A Bush Democrat May Lose His Way
11/07/2005
By Peter Slevin and Chris Cillizza
Washington Post
Sunday, November 6, 2005; A05
It was just one little endorsement of the president of the United States by the mayor of a heartland city. The year was 2004 and the race was close. The mayor embraced President Bush and even did a little campaigning for him. Trouble was, Mayor Randy Kelly was the Democratic mayor of overwhelmingly Democratic St. Paul, Minn. And has it caused problems for his reelection campaign.
One national Democratic politician after another has waved a flag for his opponent, fellow Democrat and former city council member Chris Coleman. Several flew to St. Paul to deliver the defeat-Kelly message in person, among them Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who carried Minnesota but lost the nation last year. “Obviously, Senator Kerry had something of a score to settle,” said Andrew O’Leary, executive director of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Kerry held a fundraiser and a rally last month for Coleman. Former presidential candidate Wesley K. Clark campaigned for him, as did New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) sent an e-mail to Minnesota supporters seeking money and votes, said Coleman staffer Bob Hume, who reported that former Kerry running mate John Edwards drafted a favorable piece of literature. “I am one charming guy,” Coleman said with a laugh. “We said from the beginning that this race has national importance, both in terms of partnerships between the federal government and cities, and setting a tone for 2006.
“ A substantial percentage of likely voters in St. Paul have told pollsters that Kelly’s curious endorsement of Bush makes them more likely to back Coleman in Tuesday’s general election.
Coleman already finished ahead of Kelly in the September primary. Ears burning, Kelly called a Sept. 29 news conference. His campaign sent out a news release promising a “major address on the status of the St. Paul’s mayor’s race.” Some wondered if he would drop out or maybe become a Republican. His purpose, it turned out, was to apologize to the Democratic faithful—though not to recant. “I’ve heard your anger,” he said. “I respect it. I understand it.” Kelly called himself “an unwavering Democrat.”
He vowed he would not “backtrack.” Asking his followers to move on, he said, “Voting against me won’t bring the troops home. It won’t stick it to George Bush.” Maybe not, but voters seem ready to stick it to Kelly. In two recent polls, the mayor was trailing by more than 30 percentage points.