I volunteer a lot for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, now spending time every weekend on the road, working the county unit and senate district conventions there they choose the delegates who will endorse for senate in June.

Ciresi's staff and volunteers were classy.  They were considerate and above-board.  We may have been supporting different candidates and we may have come to somewhat different policy conclusions, but the human consideration was there at all times.  They didn't barge in to interrupt us when we were talking to delegates; they went to talk to other delegates until we finished.  They never tried to use obscure gimmicks to trick delegates into an undemocratic choice.  They followed the rules.  They never got angry.  They worked with us when we had common goals, and did their own thing honestly when our goals were different.  They never pretended to be something that they weren't.

Mike Ciresi himself gave the best speech at Pope County that I have heard him give during the entire campaign.  It was passionate, detailed and seamless.  Two of us sitting at the Jack table (a half-time staffer and myself) whispered to each other that we would have voted for Ciresi in a heartbeat, if we didn't have such an amazing candidate ourselves.

I will miss Mike Ciresi and I will miss his campaign.  His departure takes a bit of the joy out of my convention volunteering.