The problem: polling shows that Independence Ventura party candidate Tom Horner draws fifty percent more DFLers than Republicans, despite a months-long campaign to portray him as “the other Republican” to try to suck votes away from Tom Emmer.
You know the DFL is concerned. Because Lori Sturdevant is on the case:
The Minnesota governor’s contest has two probusiness contenders — Republican Tom Emmer and the Independence Party’s Tom Horner.
That was the unanimous judgment of five Minnesota Chamber of Commerce audience members who lingered after last Tuesday’s three-way gubernatorial candidates’ debate to talk about what they’d heard.
The “unanimous” judgment; despite the fact that he wants to jack up sales taxes and a variety of other government excises, Horner is just dreamy.
Imagine that.
Oh, yeah:
The Republican candidate is singing the same smaller-government, lower-taxes tune that business lobbyists have been humming for years at the Capitol (though Emmer never seems to get past the chorus to any lyrics describing how he would downsize).
There are two and a half months go to, Lori. I suspect he’ll squeeze it in there.
I think that the reason for that might be because being “pro-capitalism” isn’t necessarily the same as being “pro-business.” While the MNCOC is nominally in favor of lower taxes (although they apparently do support expanding the sales tax to cover services so long as it’s not a net tax increase), they also support corporate welfare programs like taxpayer funded sports stadiums which Emmer opposes.
On other issues like immigration reform and judicial elections, they’re definitely not on the side of conservatives.
Woah – a Republican party candidate singing the Republican party’s signature tune: limit government to essentials and cut taxes to the minimum necessary to pay for those essentials.
Who’da thunk it?
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