Why it matters

"After all, without endorsements, why have delegates?" 

A painful subject came up again this weekend. Endorsement. More specifically, why should it matter. The discussion this weekend was all about endorsement. On how the game should be played. And then quite often how it really is played. So why does this all matter? Because for a party which has had its share of problems in the past, not having a cohesive opinion of endorsement does nothing but divide and weaken us.

Some say we should just scrap the endorsement process. Then we could get rid of the caucus system. Go directly to the primary system for everyone. After all without endorsements, why have delegates? That would only leave the tweaks to the state platform to be debated at any convention. And that could be done by executive committee instead of elected delegates. 

Or we could keep the current process. That would be my vote. I like having the endorsement process. It allows friends and neighbors in a BPOU, and then the district delegates to endorse who is going up against the other party in the general election. The grass roots of the BPOU then is the primary support arena for the local endorsed candidate. 

Here is where the wheels start to leave the road. One of the leaders of the Minnesota House was out campaigning for the non-endorsed person running for our House Representative. She made the big mistake of knocking at the door of the campaign manager of our endorsed candidate. To say she got an earful about the importance of the endorsement process, is a huge understatement!

After he called me to tell me about her visit, I sent her a note on social media. When I questioned her on why she was out campaigning for a non-endorsed candidate, why she was not campaigning for our endorsed candidate, she gave me a very revealing answer. "Because he [the non-endorsed candidate} is my friend, and has been for 25 years." Ergo, the problem we have in our party.

Here is an example of how the system was designed to work. The endorsed candidate and his wife are personal friends of mine. He is also (in my opinion) the most conservative person to hold this seat. That being said, if he had lost the endorsement to the other candidate, I would be out walking in parades and campaigning for the person who won. As would my friend who ran against him. Again, that is the way the system is supposed to work.

We are having a fundraiser at my house early next month. For our ENDORSED candidates only. And I will be very happy to do it.