Northeastern Minnesota DFL 2012 Congressional Candidate Forum … in 2011

Paul Lundgren Nov 01, 2011 34 Comments

The candidates are Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark, Daniel Fanning and
Rick Nolan.

Sure, we don’t even know what the boundaries of what is now Minnesota Congressional District 8 will be in 2012, and yeah, the General Election is a full year away, but Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates are lining up to challenge Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack. So let the vetting begin.

All four DFL candidates have agreed to engage in a live online lunch-hour forum on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., moderated by Minnesota Public Radio’s Michael Olson.

You’ll be able to follow it live on Perfect Duluth Day, and also on mprnews.org, or read the full transcript anytime afterward on either website.

If you have a question you would like to ask the candidates, make it known now. You can comment to this post with your question, or go to this Idea Scale collaborative question-collecting page, where you can not only suggest a question, but approve or disapprove of questions other people have submitted.

This ought to keep you political nerds busy for a while.

If you want to count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the forum, or just want to bookmark the location, follow this link: Northeastern Minnesota 2012 DFL Congressional Candidate Forum.

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34 Comments

Tom

about 13 years ago 

Interesting way to do it...online during lunch hour on Election Day.  I'm guessing the method of presentation (online) will detract a large portion of the audience who usually attend local political forums (old people).

I won't be able to watch it live, but I'll definitely check it out later on.  Like us political nerds need more to do on Election Day.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

Why spend time fussing over this year's election when we can occupy our minds with next year's? Right?

TimK

about 13 years ago 

I'd like to know where Clark is registered to vote.

Bruce

about 13 years ago 

Daniel Fanning has my vote.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

I don't know yet who to support in the primary, but whoever wins the nomination has my vote. I will do what it takes to vote out a congressman who doesn't even live in the state!

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago 

"I'd like to know where Clark is registered to vote."

Given that residency in a given district is the requisite to run for congress in that district (not voter registration) your curiosity is misplaced.

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago 

ETA:  Clark registered to vote in St. Cloud in 1994 for the Google impaired. She last voted there in 2010.  I imagine she will register in St. Louis County by the time the primary election rolls around, as it is required by law, in order for her to vote.

You're welcome, and thanks for your ample concern.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

I'd like to repeat this part of the post: 

"If you have a question you would like to ask the candidates, make it known now."

Maybe I should have added: "Please keep the bickering and campaigning to a minimum and let's see if we can learn a few things about these candidates.

(I'm not so much commenting on the remarks so far, just trying to steer things in the right direction as we go forward.)

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago 

I have zero skin in in the game.  I have a great progressive populist congressman here in the first!  :D

That being said, voter registration is constitutionally immaterial.

50+1

about 13 years ago 

Actually Federal law only requires that you live in the same state you're running for congress in...so Clark could have technically run without an address in the 8th, it just would have made her look even worse than buying the Duluth condo so she can run.

Jadiaz

about 13 years ago 

Did you do all you could to vote out Oberstar all those years he lived in Maryland and had it listed as his primary residence, Claire? Just curious if that only matters if the congressman is a republican.

TimK

about 13 years ago 

So Lojo, am I only allowed to ask constitutional questions? And why do we need your 2 cents if you don't have skin in this game/live in the district?

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

I'd like to repeat this part of the post:

"If you have a question you would like to ask the candidates, make it known now."

Chris

about 13 years ago 

Here you go Paul, this question is for Tarryl.  One of the complaints of our current congressman is the fact he lives in a Twin Cities exurb.  Which many say makes him out of touch with the concerns of a large portion of the district.  Considering you ran and lived in the 6th district just a year ago, how do you plan to avoid this same perception?

Now that I've asked a question can I participate in the petty bickering and shameless campaigning?

Claire

about 13 years ago 

Chris, Congressman Cravaack doesn't live in a Twin Cities suburb, he lives in New Hampshire. I think this move out of state will nullify to some extent the concerns that Tarryl Clark moved to Duluth to run for office.

zra

about 13 years ago 

I'm wondering if the Candidates would address the issue of tax credits or incentives for people who really could use it.

to wit: 
Single, noncustodial parents in MN who pay in child support and maintenance to the other party cannot claim Child Support on their MN taxes. Support and maintenance *starts* at 25% for one dependent child and climbs from there. Given that a good number of these noncustodial parents live below the poverty line and are already struggling to make ends meet financially are also penalized by the state when at the same time custodial parents can take tax credits for child care and other related expenses...

It would be interesting to see if compliance with support orders would in fact increase (i'm not certain of the numbers, but i'll look into it) if there were some sort of incentive for fathers (i say fathers, because there seems to be a disproportionate number of noncustodial fathers out there) to keep their payments in line...

zra

about 13 years ago 

wow...sorry for the run on...stream of consciousness rambling...

TimK

about 13 years ago 

I'd like to know their take on sulphide mining in NE MN.

TimK

about 13 years ago 

I'd also like to know if they support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and if they support the reintroduction of the Glass-Steagall Act.

emmadogs

about 13 years ago 

What is his/her position on the public option for a national health care plan; what do they support and not support about the Affordable Care Act (e.g. Obamacare but I just hate that phrase) as it is now; how important on their list of priorities is the continued existence of even this (halfhearted, half-assed) ACA as is?

Claire

about 13 years ago 

I want to know their opinions on the proposed light rail!

emmadogs

about 13 years ago 

Claire, great question.  I'd like to know that as well.

TimK

about 13 years ago 

Light rail or high speed rail? Light rail is the Rochester, TC, St. Cloud corridor. High speed rail is a resumption of passenger rail service between Duluth and the TC.

Jadiaz

about 13 years ago 

How many town hall meetings will they hold? What kind, real, telephone, or a combination? And finally, what type of staffing will they have in our area?

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago 

@50+1

The US constitution relies on the various state constitutions for rules regarding federal races.  In Minnesota, the candidate must have resided in their district for six months.

@paul: as a candidate, do you support the minnesota constitutional requirements for federal candidacy?  Should there be a US constitutional amendment to require candidates to live within their districts?

@ tim: your concerns should be Germaine to reality.  Question answered, at any rate.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

TimK, you are correct. I mean high speed rail, I mean a train!

TimK

about 13 years ago 

Germaine to reality? Really? I live in this district and vote on local issues. If I knew where a candidate was registered to vote, I would have a sense of what local and germaine issues might be of interest.

spy1

about 13 years ago 

Big Lake train is heavy.

Baci

about 13 years ago 

I'd like to know how they plan on getting anything done in an era of extreme polarization. And, when can I ride a train to Mpls/St.Paul?

Jadiaz

about 13 years ago 

What plan do they have in case of a massive zombie outbreak?

bluenewt

about 13 years ago 

I want to know when Congress is going to do a damn thing about climate change.

emmadogs

about 13 years ago 

Bluenewt, don't hold your breath.  That will be the day.

adam

about 13 years ago 

Massive zombie outbreak: Zombie herd tests Ohio's emergency response capabilities.

"According to Maggie Smith of the CDC's public health preparedness office, the blog post generated 30,000 hits in its first day, and local emergency response agencies across the country have run with the idea that if you are prepared for a zombie attack, you are prepared for anything."

Jadiaz

about 13 years ago 

Lol, I've seen that before Adam. 
What I want to know is what will be the canidates plans for our area in the event of a Zombie outbreak. 
Unless I missed that you were running and that is your answer, in which case, thanks.

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