Well, kind of a silver lining in what was otherwise a travesty…
I honestly don’t know very much about her at this point, but changing her mind in the face of “pressure” to run next year opens a line of attack against her vs. someone who was determined to do so from the start.
I feel a bit better about the Franken thing after this. What I was worried about is Dayton opening the door to a primary where the Berner factor could’ve messed things up (whether their candidate won or lost). Now, with someone who is already a statewide official running to keep the seat, it lessens the drama factor.
Nah, don’t worry. That’s such an insiderish kind of detail that no attack along those lines would ever stick. On the list of things that matter to voters, that the candidate was not going to run and then decided to run falls off the bottom.
Dayton could have waited until Franken actually, you know, resigned before making the announcement.
Al doesn’t deserve a bum’s rush.
I’m not terribly excited to read this news. She isn’t running for this Senate Seat because she wants it. Tina Smith decided to run in the general because of external pressures to do so. This makes me question how much effort she’ll put in to winning.
OK.
I’ll run for Senate.
If i have to.
I guess.
I was kinda hoping he’d appoint Keith Ellison.
Just to give an aneurism to Trump’s “white evangelical” base.
Agree that that’s what the conventional wisdom/beltway gossip was. However, I’m not sure I’d rely on that all too much for something so sparsely reported and occurring over a matter of literally days. She may very well have been interested in running all along – anonymous sources being what they are and all that.
He could still run, but I suspect he’s more concerned with his work over at the DNC. Ellison is a team player.
Smith is a fine and eminently qualified candidate; however, she has never won a statewide election on her own. I would feel much better if Dayton had appointed Rebecca Otto, somebody who has won three statewide, non-presidential-year elections, outperforming even Governor Dayton. Otto also has the passion and fundraising ability to defend the seat in 2018, whiles still maintaining her progressive ideals. something I find lacking in Smith. But only time will tell. Perhaps Otto at the top of the ticket (she is running for Governor, but still has to win the Party nomination and a primary election first) can have long enough coattails to pull Smith over the finish line…
EDIT: I should clarify what I meant regarding what I find Smith lacking: It is passion and fundraising ability, not progressive ideals.
I dunno, that sounds like the kind of thing that might go over well with Minnesotans.
Waiting for the purity police to show up in 5…4…3…2…1…
I don’t know from Minnesota, but doesn’t that give her a little extra cred? She really just wants to serve the people of her state back home, but she’ll go to Washington and protect their interests if she must. It makes her seem less ambitious (remember that fear of female ambition is a lot of what won us Trump, after all), more just a good, dedicated public servant.
i certainly hope she meets gillebrands seal of approval
I was hoping I misread he headline and it meant that she wouldn’t take over from Franken until November 2018.
I’m not sure what you mean. Smith has solid Democratic, Progressive and Liberal credentials. Maybe she isn’t corporate enough?
You betcha, dontcha know!
Sigh…
I was really hoping he would be able to convince State AG Lori Swanson to take the job.
However, it is what it is. Let’s all support Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) in her new office and campaign for her re-election in 2018.
I would like to see Swanson get into the primary anyway.
She is clearly the better candidate with a proven statewide record.