Matt McNeil interviewed me on AM 950 to discuss the results of the 2022 elections. Click here to listen to the complete interview.
In the news: Interview with Matt McNeil
Posts tagged 2022 Elections
The political malpractice of the 2022 election
If you followed my analysis and commentary on Twitter during the election cycle, you know I’ve had many strong opinions about what I thought was going right and what I thought went wrong.
Let me begin with a reminder that I endorsed DFL-incumbent Governor Tim Walz, DFL-incumbent Secretary of State Steve Simon, Republican challenger Jim Schultz for attorney general, and Republican challenger Ryan Wilson for state auditor. In each of my posts, I explained why I endorsed these candidates.
As in previous elections this past decade, I voted for a split ticket. I still consider myself a Republican, but I think of myself as “politically homeless” because I don’t feel at home or even comfortable inside the Republican Party of today. My evolution in voting has created friction and tension between myself and my more partisan Republican friends.
I don’t vote based on party labels but on the candidate’s qualities. Unlike my past voting behavior, which was robotic and partisan, I have spent the last decade taking a more thoughtful and deliberative approach to voting.
I am not paid for my analysis and commentary, and whom I decide to vote for is based on several factors, but again, the party label is not the top factor. I do not believe that people were influenced by my endorsements or by which candidate earned my vote. Again, explaining how I voted will add more depth to my analysis and commentary. People will be able to compare my votes with my take on politics. I have opinions and beliefs, and rather than foolishly submitting a blank ballot or hiding how I vote, I am choosing to be transparent and honest.
Why I am voting for Jim Schultz for AG
As I noted in a previous post, I am disclosing how I will vote in statewide races because I want to add context to my analysis and commentary. Over the last decade, I’ve offered detailed analysis and commentary on Minnesota politics while casting my vote in the voting booth’s privacy. I’ve voted for a split ticket in past elections, and I did today.
I am not paid for my analysis and commentary, and who I decide to vote for is based on several factors, but again, the party label is not the top factor. I have no expectation that people will be influenced by my endorsements or by which candidate earns my vote. Again, explaining how I vote will add more depth to my analysis and commentary. People will be able to compare my votes with my take on politics.
In the race for attorney general between DFL-incumbent Keith Ellison and Republican Jim Schultz, I voted on Election Day for Jim Schultz.
Schultz was the only Republican candidate I voted for in the Republican Primary in August, which I publicly disclosed on Twitter. He was the first candidate I endorsed.
I know there is a public debate about the attorney general’s role in Minnesota. This debate has shaped how people may cast their votes.
I believe the attorney general has a leadership role in addressing Minnesota’s growing public safety problem. Crime and public safety are among my top issues this election cycle, and Schultz earned my vote because of his focus on building the coalitions needed to tackle this problem.
Why I am voting for Ryan Wilson for Auditor
I am a Republican, but as I detailed in my endorsement of Governor Tim Walz, I would describe myself as “politically homeless” because I don’t feel at home or even comfortable inside the Republican Party of today.
I also noted that I don’t vote based on party labels but rather on the candidate’s qualities. Unlike my past voting behavior, which was robotic and partisan, I have spent the last decade taking a more thoughtful and deliberative approach to voting.
My evolution in voting has created friction and tension between myself and my more partisan Republican friends. This tension and frustration were fully displayed after I published my endorsement of Governor Tim Walz or Secretary of State Steve Simon, but I firmly stand by my decision.
I am disclosing how I will vote in statewide races because I want to add context to my analysis and commentary. Over the last decade, I’ve offered detailed analysis and commentary on Minnesota politics while casting my vote in the voting booth’s privacy. As I noted previously, I’ve voted for a split ticket.
I am not paid for my analysis and commentary, and who I decide to vote for is based on several factors, but again, the party label is not the top factor. I have no expectation that people will be influenced by my endorsements or by which candidate earns my vote. Again, explaining how I vote will add more depth to my analysis and commentary. People will be able to compare my votes with my take on politics.
In the race for state auditor between DFL-incumbent Julie Blaha and Republican Ryan Wilson, I will vote on Election Day for Ryan Wilson.
I have never seen Ryan Wilson or Julie Blaha speak in public or met either of the candidates. I started following the race for state auditor more closely in late September.
I’ve been impressed by Wilson’s campaign – specifically, Wilson’s focus on issues relevant to the role of state auditor. Unlike other Republican candidates for statewide office, Wilson hasn’t been tripped up or sidelined by distractions.
Let me offer a few examples.
Wilson has been clear that the 2020 election was fair and that Joe Biden is the duly elected President of the United States. It’s refreshing to see a Republican candidate for statewide not using their platform to regurgitate misinformation about the 2020 election.
Abortion has become an essential issue in numerous statewide campaigns, especially in the race for governor. Wilson has wisely stayed away from allowing the politics of abortion to enter the race for state auditor. Wilson told the Sahan Journal, “it’s really not a part of our race.”
As I watched the race for state auditor unfold over the election’s final weeks, I was dismayed by Blaha’s insistence that she had no leadership role or responsibility in the ongoing scandal involving Feeding Our Future. Wilson has made it clear that he views this issue as within the accountability and oversight of the state auditor.
Why I am voting for Governor Tim Walz
Let me explain my voting philosophy over the last ten years. Elections are about contrast; they are not held in a vacuum. I believe in the two-party system; I don’t believe in writing in candidates or voting for third-party candidates.
On Election Day, my vote will either be cast for the DFL or Republican candidate for partisan office.
As I get older, I become more of an idealist regarding government and politics. I’m less partisan than I was in the past. I still consider myself a Republican, but I think of myself as “politically homeless” because I don’t feel at home or even comfortable inside the Republican Party of today.
Aside from becoming an idealist, I’m also an eternal optimist. I’m a glass-half-full, partly sunny instead of a party cloudy person.
I don’t vote based on party labels but rather on the candidate’s qualities. Unlike my past voting behavior, which was robotic and partisan, I have spent the last decade taking a more thoughtful and deliberative approach to voting.
My evolution in voting has created friction and tension between myself and my more partisan Republican friends. I’m sure this post will generate more disagreements, but I stand by my decision.
In the race for governor between DFL-incumbent Governor Tim Walz and Republican Dr. Scott Jensen, I will be voting on Election Day for Governor Tim Walz.
If you’ve followed my analysis and commentary on social media, I’ve been clear about my concerns with the candidacy of Scott Jensen. I decided long ago that I would not be voting for Jensen.
But it was the final debate between Walz and Jensen – on October 28, 2022 – when I decided that I would vote for Walz AND that I would be public with my decision. I want to explain why.
As I listened to Walz and Jensen’s debate for the final time, I wanted to hear the closing message from both candidates.
I was struck by how many times Jensen kept bringing up COVID-19 in the debate. In a recent poll of likely issues that will influence how people will vote to come into the election, the “COVID Response” poll was at 2 percent – behind “Not Sure” at 3 percent.
Why would a candidate spend so much time in his final debate with his opponent talking about an issue that isn’t important to voters? Because it’s Jensen’s top issue.
Why I am voting for Steve Simon for Secretary of State
For much of my life, I spent every day working to defeat DFL candidates up and down the ballot in Minnesota. The Republican Party I helped build and lead to great success in past elections is hardly existent today. Over the last decade, I’ve offered analysis and commentary about the need for the party and its candidates to change direction and focus.
But when our democratic institutions are under attack, we all have a shared responsibility to speak up. I can’t stay on the sidelines while extremists like Kim Crockett are within a few percentage points of statewide office. Because without those democratic institutions, no political party has any mooring. Therefore, I am voting for Steve Simon for Minnesota’s Secretary of State.
I have never publicly endorsed a Democrat for partisan office in Minnesota. Instead, I’ve waited until Election Day and then, like many Minnesotans, voted a split ticket in the privacy of a voting booth.
I’ve known Steve Simon through many drama-free years. But even in a highly charged political environment, he was never the cause of the drama; rather, he steered a steady course through it. A well-spoken lawyer with a progression of experience in government is almost cliche, but normalcy has become Simon’s greatest asset.
When the pandemic put Minnesota’s status as the leader in voter turnout into question, Simon remained calm. He tailored his policy to Minnesotans’ needs, shepherding a bipartisan package of emergency measures through the legislature in one of the most contentious years for our country.
As a result, Minnesota led the nation in voter turnout in 2020. Minnesota was among the few battleground states to report a winner on election night. Simon’s preparations spared Minnesota from the unrest in Nevada, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
After the dust settled, Secretary Simon went back to work. In 2021, he collaborated with a divided state legislature to create trust in ballot drop boxes statewide through codified guidelines and grants. Simon also found time in the year to tour every county in the state, ensuring that county officials have a chance to voice their concerns in person.
In the news: Interview with Matt McNeil