strib's Grow: Kelly's got GOP money, but not voters' hearts

[question everything]

Kelly's got GOP money, but not voters' hearts

Doug Grow
Star Tribune
Published September 18, 2005

St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly is learning that money can't buy you love.

A little more than a year ago, Kelly announced he was endorsing President Bush. This was surprising, given that Kelly still proclaims he's a lifelong DFLer... Kelly said this was about noble things. His endorsement, he wrote, was for "the greater good for my kids, my city and the nation."

(snip)

Cash from all over the country has poured into Kelly's campaign. Before Tuesday's primary, he had four times as much money as the DFL-endorsed candidate, Chris Coleman (not related to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, a New Yorker by birth.) He had 40 times as much loot as the Green Party's Elizabeth Dickinson. All the mayor lacked was votes.

The man with the cash lost to Coleman by a nearly a 2-to-1 ratio. He managed to beat Dickinson by a mere 8 percentage points. The incumbent didn't even win his home precinct.

(snip)

"He tried to say that this president is good for St. Paul," Coleman said. "Most people don't understand that." Under Bush and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, St. Paul has lost millions of dollars for everything from police to schools, Coleman said. In November, St. Paulites showed Kelly what they thought of his endorsement. They voted 3 to 1 for John Kerry. Tuesday they showed they've neither forgotten nor forgiven.

(snip)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1405/5619778.html

Doug Grow is at [e-mail].