The 8th District

[question everything]

It is interesting that Walz carried the district, while it was flipped from D to R. Did not follow the race there, but there was a very angry letter in the strib the other day:

t all went wrong for DFLers at their inept endorsing convention

Way to go DFLers! Congrats on losing Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District seat to a Republican for the second time in more than 70 years due to “politics as usual.” When the convention in Duluth failed to “endorse” a candidate for the primary election, five DFL candidates were left to fight for primary election votes. Smart call — using your resources to battle people in your own party, rather than support the people’s choice, Leah Phifer, for endorsement. Phifer captured majority votes in all 10 ballots, garnering 53 percent of the 60 percent needed for endorsement.

Delegates and superdelegates at the Duluth convention, you should be ashamed! Yes, that includes DFL-elected officials and others who raised your hands not to support any endorsement, even after Phifer was the clear leader and responded eloquently to that ridiculous stunt by the Latino Caucus.

Shame on you for perpetuating the good-ol’-boys network! You opted for a Rick Nolan prodigy, with numerous violations on his record, over an intelligent, articulate woman with national-security experience, integrity and enough passion to serve our country that she left a career with the FBI to seek election to represent our Eighth District in Congress. Only to be disparaged by her own political party of dinosaurs, unwilling to move forward with the best candidate for the position.

DFL Party, wake up! If you are a party of the people, start listening to the people. I truly hope Pete Stauber will listen to people and serve the Eighth District well.

Jackie (Phifer) Moen, Isanti, Minn.

The writer is Leah Phifer’s mother.

http://www.startribune.com/readers-write-atmospheric-impressions-of-an-election-doornocker/500178091/

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I admit, I am all for the people selecting their candidates in primaries and, certainly, Both Dayton and Walz were elected while by passing the endorsements, but I wonder whether she has a point.