My promise to Dick Franson

[DemonFighterLives]

I ran into Mr. Franson the other day and we got to talk about several democratic issues. I proudly told him that I was a member of The Democratic Underground. :patriot:
Dick is running for Mayor of Mpls. I told him that I would write up something on this site for him. He requested that I include a sentence or two from his flyer.
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Taxpayers must rise up and clean house and defeat all 13 Council members and the present milquetoast Mayor R. T. Rybak for losing thousands of dallars and many jobs when they enacted the anti-smoking ordinance. Franson pledges to have this ordinance repealed if elected and copy St. Paul's ordinance.
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We got to talking about Wellstone and Dick asked me if I knew who was in second place behind Wellstone in the Democratic Primary? Of course I didn't know, but thinking on my feet; "was it you Dick"?
Mr. Franson was next in line when Wellstone went down and he told me he got a letter from Walter Mondale after the election where Walter told him that he should have been the rightful representative to run against "Hollowman".
I added the Hollowman BTW which came from the writing of Garrison Kiellor.

Good luck Dick! :hi:

[Wabbajack]

1. anti-smoking ordinances=good

[DemonFighterLives]

2. I understand that!

The problem is with the 2 counties having different policies.

[ISUGRADIA]

3. Uh, DU might be a bad place for Franson since he supported Bush

for reelection in 2004. He'll get 2% maybe in September.

It says something about Franson that he ran against Wellstone in the first place. Yeah he came in second, 83% to 5%. The guy has run for and lost races for numerous offices, most recently against Martin Olaf Sabo.

http://www.link-line.com/searchstory.asp?id=7572

'*Dick Franson has supported the Flag Amendment since 1990

Dick Franson Endorses President Bush

Dick Franson, a conservative democrat and a combat Vietnam veteran, endorses President George Walker Bush for re-election in 2004. "Bush's outstanding leadership in fighting terrorism and Hussein was exemplary. President Bush is a strong Commander-In-Chief and he deserves to be re-elected," Franson said.

Dick Franson also said, "Americans must never forget Sept. 11, 2001! The blame for this terrorist attack rests with Bin Laden & Al Qaida. The U. S. must destroy all of the Radical Fascist Moslems who threaten America's freedoms!" '

[DemonFighterLives]

4. Thanks for the link

I honestly never knew he supported Bush. I had fun talking to him, but he does have a few things mixed up.
I'm not campaigning for him, just doing what I said I would.
Dick told me that I should be happy that I learned something and I said that he learned something too. He had no idea about this place and is possibly not acquaited with the internets.

I told him that I will never believe that Wellstone's death was an accident. Though he was non-committal, he said that I could be right. When I asked him about the Kennedy assassination, he said he believed it was Castro behind it.
I was hoping to not have to trash the poor guy, but I will not support anyone who supported dubby.

I was sort of phishing for other points of view, so thanks again.

:thumbsup:

[ISUGRADIA]

5. You're welcome, I assumed you didn't know all of Franson's beliefs

I did not know much about the guy either until recently when I saw that he was running for mayor. I normally enjoy perenial candidates but when I found out Franson was a vocal Bush supporter any campaign charm wilted. He's not a kook with most of his ideas either, I think one just loses ones campaign viability after running and losing election after election after election.

[no name no slogan]

6. Dick's a bit of a gadfly

He runs for just about every office there is. He's the DFL's Harold Stassen, except without the notable achievements of Stassen (ex-governor, signer of UN Charter, etc.)

He's a decent enough fellow, but doesn't have a whole lot of credibility with the DFL these days.

:hi:

[no name no slogan]

7. Was Franson 2nd in 1990?

The main reason Dick Franson was in the DFL primary in 1990 was because Paul Wellstone received the endorsement at the convention after seven ballots over at least two other challengers (Jim Nichols and Tom Berg).

Tom Berg abided by the endorsement process, and chose not to run in the primary. Nichols chose to run, but was soundly defeated by Wellstone.

If the nominating process works correctly and the party is cohesive, there should not be a contested primary, as all endorsements are done during the caucuses/conventions.

I was on the convention floor as a Wellstone delegate in 1990. It was a very long, heated, drawn-out process, one which caused a lot of hurt feelings among the rank and file delegates and the party leadership.

[ISUGRADIA]

8. Franson was second in 2002 Wellstone had 93% to Franson's 5%

I mistakenly said 83% in an earlier post.

In 1990, according to the Almanac of American Politics, the results were:

Wellstone 60%
Nichols 34%
Schenk 5%

[no name no slogan]

9. D'oh! My bad

I didn't think Franson was around that year. Still, it takes a lot of nerve to run against a fairly popular and effective two-term incumbent in the primary. :crazy: