David Trinh

I noted on Tuesday that it’s going to be very difficult for Maureen Reed, or anyone else for that matter, to keep a fring Indepence Party candidate from stealing the IP ballot line in the general election—regardless of whatever intentions the IP’s leadership might have about endorsing DFL candidate.  As if on cue, word came today from MinnPost that 2008 IP spoiler Bob Anderson is thinking about helping Michele Bachmann get reelected once again:

Bob Anderson, who received 10 percent of the vote in 2008 as the Independence Party candidate for Congress from the 6th District, may make another run in 2010. He announced his thinking in this blog entry on his campaign website.

…many Dems believe that Anderson’s presence on the ticket divided the anti-Bachmann vote and prevented Dem nominee Elwyn Tinklenberg from winning in ‘08 even after Bachmann’s late-in-the-campaign remarks about Obama being “anti-American” caused a flood of new money to Tinklenberg.

Tinklenberg actually was endorsed in ‘08 by both the Dems and the IP. But Minnesota law prohibits a candidate from appearing on the ballot representing more than one party. So Anderson, a political unknown, ran in the IP primary and secured the IP ballot position.

So much for Dr. Reed’s strategy of threatening to bolt the DFL if it fails to give her the party’s nomination; in fact, ironically the very gambit that Reed may have used against DFLers could actually end up torpedoing her own chances if she does end up becoming the Democratic nominee.  Like I have said before, really the only way for Democrats to prevent an outcome like this is to get one of their own to run and win the IP nomination in a September primary.  After that, said DFL stooge could pull his or her name out of the race, thus giving Democrats a fighting chance in the 6^th.  A bit of a tricky move to be sure, but it will be well worth it if it means the defeat of the ever-odious Michele Bachmann.