No fire in the belly...

 

 

"I want it so bad, I can taste it..."

 

 

It has often been said that if you want something bad enough, wild horses will not keep you from your goal. What we have seen in the past week in the Sixth District of Minnesota typified just the opposite. Here is a "plum" position, with high visibility, in Congress of the United States. Michele Bachmann has for sure become one of the most well know members of the entire body during her tenure. Mr. Graves, who came close to unseating her last election, was loaded for bear this time around - or so we thought.

I will admit I am a huge fan of Michele Bachmann. As a long time resident of the Sixth, I was proud to have her represent me. However, not all thought that way. Like many people who really "put themselves out there", Michele not only picked up loyal supporters, but also detractors. In other words, her negatives were starting to get higher than what they should be to keep winning elections in a solid red district.

When Michele Bachmann threw in the towel for another term, it was just a matter of days before Jim Graves did the same. First thought which came to my mind - no fire in the belly. He did not want the job - he just wanted to be a "spoiler" for Michele. What little respect I had for this man went right out the window. My feeling is this - Mr. Graves knew in this district the Republican bench strength is high - and he wanted no part of it. There are at least two people that I could name which would have spanked Mr. Graves and sent him back to St. Cloud as a loser once again. However, I would have respected him for at least trying.

So where do we stand in June of 2013? First off, even though I will miss Michele Bachmann, those shoes will be filled by another solid Republican. Truthfully, I can't remember in this district when I was represented by a Democrat. However, the senate seat and the governors position is another matter. To have any chance in this very blue state of Minnesota, we need people to run for those seats who have fire in the belly burning at a very high temperature. Both of these races are going to be tough to win. It is going to take candidates with vision and how to articulate that vision to take them back. Otherwise, it will just be a repeat of the last senate election.

That is my feeling on the landscape from where we stand in the summer of 2013. Time is of the essence. Passion must be strong. Liberty in our state is the prize for winning - more tyranny will be the consequence of losing.