We'll learn tomorrow whether the influx of secret corporate and political cash made Randy Demmer a "Heartland Value" for such groups as the American Action Network, Dick Morris's SuperPAC, Republican National Congressional Committee and other groups that ran negative ads in the First. Even each of Demmer's own ads were negative attacks on Walz.
In the end, the Demmer campaign and its "independent" allies may have shown their "values" quite clearly through such ads, rather than making a positive case for the Hayfield Republican. Even the Kasson kick-off for the "Heartland Values" tour was remarkable for its negative rhetoric. No wonder only one newspaper that I know of endorsed Demmer--while the vast majority of papers that endorsed, from Winona to Worthington, urged voters to return Walz for a third term.
What I'll remember are the dollar values Beltway Republicans put on the seat. My friend Tild illustrates them in the artist's rendition of the suitcase Randy's allies packed for his tour of the district (above)--dollar figures are somewhat dated, drawn as they from this October 25 Star Tribune Hotdish Politics post. Voters should send him packing back to Dodge County.
Walz closed his campaign on a positive note--and polls showed him surging ahead in the final days of the race. Here's the final ad--now readers in the First need to go out and vote tomorrow.
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