The Ever-Shrinking Size of the Playing Field

Elite opinion has decided that we can’t mention the subject staring back at us blankly from the podium—Mark Dayton’s deteriorating public performance abilities—because it’s a desperate and losing strategy.  Ok.  We shan’t mention it again.

Mock a candidate’s height or his mild manner and you are a sophisticate with Oscar Wilde-caliber wit.  Wonder aloud about another candidate’s lethargy, and you are a monster.  Fine, I get it.

Instead, they tell us we should go after Dayton’s target-rich record in office.  But don’t do it too aggressively, lest we get accused of “being mean to grandpa.”  If you are not aggressive enough, then you are not a “scrappy fighter.”

If we can modulate the tone just so (“more in sorrow than in anger” usually plays, Shakespeare, look it up), we may be allowed a crack at the issues of the day.

Minnesota has the “worst in the Midwest” record on state job growth?  No.  To mention the latest statistics is some sort of hypocritical flip-flop.  Besides, the economy is off limits because “the news is too good.”

The slow motion catastrophe that is MNsure?  No.  We’re told MNsure is a nation-leading success.

Minnesota’s nation-leading achievement gap?  Sorry.  It turns out that Republicans hate children.

They tell us Republicans need to drop the social issues.  When Republicans drop the social issues, we’re asked “Where are the social issues?”  

Instead of issues, we’re told to focus on making that case that Republicans can do a better job of governing.  The allowable arguments have been reduced down to a meek suggestion that, “What we need is a brief Republican interregnum to fix a few minor problems with the progressive state so we can quickly return power to the Democrats.”

Republicans are being boxed into the role of liberal sherpa.  Perhaps once a generation the need may arise to have a Republican in executive office to clean up a minor mess.

In the interim, we’re invited to bring our business acumen and managerial experience to bear in offering the occasional suggestion on how to make liberal government work better at the margins.

As for 2014, Republicans have been told to abandon the playing field altogether.  I understand they’ll let us know when we are needed again.  Perhaps in 2018 or 2022.