A few minutes ago I received a phone call in which there was a pause after I said, "Hello." I wasn't fast enough to hang up before somebody said, "Is this Melvyn?" I answered, "yes". The person proceeded with something like, "This is so and so, and I'm calling for the Matt Entenza campaign." I replied, "We are not interested in someone who spends so much money." Then I hung up.
For readers not familiar with Minnesota politics, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) race for governor has two non-endorsed candidates, Matt Entenza and Mark Dayton, who are spending a spouse's or their own fortunes on the primary campaign. The endorsed candidate, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, has spent far less, but still over a million dollars. I was disappointed that one-fifth of her contributions come from lobbyists and PACs (Star Tribune, 2010-07-26).
I think about leaving the governor race blank on the ballot. The Republican candidate, Tom Emmer, has serious foot-in-mouth disease. I like the idea of the Independence Party attempting to be a viable party, but its website's message doesn't resonate with me.
The only candidate that I have any enthusiasm for is Kelliher's running mate, John Gunyou. He was the Finance Commissioner for the last good Republican governor of Minnesota, Arne Carlson, and he is the city manager of Minnetonka. Every few months he has submitted an op-ed article on good governance. I have emailed him from time to time and he has responded graciously. I once wrote him that I was looking for the Governance Party instead of the Groveling Party and the Grumbling Party.
