Minnesota
Related: About this forumNolan will probably lose, based on polls (I hope they are wrong)
If this will be true, I think that the DCCC (or whatever the acronym is) is to blame. Their campaigns are so negative that one is tempted to say "f**k you".
I don't remember previous years with so many ads and all the negativity. A few positive ads, by Nolan himself, really get lost.
Similar with Franken. There was a report that McFadden did not cause the closing of that plant in Montana and the loss of jobs. Still, this ad is still running.
Poor Nolan, he said, a few weeks ago, that there was nothing he could do about the negative ads. That if he would try to approach them it would be against the law.
There was a recent story in the WSJ -OK, the WSJ - about how white working men feel alienated by the Democratic party with the "giveaway" program. The story covered several locations, but started with an Aitkin crowd.
We were in California in late September and on occasions watched a news program and never seen any political ad, at least, not about candidates, only about ballot measures.
Will be glad when this is over. One way or another.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)question everything
(47,432 posts)about food stamps, and aid to families with dependent children and earned income tax credits. The ones in rural areas who are builders, and plumbers and who were quoted in the story look at them as "giveaway."
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)They may be able to find some working class people who are willing to repeat the things the right-wing media feeds to them, but that does not mean the typical working class voter is angry about assistance to poor people.
question everything
(47,432 posts)and, by the way, while the editorial board and all the op-eds are as rapid as they come, the news department is excellent. Always has been.
AITKIN, Minn.The plumbers, drillers and truck drivers who arrive at the Birchwood Cafe before sunrise pour their own coffee, tuck away eggs and air gripes that help explain why some longtime Democrats now lean Republican.
They are skeptical of President Barack Obama and dont care much for his partys support of federal safety-net programs. You take a look at all the giveaway programs the Democrats have. Nobody wants to work anymore, said Dale Lundquist, a 69-year-old excavation contractor.
Voters in this northeast Minnesota district have only once sent a Republican to Congress since 1947for a single term after the 2010 election that produced a wave for the GOP.
But Mr. Lundquist, a former Democrat, and some of his friends say they plan to vote for Stewart Mills, the Republican challenger to Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan, one reason the race is down to the wireand why the GOP is likely to expand its House majority in Tuesdays election.
Democrats have long been losing their hold on districts such as this one, largely white and rural, where incomes lag the national average and college graduates are relatively sparse. This year, Republicans may take more.
Seven of the 39 House races rated most competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are in districts with large numbers of white, working-class voters; six of those districts are held by Democrats. In addition, one other such Democratic district is seen as likely to flip Republican.
Dale Lundquist, center, a 69-year-old excavation contractor, meets regularly with his friends for breakfast at the Birchwood Café in Aitkin., Minn. You take a look at all the giveaway programs the Democrats have. Nobody wants to work anymore, the former Democrat said.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)They are now owned by the same person that owns Fox News, as this article shows their right-wing slant is no longer limited to the editorial pages.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)who will make sure that they aren't working. No one will have the money to build and repair anymore. I guess they forgot the mess that President Obama and the Democratic Party got them out of after W tried to drown them in his friends bathtub.
Meanwhile they want to take food stamps and other safety net programs away from the children of the working poor, the elderly and the disabled. All who they say should be out there looking for a job.
I hope the old buzzards remember that it is bad to use these programs when they are going broke because of this election.
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)question everything
(47,432 posts)Also from Oct. 17 KSTP/USA
http://www.minnpost.com/political-agenda/2014/10/kstpsurvey-usa-poll-stewart-mills-leads-rep-rick-nolan-8-points
I am not aware of new polls. As I said: I hope I am wrong.
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)of the ads attacking Mills because of his wealth and his hair. "His hair?" Attacking Mills' hair was a stupid move.
I think many people respect Mills' family for the retail stores they have built. Ironically, Stuart Mills got his wealth from the family business at which he has a career, while Governor Dayton never worked for the family business which provided him his wealth.
question everything
(47,432 posts)We just returned from Fleet Farm - thankfully, not in the eight district - where we purchased seeds for the birds and the squirrels.
There was a nice family owned feed store close by, but it closed. This is the problem that I have with small business: they close and we are left with a product that needs repair but that no one else can, or will do.
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)That I got to from a link on DU.
The interesting thing about the 8th district is that the only Mills Fleet Farm is in Baxter, but the Mills family have purchased land for a store in Hermantown.
glinda
(14,807 posts)HUGE new hunting signs for Fleet farm went up and they just talked about raising the wolf kill to 500. And all the Greens got all excited about their guy and wait til they see what is going to happen if Mills wins....
dflprincess
(28,072 posts)and a s social worker in Boston.
Remember this when you hear Republicans say Dayton never had a real job. (Though I suppose Repukes don't consider it a real job if you're not trying to cheat some working stiff out of her pension or Social Security.)
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)At least we got some early good news about Dayton and Franken winning the re-election campaigns.
dflprincess
(28,072 posts)scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)Nobody I know at work talks politics. There are only a couple of people whose party affiliation I'm aware of, and they're Republican, so there wasn't anyone around today that I could quietly urge to be sure and vote.
I've been feeling down all day, just hating the thought that a bunch of 8th district assholes are going to vote for Mills. Not to mention the bozos who'll vote for the Green Party candidate out of "principle". Idiots!
dflprincess
(28,072 posts)is that they don't like Nolan's position on Polymet (or maybe mining in general).
I tried to point out that Nolan might be educable on the subject but I guaranteed them Stewie would not be.
I wish I wasn't working tomorrow, I think I'd be well into my 2nd or 3rd Jameson by now if I wasn't.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)When I heard the name "Ray Sandman", it didn't click. But when I did a search about him, I saw the name "Skip" and it suddenly dawned on me - I hung out with this guy way back when. (Loooooooong story)
*sigh* Life is so weird sometimes...
glinda
(14,807 posts)dflprincess
(28,072 posts)Perhaps we can meet at Toby's some weekend and you can tell all.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)He was a friend of a friend, and I was closely involved with the Native community in those days. I participated in a number of ceremonies and sweats, picked up some traditional herbal lore, visited his home in Duluth - not that big of a deal.
But I'd love to meet up with you at Toby's sometime, no matter what!
dflprincess
(28,072 posts)glinda
(14,807 posts)It is about surrounding the Great Lakes also. Control of what happens there hand in hand with the Kochs. He (Mills) is a Koch boy.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,585 posts)Good. Mills really annoyed me.
question everything
(47,432 posts)I think that of all the races around the country, this was the one that I really wanted to win. (My candidates lost the local races - Congress, House, city council..)
jwirr
(39,215 posts)thank goodness