This weeks Civic Skinny 03-09-96 - Fallon gets his due respect!!

[Debi]

Civic Skinny: Fallon on a roll

Opponents stumbling and bumbling give Ed a boost


Ed Fallon won't talk about what happens if he loses a Democratic primary for Iowa governor - not really. He thinks he can win, and if he didn't, he wouldn't be running, he said. And with top Dems telling us Fallon is picking up steam, with Chet Culver and Mike Blouin seemingly tripping over each other, Fallon, we're told, seems poised to make a move. "They (Culver and Blouin) aren't helping themselves," our source said. "I thought Culver's pick of (Patty) Judge as a running-mate (for lieutenant governor) was awful until Blouin made his choice (Andrea McGuire). And they both still have issue problems at a time when issues - despite what you read in The Des Moines Register - are more important to Iowans than who is raising what for whom." Fallon, our source said, could also "muck things up" if he loses and decides to run as an Independent (and take his supporters with him come November). "He has a tremendous grassroots base. The top dogs can't ignore him anymore, and they cannot write him off as crazy like they used to because they need him. Blouin outspent him five-to-one, and the two have the same name ID."

<snip>


Think the Fallon stuff is pure foolishness? Try this on for size. After Blouin stepped "in it" and "on it" last week with his boneheaded choice of McGuire, the rumblings from inside AFSCME started to become more of a dull roar. As was widely reported two weeks ago, AFSCME bit the bullet and endorsed Mike Blouin, passing over Culver because of his boneheaded move: Judge. And while many speculate that Gov. Tom Vilsack had something to do with Blouin getting the nod, he may not have enough in his bag of tricks to keep AFSCME involved. In fact, some members of AFSCME want Blouin to ditch McGuire due to her generosity toward Republican candidates in the past. Will Blouin keep her on the ticket? It's anyone's guess. But AFSCME may not be sticking around to find out.

<snip>

Also, look for a couple of prominent Democrats to publicly support the Nussle campaign if Mike Blouin wins the Democratic primary, we're told. After all, Blouin's running mate McGuire has set precedent by supporting Republican candidates and still being rewarded with the second highest position a Democrat can hold in the state. Look for these individuals to tell Blouin they are following McGuire's lead and "being independent."

<snip>

http://www.dmcityview.com/skinny.shtml


Fallon Supporters - read the whole article - it's the recognition that the DMR refused to give him! :bounce:

[pstans]

1. Thanks for posting

Go Ed Go!

[CornField]

2. I'll admit that I'm re-thinking my primary pick

While acknowledging that Fallon's position was the closest to my own, I had written him off as a non-viable candidate. Since learning how many at the convention went for him, I'm beginning to wonder if I wrote him off too soon.

[Debi]

3. I still think money is going to be a huge obstacle for him

But if he pulls it out I'll gladly work for him.

[IA_Seth]

4. Hell...

I still don't think I will give him my vote in the primary, because I think his stance on not accepting PAC money will kill him before he gets elected. I think he needs to use the system to beat the system, otherwise it will beat him.

That said, I just want him to pull more votes than Blouin. That would certainly make me happy.

And I will work for Fallon if he gets the nod...as I think he will need all the help he can get.

[9119495]

5. Really?

"Also, look for a couple of prominent Democrats to publicly support the Nussle campaign if Mike Blouin wins the Democratic primary, we're told."

Who? Nice bullshit accusation. NO DEMOCRAT WILL EVER SUPPORT GODDAMNED NUSSLE OVER ANOTHER DEM (even if that Dem is republicrat McGuire).

What do they get with Nussle? Pro-Choice? no. Anti-death penalty? no. Just wages? no. Blouin may hold the line to our disappointment, but Nussle will do damage to our state that won't be undone for decades. Think Reagan.

[pstans]

6. I agree with you there

[Debi]

7. It will be the go-along-to-get-along Democrats that do this

The people who don't believe Blouin can beat Nussle and think that if they jump ship Nussle won't cut them out of any major state-wide decision making. It's a dumb idea. Nussle will cut the throats of any Democrat in his way (and have Nick Ryan shoot the ones who run away in the back)!

This is the degeneration we see when Democrats want to 'build a bridge' between right-wing zealots (I mean Tom Vilsack and Company here). Just because WE are willing to work with them does in NO WAY mean that THEY are willing to work with us.

If Dems endorse Nussle over Blouin and Blouin wins - they are screwed, if Dems endorse Nussle over Blouin and Nussle wins - they are screwed.

(I do have to state, from my 'I love Chet' corner here, that Mike Blouin brought this on himself with his pseudo-republican position on several issues and his 'independent' running mate selection. I don't feel bad that he's taking some heat.) :evilgrin:

[9119495]

8. Agreed he should take some hits, but if he wins, I want to see a

passionate make-out session between he and Culver. Several minutes of kisses, hugs, and gazingly longingly, knowingly into each others eyes. Okay, this may not be a good PR move, but I want to see the metaphorical version of it.

[Debi]

9. Blouin doesn't support gay marriage...snark!!

However I do agree with you, let's have a rousing 'we are family' party after the primary :party: and get to work against Nussle/Vander Plaats :thumbsup:

[rurallib]

10. I remember Reka Basu's column of about a month ago

Said something like 'if you want a democrat for governor, why not vote for the one whose positions most closely reflect his party's?" By that she meant Fallon.
I have often thought that one of the reasons that Dems have lost recently is that they try to be like republicans only less so. Should Fallon be the nominee, there will be clear differences.
Also, as I posted before, I can't help but wonder how the repressives will use their primary votes since they have no primary.

[Debi]

11. Letter to the Editor in the DMR last week

Will be switching parties to support Blouin. (Think about it, Blouin is not raising money like Culver and does not have the grassroots support like Fallon - he's the perfect target for the general).

:shrug: FWIW

[Hardrada]

12. Thanx for posting this.

If you hadn't I would have. How about the bit where the worthless DMR totally didn't cover the Dem Caucuses. I lay awake fuming for some time. I have got to watch what I read right before I seek the slumbrous arms of Morpheus. The corporate nonentities on Locus Street also got their lumps in that article. I have been livid with them since that pompous yuppie Geneva Overholser was lecturing us on how great the DMR was under her wise leadership and then she ran off with the one of copy editors and last I saw her she was on some dog and pony panel discussion loooking about forty pounds heavier!