Post in Norm Coleman's Ad Reminds of Us of His Role Stiffing the State T...

Jul 15 03:51 UTC

Actually the sad thing for Norm about the ad is that the one thing that he
has to hang his hat on as a major accomplishment was something that he did as
Mayor of Saint Paul when he was still calling himself a Democrat!  The  author
in the City Council was left wing DFL (gay rights ordinance author,  before
the state passed legislation; antismoking author, before the state passed
legislation) Dave Thune.  It was supported by the entire DFL Council and
passed
by the DFL legislature.

So, before we start whining about "corporate welfare," the actual deal was
for a new Civic Center in Saint Paul that will host a National Convention  this
fall, that was paid for one-third by the City, one-third by the state and
one-third by a hockey team that had never plaid a game at that point.   There
was no "corporate" to give "welfare" to.  So, yes, Norm gives himself  all of
the pat's on the back that he wants to for "bringing back hockey," but it  was
the DFL legislative delegation that made sure Saint Paul had a functioning
Civic Center capable of this kind of an event.  Over their concerns with
Norm's
ego.

Just My Opinion Not Those Of My Employers Past Present Or Future

Chuck Repke

In a message dated 7/14/2008 10:30:22 PM Central Daylight Time,
<email obscured> writes:

Chris  Cillizza suggests that this ad for Norm Coleman will help him.
Norm uses  the strategy of bragging about all the pork he brought to
Minnesota.   Does this ad appeal to a voter such as Mitch Berg, David
Strom, King  Banaian and other MOB bloggers?  Ofcourse voters in the
base don't  really matter to Norm Coleman, because they are going to
vote for him  anyway.

Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Subject: Norm Coleman  and the Power of the  Puck

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/07/mnsen_coleman_courts_puckheads.h
tml

Ad  Wars: Norm Coleman and the Power of the Puck

In a political environment  as treacherous as this one for Republicans,
there's still one tried and  true strategy to court voters: pork.

EY:  Yes, this works with  middle of the road voters, but alienates
base voters in the GOP.  The  more Norm Coleman uses this sort of
advertising, the more likely it is,  that base Republican voters will
decide to leave the Senate ballot line  blank.

Cillizza:
As we have written before, Republican incumbents  have already surmised
that their best strategy to win -- given President  Bush's
unpopularity, the tarnishing of the Republican brand and the  huge
number of people who believe the country is heading in the  wrong
direction -- is to remind voters of what they have delivered  during
their tenure in office.

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) is the  latest incumbent on the
transactional bandwagon with a new ad in his race  against entertainer
Al Franken and, possibly, former governor Jesse Ventura  (I). (Check
this space later tonight for an update on Ventura's candidacy;  he is
set to announce his decision on whether or not to run on "Larry  King
Live" tonight.)

Let's take a look at the ad:  

If there was any question  about Coleman's appeal in this race ("I can
get things you want"), it's  erased in the first line.

"If there's one thing about Norm Coleman, he  gets things done," says
the ad narrator, a guy dressed in a bowling shirt  at a bowling alley.

As the actor lists Coleman's accomplishments  ("increased college Pell
grants...helping us get energy independent")  voices from off-camera
repeatedly yell: "And, he brought hockey  back."

Coleman, the former mayor of Saint Paul, is widely remembered  both in
the city and statewide for his aggressive advocacy to bring a  National
Hockey League team to the city. The Minnesota Wild arrived in the  city
in 2000 and have been an untempered success in the eight years  since
then.

EY:  This was also a huge public subsidy to a  private business.

Cillizza:

Given that hockey is something close  to the official sport of
Minnesota (Gov. Tim Pawlenty plays regularly),  this ad is a savvy play
by Coleman. Not only does he remind voters that he  is an effective
representative for the state but he also does it in a fun  way that
plays into the state's well established fondness for ice hockey.  (A
sidenote: When will ice hockey return to Connecticut? The Fix  still
misses the Hartford Whalers.)

EY:  Yup, and let's not  forget how Governor Pawlenty of Tax increases
stuck the Hennepin County  taxpayer with the bill for the Twins
stadium.

Cillizza:
In a  political environment like this one, these sorts of transactional
appeals  may be the only way for a Republican incumbent to win. It may
not be  enough, but it's all endangered GOPers have at the moment in
terms of a  positive message.

Watch for lots more Republican incumbents to follow  Coleman's lead in
the very near future.

EY:  Newspapers love  public funding of stadiums because it helps their
bottom line in filling  sports pages.  That doesn't translating into
the public liking to pay  for stadiums.  That's why the politicians
worked so hard to prevent a  referendum on the Hennepin County billion
dollar stadium tax - paying off a  stadium over 30 years.

Eva Young
Minneapolis
Lloydletta's  Nooz
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com

Eva Young
Near North,  Minneapolis
Info about Eva Young:  http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/lloydletta

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