Former MN-Gov Tim Pawlenty and GOP MN-08 endorsed candidate Pete Stauber outside Park Rapids convention
I attended and videographed the recent MN-08 GOP (Republican Party of Minnesota) endorsing convention in Park Rapids, MN on May 5th, 2018. I thank MN GOP Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt for granting me press credentials. Unlike MN DFL events, RPM conventions aren’t open to the public and press by default. See the Rules for this convention, posted below. It was brave and generous of them to allow me to take video for my DailyKos post. I am hoping that some of my video will be useful for training my Northern MN neighbors in basic Robert’s Rules and Parliamentary Process so that we can get better representation with in which ever party the community chooses to engage with.
I thought it was interesting to see issues raised by RPM/GOP delegates that seem sort of familiar to me in my engagement with my local DFL party unit, e.g. “Where is the constitution?” and “Why don’t we publish the constitution to the party unit website?” and concerns by delegates that some BPOUs (their equivalent to county units/senate districts) were not well represented in Rules and Resolutions committees. There’s a struggle to provide even notice of conventions/meetings in all parties, and its something Roberts’ Rules consider to be very important to provide for fair and well run meetings.
I also appreciated hearing more about Kurt Daudt and how he came up with the RPM party from the southern parts of MN-08. He would be a much stronger candidate than Pete Stauber, and we’re lucky I suppose that US Rep. Rick Nolan announced he would not seek re-election until this cycle’s endorsement processes were well underway.
One thing that’s clear, the MN GOP is not running away from Trump, even as they run towards foreign multi-national mining corporations and hope to win labor union endorsements…
This Trump cardboard cut out remained front and center at the MN-08 GOP convention that endorsed Pete Stauber.
Through out the morning speakers praised Trump for turning out enough MN-08 GOP votes to win the district and very nearly the whole state in 2016. They also thanked him for a permit for the Twin Metals mine, and expected that they would win the support and endorsement of labor unions connected to mining that traditionally vote with the DFL.
They praised Kurt Daudt and the “RFL Senate Caucus” for offering prayers in Jesus’ name on the floor of the MN State Legislature, and there was much applause when speakers attacked reproductive freedoms.
A fair amount of anonymous cash donations to campaigns were encouraged, and delegates lined up to contribute to Stauber after Kurt Daudt gave Pete Stauber a $100 bill — the legal limit for a cash donation. A person seated next to me in the press/guests area remarked this would be a reporting nightmare.
Here is Stauber’s speech:
