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See all of CarissaJ's blog posts
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MN Convention Season Wrap-Up
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Posted July 10, 2008 at 9:32 AM
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We’ve had an exciting political convention season here in Minnesota. In fact, at the state conventions, there were not only fights for party endorsement, but fights with fists as well!
As I was driving down to Rochester, Minnesota, where the Republican state convention was held, Ron Paul was holding a rally outside of the Rochester Civic Center. Later that day I learned from college student and first-time delegate, Komyung Yokoi, 20, that Republican state party officials wouldn’t allow Paul inside the state convention, so he spoke to several hundred Minnesota supporters outside before the convention began.
As the day went on, there was palpable tension between the McCain and Paul supporters as they tried to convince each other to support their candidate. At one point (and I’m very sorry to have missed this) a fistfight broke out on the convention floor between a McCain supporter and Paul supporter!
The rest of the convention was fairly uneventful. Not surprisingly, state delegates elected incumbent Norm Coleman to be their senate candidate this fall. They also elected national delegates that will vote for McCain when the Republican National Convention comes to St. Paul this September.
A week after the Republicans held their convention, it was the Democrats turn. There was also a fight at the DFL convention – but this one was of the political endorsement variety. College professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and Comedian Al Franken vied to become the Democrat’s senate candidate. In the past few months, Franken had had a wide lead over Pallmeyer, but as Franken supporter, Nikki Abramson told me, Pallmeyer had been closing the gap as the convention drew nearer. “I’m so nervous,” she said before the delegates voted. “It’s anyone’s game at this point.” She warned me that if the results were close, voting could go several rounds.
It turns out her fears were unfounded. Franken won after only one round of voting. Regardless of which senate candidate they supported initially, many young delegates told me they were just happy to have finally chosen a candidate, and were looking forward to the party uniting behind Franken.
It appears Franken has an uphill battle ahead of him if he wants to defeat Colman this fall. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found Coleman led Franken 51 percent to 41 percent. I wonder if this is because voters really love Colemen, or perhaps think Franken is too controversial. Republicans have recently criticized Franken for a 2000 article he wrote for Playboy, which they say demeans women. Franken addressed the issue at the Democratic convention saying he’s made a lot of jokes over the years, some funny, some not. He apologized if he had offended anyone.
There were definitely exciting moments at each convention. But as I wrap up this series, looking back I think my favorite part of the both conventions was talking to young delegates. I love politics, but had never been to a convention before and wasn’t entirely sure what they were all about -which is why I am so impressed with young people like David Gilbert Pederson. At 17, he has never voted, but will be going to Denver in August as a national delegate. These young people really are the future of both parties, and their passion inspires me to get more involved.
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