It happened nonetheless and it happened for the worse to the extent the public saw this as being under the imprimatur of the Minnesota Republican Party. Nothing, of course, could have been further from the truth. It just looked that way. There is something to be said for absenting oneself, from politics or love. Self preservation is always a worthy goal. To an extent.
The photo above constitutes the panelists, the moderators and the single organizer: left to right, Dan Severson, Steve Hensley (the organizer), Erin Haust, Walter Hudson, Jeff "Get Over it" Johnson, Sarah "Follow The Gambling Money" Janacek, Mitch Berg, Andy Parrish, Marianne Stebbins.
This is not the face of the republican party in Minnesota but one would be hard pressed to disprove it by the advance publicity, the attendance and the subsequent reportage. As one who (almost singularly at times) has called Minnesota media to task, I cringed as I attended this fiasco to think of their stories: hopefully words would fail them to describe just how awful it was. I could probably out write most of them but never, ever Bill Salisbury of the Pioneer Press. I'm late to the game, know enough to make me dangerous, but Salisbury reminds me of my coming of age: the press you could trust. Long gone, those days. But there he was, at the end of the bar, taking notes in longhand. Meanwhile on Twitter, an exceptionally thin skinned, ferociously untalented "reporter" wondered if the panel liked her. I checked my impulse to throw up. Some of my peers sucked up to her. Get me rewrite.
Throwing up was a good thing because what I heard could warrant it. I sat far away, made certain not to run into that tapeworm known as Keith Downey (seriously? I have to set my leadership standards *this* low? No thanks) and sat far from the maddn crowd. Mad it remained, though.
I sat next to my friend Jeff Kolb, who despite his Twitter brilliance, never struck me as a reader: Borges: Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
Thanks for that.
Everything that was wrong with the republican party was on excruciating display that night.
I'm expected to provide the autopsy.
Pass.
My dear old Dad had a saying that seems to apply here. "Everything's easy for the guy that don't have to do it." Granted, I have often said that I find it a lot easier to stand outside and throw rocks than to get in and get hit by them, too, but surely, from your great wisdom, you could give those of us not there a clue as to what, exactly, was so WRONG in this meeting?
ReplyDeleteJ.Ewing
What was so wrong, Mr. Ewing?
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Gilmore absolved himself of any responsibility for an autopsy. It is enough for him to point out that this meeting was a poor representation of Minnesota Republicans or even sane and thoughtful conservatives.
Your mention of Borges short story, Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, is well-taken John. The influence of this story on Nabokov's Pale Fire and Ada is generally acknowledged. Although to juxtapose it with those stranded on the Fantasy Island of the Blue Fox is a bit of a stretch.
Well played.
That is why I asked the question, because from where I sit it looked like a great cross-section of MN Republicans. If one differs on some issues with one or the other or even all, it only indicates our fractured state and the need for such open and frank discussions as this to pull us back together. Our biggest problem is that nobody in our "coalition" wants to work with anybody that isn't 100% in agreement with themselves. It's maddening and I don't have a solution. I was hoping somebody else did.
ReplyDeleteJ. Ewing
Short and pithy John. Thank you from Cliff Note Heaven.
ReplyDeleteShort and pithy. Thank you from the Cliff Notes seats. :)
ReplyDelete