It is now widely reported in the Minnesota press that former Senator Norm Coleman will run for Gov. Pawlenty’s soon to be vacated seat in 2010. The most telling sign, reports Minnesota Public Radio, is former state auditor Pat Anderson’s withdrawal from the race just a day after talking to Coleman. Coleman will bring big name status to the race, less than a year after conceding to Al Franken in one of the lengthiest electoral recounts in recent history. MPR reports that
Coleman automatically becomes the favorite to win the Republican nomination and enters the general election with 1,211,590 votes, the number he picked up in his race for U.S. Senate against Al Franken. The bitterness escalated during the protracted recount with Franken, but it’s unlikely Coleman supporters defected to the DFL side because of it.
Keep that vote number in mind because it’s almost 200,000 more than Tim Pawlenty got in 2008, and 300,000 more than Pawlenty got in 2002. In both cases, the Independence Party (previously the Reform Party) fielded a strong candidate. That isn’t the case this year. It’s also true, of course, that those Independent votes don’t automatically go to a Republican.
The question is if Coleman has worn out his welcome in Minnesota. He has lost two out of his last three major campaigns there (to Gov. Jesse Ventura and Sen. Al Franken), and the recent recount was an exhausting experience for the state. Ultimately, fortune may be on his side. 2010 promises to be a strong year for Republicans of all stripes. Coleman’s name recognition and fundraising prowess alone (he accompanied Pawlenty to Texas this week), combined with the national backlash against Democrats may be enough to push him through to victory. Can the GOP hold the governorship for three consecutive terms in a progressive swing state? Coleman may be our best shot.
6 responses so far
1 teabag // Jan 16, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Ha,Ha. “Horses Teeth” could not beat a comedian. He is a looser period.
2 kevin47 // Jan 16, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Thank you for the intelligent analysis, teabag. I think professional entertainers are Coleman’s kryptonite.
I’m not sure most people remember that Coleman lost to Ventura, and I can’t imagine anyone here is going to allow their opinion to be affected by it. Coleman dueled Al Franken to a draw in an atrocious year for Republicans.
The Democratic primary is going to reflect a city/out-state divide. The only candidate with substantial name recognition is Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak, he of building fountains and cutting cops fame. He’s cannon fodder. Kelliher is running from a position of strength, but is in a lose-lose budget battle with Tim Pawlenty.
3 Minnesota Central // Jan 17, 2010 at 10:30 am
Should the question be : Why did 63,203 McCain voters decide not to re-elect Coleman in 2008?
The answer can be found in the Op-Ed written by the former MN-GOP Chairman … “Within Republican ranks, most activists believe Coleman has strayed too often from core Republican principles. Coleman was a cosponsor of “cap and trade” legislation that even moderate Democrats are now distancing themselves from because of its tax-raising implications. Perhaps most distasteful to Republicans was Coleman’s support for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout in the final months of the 2008 campaign.” Coleman was a Democrat-turned RINO that MN-GOPers never trusted – best illustrated by the movement to throw Coleman under the bus. Even Coleman now acknowledges that his TARP vote cost him the election.
Considering the state’s financial problems, there is no way that the MN-GOP would trust Coleman to negotiate with the Democrat-controlled legislature. Last weekend, Coleman appeared at a local fundraiser for state legislature candidates and was encouraged not to run.
To the Washington crowd, Coleman may still have some appeal but his best chance to be Governor would not as a Republican but instead to seek the Independence Party nomination. IP Ventura won in a three-way race and Pawlenty won twice because of the IP. The IP will again determine the race … getting at least 14% (a recent poll that listed Vin Weber as the IP candidate was in that range) … Coleman on the IP ticket could raise their share to mid-30s and enough to win the race.
4 COProgressive // Jan 17, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Coleman will bring big name status to the race…..
No, Coleman will bring a big name loser status to the race. Hell, I bet a washed up old Pro wrestler could beat him.
5 COProgressive // Jan 17, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Minnesota Central @ 3 wrote;
“Coleman was a Democrat-turned RINO that MN-GOPers never trusted ”
Que the Tea Party rabble…….
6 Minnesota Central // Jan 18, 2010 at 8:18 am
The Official answer is NO.
Coleman put this on his Facebook page
I love Minnesota and I love public service, but this is not the right time for me and my family to conduct a campaign for Governor.
Timing is everything. The timing on this race is both a bit too soon and a bit too late. It is too soon after my last race and too late to do a proper job of seeking the support of delegates who will decide in which direction our party should go. The commitments I have to my family and the work I am currently engaged in do not allow me to now go forward.
At the moment, I am tremendously energized by the work I am currently involved in to create a positive, center right agenda for this country. Anger on the left and anger on the right will get us nowhere. In Minnesota, we face a jobs deficit, a budget deficit and a bipartisanship deficit. We must all put aside the bitterness and sniping and remember that behind every job loss and every home foreclosure is a Minnesota family losing hope and confidence.
I think I can be part of recreating a more civil and respectful politics, a politics that better expresses the will of the vast majority of people. I will continue my efforts to work with Republicans, Independents and moderate, common sense Democrats across the country to advance the values of fiscal responsibility, entrepreneurship, effective government change, national security and respect for life. That’s where America is philosophically and we need well-thought-out policies that express it.
My thanks to the many folks who encouraged me to run, but I’ve learned there are lots of ways to serve without an official position. Dr. King said everyone can be great because everyone can serve. We all need to seek out how our service can do the most good, and at this moment in my life, I’ve found mine.
Thanks. God bless you.
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