even with the tax increases, we cannot sustain the levels of spending that some are demanding.
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