Minnesota Report
We find great interest to hear the words of the embattled MNGOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan say she is being subjected to #MeToo and Cancel Culture, when #MeToo is about men and their power over women and not women and their power over other women and because she has been found wanting, she lost a no confidence vote and she herself was cancelled, but it was not a cultural issue.
Also, instead of being a hat tip to the old game show “Truth or Consequences” the Republican Party of Minnesota is facing a “Truth and Consequences” situation. First off, since the golden parachute of $38,000 for severance of GOP Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan, was decided by an 8-7 vote in which Carnahan herself was the deciding vote. We wonder what rules does the MNGOP use in its party processes?
According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition, Chapter VIII, VOTING § 45. VOTING PROCEDURES-ABSTAINING FROM VOTING ON A QUESTION OF DIRECT PERSONAL INTEREST. No member should vote on a question in which he has a direct personal or pecuniary interest not common to the other members of the organization. For example, if a motion proposes that the organization enter into a contract with a commercial firm of which a member of the organization is an officer and from which contract he would derive personal pecuniary profit, the member should abstain from voting on the motion. However, no member can be compelled to refrain from voting in such circumstances.
Now, Robert’s Rules of Order is a guidance and provides information for the body to use at its digression and in the case of a tie the presiding officer is able to cast the tie-breaking vote, and if the matter was not a recorded vote, then all who voted are assumed to be in the affirmative. Since, we are told what the outcome was, it is assumed the vote was recorded, but also anyone on the prevailing side could call for a reconsideration.
As the MN GOP is clearly in disarray, the question of who will lead out of the morass, Carnahan’s challenger in April was state Senator Mark Koran (R-32, North Branch) and his name along with a spate of others is being bandied about. They include but are not limited to two past legislators one state Rep. Kelly Fenton (R-Woodbury) was a previous Deputy Party Chair, and former state Senate Minority Leader David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), a GOP activist Harry Niska and current Republican National Committeeman Max Rymer.
The MNGOP, is in an interesting Catch-22, because with the ouster of Carnahan, they will be in a precarious position where they lose a woman of color and if the replacement of her is by a man, especially a white male, it will send a strong signal again gender inclusivity and diversity, which could be interpreted as “been there done that,” or “we tried that once, it failed, moving on”.
As the Republican Party tries to rebuild, it is prevented from it primary focus winning elections and during her tenure Carnahan only oversaw some minor increases in the Republican offices. The MNGOP was blown out in the Presidential Election, contrary to prior claims where Joe Biden bested Donald J Trump by better than 7% or 52.40% to 45.28%. The retention of her husband Jim Hagedorn’s seat in the 1st and Pete Stauber’s in the 8th Congressional Districts are nonissues, but it could be argued the original victories were under her watch and the capture of the 7th Congressional by Michelle Fischbach clearly was. In addition, to the pick-ups in the state house.
Main point is with the focus on the Constitutional Offices, the MNGOP has a hard slough, because they haven’t carried a statewide office since 2008 and then it was only by a 46.69% plurality for Governor Tim Pawlenty’s reelection.