Just when
I think the Democrats are beginning to figure out how to respond
more successfully to the Republicans, I am reminded that some
Democrats today are their own worst enemy.
A case in
point has just occurred in the Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy is retiring so that he
can run for the Senate seat that Democrat Mark Dayton is vacating.
This district is very conservative although, because many Democrats
in it are pro-life and pro-gun and support the war in Iraq, the
split between the parties is not so great as the one between right
and left.
Mr. Kennedy's
opponent in 2004 was child welfare advocate Patty Wetterling,
who became nationally famous after her son, Jacob, was kidnapped
in 1989 and never found. She has devoted herself ever since to
helping the parents of other missing children and promoting programs
for child protection. With almost complete and positive name recognition,
she was thought to be a formidable challenger to Mr. Kennedy,
and did come somewhat closer than expected, but she lost by 8
percent.
When Mr.
Kennedy announced his plans for 2006, it was expected that Mrs.
Wetterling would run for the open seat, especially since several
conservatives were battling it out for the Republican nomination.
In 2005, however, Mrs. Wetterling announced she would run for
the Senate, declaring that she "could not win in the 6th
District." This made sense because Mrs. Wetterling is pro-choice,
anti-gun and has called for U.S. withdrawal in Iraq, all positions
which are unpopular in the 6th District.
The Democrats
then found a candidate who was a remarkable fit for this district,
composed mostly of suburbs north of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Elwyn Tinklenberg had been longtime mayor of Blaine, one of its
largest communities. He was pro-life and pro-gun, and he was a
Methodist minister. He had also been commissioner of transportation
under Gov. Jesse Ventura (who was very popular here). With the
Republican Party quarrelling over its nominee, Mr. Tinklenberg
had a very genuine opportunity to win a seat hitherto thought
to be safe for the Republicans (just as Pennsylvania Democrats
have rallied behind pro-life and pro-gun Robert Casey Jr. as their
nominee for the Senate seat now held by Republican Rick Santorum.
Mr. Casey now seems likely to defeat Mr. Santorum).
But Mrs.
Wetterling was not faring well in the Senate contest in Minnesota.
Although she had raised $1.2 million, but she only had $200,000
left even before the contest had begun in earnest.
Presumably,
she had spent almost $1 million to pay her fund-raisers and outside
consultants. Her Democratic opponent had not only outraised her
in campaign funds, she had a much higher percentage of funds left.
Mrs. Wetterling's name recognition also seemed to have less impact
this year, facing an effective Democratic opponent who appeared
to demonstrate a broader knowledge of issues.
There was
immediate speculation about what Mrs. Wetterling would do after
she withdrew from the Senate race. The state's Democratic attorney
general, and the frontrunner for the party's nomination for governor
in 2006, asked her to be his running mate. When she had withdrawn
from the congressional race almost a year before, she had also
promised Mr. Tinklenberg unequivocally that she would not be a
candidate for Congress. Much to the surprise of many Democrats,
including friends and supporters, however, she announced she would
re-enter the 6th District race. Her Republican opponents were
delighted, as was the state Republican Party. Mr. Tinklenberg
and his supporters are outraged, having worked months to build
support and raise funds for his candidacy. He immediately declared
he would stay in the race and made Mrs. Wetterling agree to abide
by the party endorsing convention.
The result
has been a profound deflation of Patty Wetterling's political
reputation. Mr. Tinklenberg stated that "she is now just
another politician." Republicans were even stronger in their
criticism, and Democratic strategists in Minnesota and Washington
are appalled at what could become a lost opportunity. Having contributed
to her Senate campaign, Mr. Tinklenberg only half-jokingly pointed
out that he may be the only candidate this year who is having
his own money being used against him.
Of course,
with her strong name recognition, Mrs. Wetterling cannot be ruled
out of the race for her party's nomination. At the least, she
will force Mr. Tinklenberg to spend some of his much-needed campaign
treasury before the autumn campaign. If somehow she does win the
nomination, she will provoke a significant percentage of Democrats
and independents to vote for whomever is the Republican nominee,
as they have in the past. Unlike Mr. Tinklenberg and any of the
probable Republican candidates for this seat, Mrs. Wetterling
has no experience in elective office, nor has she shown much interest
in any issues other than child welfare.
This would
not seem to be the way to rebuild the Democratic Party.
Barry
Casselman writes about national politics for Preludium News Service.
Copyright
(c) 2006 News World Communications, Inc.
