Arrogance in face of desperation at DFL convention

Bill Hamm
Staff Writer

Erin Murphy wins the kiss of death at the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor convention, leading us down the road to defeat with her rabid anti-gun Lieutenant Governor choice. Otto, with her anti-mining and pro RVC (ranked choice voting), stance was soundly defeated and sent home. Walz bows out and takes his bid to the people’s court, the primary while Lori Swanson joins Congressman Rick Nolan to make it a three-way race. But what does it all mean for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party?

What it means for the DFL is a struggle to make any gains in this off-year election. They have desperately revived draconian rules from the age of machine politics, demanding that all delegates and county central committee members must back the endorsed candidates. This sparked the resignation of over twenty county leaders by the end of the convention, a mass exodus that clearly shows the desperation of the anti-gun and anti-mining efforts to maintain control.

Many of us, this writer included, have desperately been trying to back these radicals down so we can lead with the issues we all agree on, but to no avail. Even though Minnesota is statistically the second safest state in the nation when it comes to gun violence because of our use of local law enforcement to authorize conceal and carry, many in the DFL continue to attack law abiding gun owners and sportspersons. And even though we have been mining sulfate ores in Northern Minnesota for over 100 years with zero negative affects to the environment, this group will not allow the PCA to even hear the case for jobs so desperately needed by our citizens.

What this means is that we will not unite on healthcare, nor will we unite on quality education and affordable tuition, nor will we cooperate on eldercare and abuse. We will not work together to end the racist abuse of cannabis laws and support legalization, we have refused to recognize Minnesota’s place as the second most racist state in the Nation, and we have again failed to recognize racism in Minnesota by including the words racism or police violence anywhere in our platform. This, while poverty and racism, kill many times more people in Minnesota than gun violence or pollution from mining combined.

While contemplating whether I will commit open acts of defiance against this party, or weather I will simply resign from the effort until after the primary, this battle for hearts and minds will go desperately on. While sorely failing the needs of so many of our working class and poor neighbors who have nowhere else to turn, the party elite demand compliance in true neo-liberal fashion undermining hope of unity.

But just so this article can end on a positive note, the clicker system that the MSSA and LEAD students at MNSU have been using to vote the last couple years was the shinning case for party unity at this year’s DFL state convention. It is going to be a long summer folks, try to stay cool and enjoy the show.