By The UpTake Elections are this Tuesday, which means campaigns have three days to prove why their candidate is the best. The last week has been all about summarizing the candidate, the party, and the campaign in a way that makes them look better and, more importantly, different.
There is Republican candidate Tom Emmer, the salesman with gusto and a bit of hockey brawler; DFL candidate Mark Dayton, a serious man taking serious work seriously; and Independent Party candidate Tom Horner, a bipartisan army of one ready to engage public and tackle tough issues.
The difference really comes out when comparing each candidate’s stance on certain issues, like the Local Government Aid (LGA) programs, or education.
Polls will also play a big part this weekend as publications predict who will be the next governor of Minnesota. After a poll came out saying Emmer was far behind Dayton, Emmer released an internal poll saying they were tied. In response, political scientist Larry Sabato publicly cautioned against trusting internal polls. But SurveyUSA came to the rescue, backing up Emmer’s claim, saying Emmer trailed by only one point.
And Horner, needing a little extra boost of his own, received an endorsement from former Independent Party Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
Now is the time for decisions, and in an effort to aid the public’s choice, there have been multiple debates reminding everyone who each candidate is and what they stand for.
The three candidates have debated at Mankato State University, Metro State, and an IT forum where they had to answer how they would utilize technology to its fullest potential. They were also subject to an ‘interview’ debate as an expert then gave advice on how each would do if they were applying for a job.
And for a final test, Uptake explores which candidate’s budget plan would most likely pass the legislature.
Posted by Kristy Pyke on 10/30/10
