#180 – Dick Bernard: Visiting a Convention of Democrats

State Senator Tarryl Clark received the endorsement of the Minnesota 6th Congressional District Delegates today, besting Dr. Maureen Reed for DFL Party support to compete against incumbent Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in November. Normally, this would be end of story. It is only the end of Chapter One.
I attended todays DFL (Democratic Party) Convention in suburban Blaine. I live in CD 6, and am a relatively active Democrat here, but I had not run for delegate, nor alternate, and attended largely to publicize the DFL Senior Caucus of which I am an active member.
The Teamster Union Hall was literally packed like sardines: several hundred in attendance. I signed in as a media representative, a blogger, right below the local affiliate of Fox News, and no questions were asked. Blogging is becoming accepted as a form of media.
U.S. Senators Klobuchar and Franken showed up, and both talked at some length about issues in Washington. The entry area to the hall was filled with candidates vying for the upcoming endorsement for Governor, and other offices. Other media signed in after me. What actually happened today will be well publicized.
This was no “yawner” of a Convention.
Two Democrats, both women, State Senator Tarryll Clark, and Dr. Maureen Reed, both very highly qualified, and worthy opponents for Bachmann, vied for the DFL party endorsement. (A campaign issue was whether or not the unsuccessful candidate would abide by the Convention endorsement, and not go to primary in August.)

Two-term incumbent Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is an occasional visitor to this district which elected her, and seems to represent only a small “tea party” base; and is usually busy elsewhere in her highly visible world. She is vulnerable in this district, but nonetheless formidable. She seems to have lost sight of her real base – the majority of people who will have to return her to office. But she’ll have plenty of money and star-power support this election.
Politics and, particularly, Politicians, are easy to kick around, but attending events such as this Convention can be pretty inspiring for me. Today’s was such a case.
Politics is, more than anything else, about relationships. Sen. Franken said he was wearing a Tarryll Clark button because she had stood by him at a particularly low point in his campaign for the 2008 U.S. Senate endorsement. My own state representative, Marsha Swails, moved the nomination of Sen. Clark. She recalled her days in junior high school in Independence MO when her school bus passed by Harry Truman’s home, and he could always be seen sitting at the kitchen table reading his newspaper or writing. I have heard her share that vignette a number of times since she first ran for the state legislature here four years ago. President Truman inspired her.
Maureen Reed, an outsider in the DFL political party sense whose previous run for office was as an Independent, is nonetheless a formidable potential candidate in this essentially conservative and “populist” district. She had her own very strong supporters, including the young woman who nominated her, still in high school, who will vote for the first time in November, and was impressive in her nominating speech.
There are many months and lots of rhetoric (and work) ahead for the candidates. Tarryl Clark won Round One today: the DFL endorsement. Maureen Reed will go to Primary election. I can truly say I wish both Reed and Clark well.
But there are more than candidates and their supporters in Politics. Politics is, first and foremost, about issues. And I simply want to recognize the “special interests” I saw who took time to come out today, and lobby their causes to the delegates: The Campaign for the Minnesota Health Plan was there today; so was FairVoteMN, an advocate for instant runoff voting, and Take Action MN. Also there was the Minnesota C.A.F.E. Coalition whose representative is pictured below. They and many others make politics.
Whatever your cause or your party, get involved.