I am and will likely remain a political Sisyphus. My resolve is born of forty years – fifty almost – of being annoyed with the Direction of the GOP in the opposite direction of the Party of Lincoln. I’ve undertaken four campaigns for Congress against a man who has proved to be a poor specimen of humanity let alone manhood. From the beginning in 2018 through 2020 through 2022 and now in 2024 I had hopes of a path to defeat him even if it was to shine a light on his dark corners for a Democrat to take advantage of. I still do but it is the dog under whose fur he hangs on to that is my primary object of concern.
When Biden appeared death like to walk to the podium in his big debate I was alarmed but as I watched I imagined a scenario like the one Kamala Harris finds herself in now and that gave me hope.
As for my campaign. I began to sweat when one of my few potential volunteers asked me, “how will this campaign be any different than the other campaigns (against Stauber)” I set out out to prove it by putting up my mugshot lawnsigns like crazy which immediately had the effect of making people notice me and my campaign. But for all the good that did in Duluth it didn’t mean that much and I knew I’d have to make good on my long time intention of campaigning beyond Duluth’s borders.
I mapped out the most important population centers with the notion of plastering them will lawnsigns like I did in Duluth. I only made one foray and it was to the southern end of the District in the exurbs north of the Twin Cities which are full of refugees from the inner cities fleeing integration. Its Trump Country and in one day I found I was having to modify my elevator speech. I still began with, “I am making it my summer mission to be Donald Trump’s worst nightmare in Minnesota.” However I began adding this, I come from the party created by Abe Lincoln who kept the nation together and gave us Thanksgiving. Donald Trump has divided us and today Thanksgiving is the most dangerous day of the year for families to get together. That last statement was so obvious to even Trump supporters, who were legion in North Branch that they could mostly only smile in lame agreement.
Duluth at it best will only be about one in three, more like one in four of the votes in the August primary and later November general election. I didn’t figure out a means of overshadowing Pete Stauber or shining a laser on him. But this project of mine was always about Donald Trump’s taking the reigns of the Karl Roves, Lee Atwaters, Moral Majoritarians and Billionaire would-be aristocrats who were only interested in guaranteeing never ending power for the Republican party instead of the continuation of America as a beacon of hope, democracy and common sense. Donald Trump’s mental incontinence is their triumph.
I have family in Duluth and playing with my grand daughter is a lot more sensible. I’ll get back to the campaign when they depart with about seven days left of the primary campaign. I’ll put some links into the various sources of mostly ignored Internet and newspaper coverage of my lonely campaign. I will also be putting more thought into how to rescue Abe Lincoln’s legacy. That is something very much worth living till age 100 and maybe even future political campaigns as a candidate or cheerleader.
