From Hann to Emmer
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 20:00 Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 23:14
I've been a supporter of my State Senator, David Hann, since he thought about running for Governor back in May. Senator Hann is the entire reason I got involved with local politics. After six years in Georgia, where Newt Gingrich was king and you could say “I like George Bush” in the grocery line only to receive a round of applause, we struggled with the decision to come home to the land of high taxes and liberal leaders. It was happenstance to see three Minnesota license plates the same weekend we saw the great hockey movie "Miracle.” Those little signs finally pushed us home.
I had signed up to volunteer at a local GOP event and met Senator Hann. We chatted for quite a while and he called later that week and asked me to get involved with the local Senate District, which I did. Now I'm a Vice Chair in the 3rd Congressional District.
I've seen Senator Hann talk patiently with local Democrats, never conceding a point, but always respecting their point-of-view. He is a true consensus-builder, a principled conservative and a highly-likable guy. But he's never enjoyed raising money, (isn't it refreshing for a politician to call you and NOT ask for a check?) Alas this unfortunate requirement of our current political system accompanied by Hann's shy demeanor knocked him out of this Governor's race. I look forward to supporting Senator Hann’s re-election here in Eden Prairie.
So how do you go from supporting a soft-spoken, thoughtful State Senator to the mouth and swagger of Tom Emmer?
I met Tom Emmer at an event in the early fall where he introduced himself. His chin juts out and you notice that great head of white/gray hair and the prep school charm...you can't help but smile when you meet Tom Emmer. He fills a room and his tough litigator style reminds me of a coffee mug I used to have with a fuzzy monster standing over a guy clutching his briefcase which read “Salesmanship begins when the customer says ‘No’.” Tom knows the issues and he knows where he stands, though he may sometimes use too many words to tell you so.
There are many similarities between Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer when it comes to the issues, but Emmer’s voting record is closest to that of Senator Hann's. More importantly to this activist, Emmer didn't jump on the 2007 global warming bandwagon and vote for the free-market stifling, over-reaching government mandates a la the "Next Generation Energy Act,"Now law, Minnesota has the strongest restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions to curb climate change in the country. (Seems sooo 2007, doesn't it?) Seifert, and many Republicans, supported this legislation. This is the type of vote that separates the leaders from the followers.
As far as style goes, Emmer’s "I'm just a guy from Delano," quips don’t change the fact he may be sports club and hunt club, but he's country club too. Not a "Country Club Republican" who looks down his nose at the likes of the tea party protesters, (in fact I can’t think of a more tea party-friendly candidate than Emmer,) but he is an Edina-boy, St. Thomas prep-school grad, who is completely at-ease mingling in the crowds of the well-heeled. Jesse Ventura he isn’t, (and thank God for that.)
Emmer has another secret weapon of successful Minnesota politicians- he plays hockey. Although our beloved Minnesotan obsession has never captured the national attention like baseball or football, it’s nonetheless a game that completely represents our state’s work ethic and determination. Playing hockey (or being a hockey parent) means you spend a lot of time being cold and uncomfortable, all for the love of a game. Hockey’s a team sport, a contact sport, and you better have a ton of heart to play it well because for every time you score, you’ll get knocked down a dozen times more. (If that isn’t practice for St. Paul and dealing with the DFL, I don’t know what is.)
You can coach many things in politics, but you can’t coach heart. The college hockey player from Delano has a ton of heart and in 2010 people are craving somebody to stand up for them. He’s the guy you want on your side, fighting for you, fighting for what’s right. The media will try to label him as “angry”, and they better be careful because there is a ton of frustration seeking an outlet and a snide Minneapolis liberal just doesn’t fit the bill. If the media does what I think they’ll do to Tom Emmer, (try to scare off voters and decry his lack of “statesmanship”,) they’ll be doing him a great service.
The Minnesota governor’s race will be one of the most important ones to watch in 2010. It’s been almost twenty years since a Democrat ran the state and the cyclical nature of our system indicates that this should be a win for them, no questions asked. Yet Minnesotans see what’s happening in Washington where liberals are running the show, and they don’t like what they see. We have a history-changing decision to be made here this November and there’s no other way to see this race than as a turning point for our state. Do we follow the debt-ridden, high tax, low-growth states into the abyss? Or do we keep our high quality of life without sacrificing more to the state government?
The Democrats have insisted that raising taxes even higher is the only way out. They are actually trying to sell the idea that one of the highest-taxed states in the country is not taxed enough. With the Star Tribune, MPR, WCCO, the University of Minnesota, Education Minnesota, the SEIU, the AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, and countless other home-grown Minnesota liberal groups and DC-based 527’s on their side, it would take a miracle in 2010 to beat them.
With a bit of dramatic license, I’d simply like to offer: I support Tom Emmer and I believe in miracles. Do you?
