[Mpls] "Where's RT?"

[gemgram]

Laura Wittstock writes,
"---Opinion of one person maybe.
> Mondale remains highly respected and sought after as a source of great 
> political authority.
>
>>  Rybak's greatest lead over Sharon was only 1.4%!
> The mayor won 3 to 1 over Sharon Sayles Belton with Minneapolis voters."

I think it might have been the opinion of more than one Democrat on 
Saturday.  Of course Democrats, and in particular DFL'ers, have always given 
very little "authority" to so called "Political Authority".  While Laura and 
I may be old enough to clearly remember Walter Mondale, to anyone under 35 
years old Walter Mondale is only the father of someone who headed the Met 
Council under Jesse, or someone who came in and failed to fill the shoes of 
Paul Wellstone.  Even a true giant such as Hubert Humphrey would have had a 
hard time using "Political Authority" on Minneapolis voters.  Of course 
Humphrey never would have.  Those with the actual "political authority" 
probably have learned to wisely use that political authority on national 
politics.

By Laura's numbers of Sharon losing 3 to 1 with Mondale's support, perhaps 
McLaughlin should be glad Mondale is supporting RT. Sounds like an omen of 
things to come.

1.4% was the greatest RT lead at the Minneapolis Convention four years ago. 
RT went on to those Minneapolis vote numbers Laura quotes.  A sitting Mayor 
not being able to secure party endorsement is the kiss of death, and also an 
indicator of the approval level that the Mayor has lost with the voters. 
RT's present supporters may have jumped on the band wagon to late to realize 
that the heart of RT's support were jumping off the other side.  That the 
very ones, who pulled the wagon and drove it four years ago for RT Rybak, 
had decided that wagon was just too heavy a load of baggage, and not 
carrying anything of any  use to their families.

 The people who pushed McLaughlin to run for Mayor were those same RT 
supporters and workers from four years ago. Most of us do not even recognize 
RT's present supporters. RT says that now he will go out to the 
Neighborhoods, the heart of his support.  It shows how out of touch RT 
really has become due to the shield his staff has erected around him.  Those 
neighborhood folks that supported him have not been able to get through that 
shield for over three years.

It was those same neighborhood leaders, who RT had abandoned during his 
administration, that kept RT from winning on Saturday.  He had better go to 
the business offices and Bond companies where he expects to get support. But 
if I were him I would not expect support from the workers who serve 
Minneapolis, they know how ineffective the Mayor's office has become and 
ineffective it has made the City over the last four years.  The police, the 
firefighters, the street-workers and even those working in the offices, keep 
saying the same thing.  "Get us a new Mayor."

RT's dream was to be Mayor of Minneapolis, the neighborhoods dream was to 
have a good Mayor.  The Neighborhoods fulfilled RT's dream, but RT forgot to 
fulfill the Neighborhood's dream.  RT could have easily become the most 
popular Mayor in Minneapolis history.  Instead he forgot what got him there, 
and appointed a staff that doomed him to one term.

Tim Bonham has those numbers Laura.  Compare the two conventions and then 
honestly tell us that RT did as well as Sharon at the convention.

Jim Graham,
Ventura Village, Sixth Ward of Minneapolis

A wise saying for those still on the RT wagon:
"If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in 
the other direction. Get off!"