National & Minnesota Report
The announcement on Friday by Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN03) was mostly a non-event in many eyes except the media because they often create a story out of wholesale cloth. Why because they used to need to sell papers, and now it is to generate eyeballs.
Phillips is a mediocre and uninspiring politician who effectively bought his congressional seat, and supports stupid ideas like Ranked Choice Voting. As a presumptive candidate, he self-anointed and ran against Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN03) defeating him in 2018 by a solid margin 55.61% to 44.19% by paying for his own television ads and catching US Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) coattails. Also on the ballot was US Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) for her Special Election to fill US Senator Al Franken’s (D-MN) unnecessarily vacated seat.
Phillips could play a pivotal role if he is trounced handily by President Joe Biden (D) or he could be the spoiler candidate like US Senator Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) was for President Lyndon Baines Johnson (D) in 1968. McCarthy the anti-Vietnam War candidate received 42% in the New Hampshire Primary to Johnson’s 48%. This resulted in Johnson’s famous speech saying “I will not seek nor will I accept the nomination of my party for President of the United States” and thrust Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey II into the race.
Additionally, Phillip’s candidacy could cripple Biden the way US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-ME) did to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, by making the arguments that Donald J Trump (R) later capitalized on.
However, one significant block of reliable voters Biden has is the Seniors. The problem is the younger voters now outweigh the elderly, and they are necessary for a Democratic victory, so hopefully, they do not find Phillips cute, he is not, he has a honking schnoz.
One thing Phillips should promise the entire world is if he facilitates Trump’s election, he will buy a slot on Elon Musk’s trip to Mars and stay there until he dies.