What are the boundaries for political action? For candidates' speech? Your mileage may vary, as recent posts on state representative Matt Grossell's campaign Facebook page illustrate.
A little backstory for context.
In DFL House candidate faces backlash for his a gry outburst at a Black Lives Matter protest, Deanna Weninger reports:
A Minnesota House candidate from St. Paul who on Saturday spoke at a Black Lives Matter Racial Justice Network protest in front of Minneapolis Police Federation president Bob Kroll’s home in Hugo, is facing backlash for his fiery rhetoric.
In videos circulating on social media, John Thompson, a DFL-endorsed candidate for House District 67A, threatened to burn Hugo and said “Blue Lives ain’t sh–.” He also appears to yell at young white girls watching from an open garage, calling them “racist mother-f—–s.”
On Monday, Thompson said he was getting death threats and declined an interview out of concern for his family’s safety.
“When people are calling my family and telling my family they are going to put a bullet in my son’s head, I’m not in a space right now to talk to the press,” he said.
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party condemned his speech as “inflammatory” and “hurtful” in a statement Sunday.
“We expect our candidates and elected officials to live up to our highest values when they represent our DFL Party,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “The Minnesota DFL does not condone any rhetoric which is violent, hateful, or inflammatory.” . . .
And there's this:
They marched up the street where Kroll and his wife Liz Collin, a WCCO reporter, live. They stopped at Kroll’s house and posed, taking a knee with a fist in the air, for photos around Kroll’s flag pole.
As a finale, the crowd walked on Kroll’s front lawn tossing signs on his driveway and took turns beating Kroll and Collin in effigy, cheering when the two piñatas broke open and spilled candy on the ground.
Update: For a good wrap-up about the reaction, check out Bring Me the News' Protesters condemned after they destroy piñata of WCCO's Liz Collin. [end update]
Having studied the threats to journalists in an international mass communications class, we don't condone that behavior. We agree with state senator Karla Bigham's tweet:
No member of the media should be physically threatened or intimidated. Period. End of story. Doesn’t matter the reason. Not appropriate.
— Sen. Karla Bigham (@karlabigham) August 18, 2020
We weren't happy when we saw reporter friends covering unrest in Minneapolis hit rubber bullets or tear gas, either.
On the other hand, the Clearbrook Republican state representative, a former law enforcement officer, focused on the journalist's husband in his Facebook post comments:
This happened in a residential neighborhood in suburban Hugo in front of kids and culminated in the beating of a pinata made to look like a police officer and his wife. Totally unacceptable.
UPDATE: Looks as if someone changed the settings on the post so that the video no longer was available. Fortunately, we saved a screengrab:
But getting threaty seems to be a thing this campaign season, and it's not just Thompson creating a sketchy work environment. Witness the pro-constitution rally protest the Clearbrook Republican is sharing on his campaign Facebook page.
Is Grossell offering a chance to see a pinata of Walz destroyed? Jeepers no.
Here's the post for the event where Grossell wll be joined by Fosston Republican state representative Steve Green, Park Rapids State Senator Paul Utke and possibly even more Republican candidates. Here's a screengrab (an earlier embed of the post was no longer available):
Perhaps crushing a vehicle labelled "Dictator Walz" is Minnesota Nicer than smashing a pinata of a television journalist. Or it's a self-owning nod to Joe's death sentence in Idiocracy. YMMV, as the kids say. Let's just hope Grossell sticks to Brawndo on the 29th.
Down memory lane with exterior contractors
UPDATE: One thing that was removed from the earlier image (below) was the sponsor and its logo. Here's the earlier image:
[end update]
It's curious that the contact phone numbers are metro area codes, but we shouldn't judge.
The rally protest sponsor, Budget Exteriors, advertises in the Park Rapids Enterprise; the ad tells us it's headquartered in Bloomington. Yelp reviews here.
Perhaps we're growing nostalgic, but the heady combination of home exterior work and political campaigns can only bring to mind a Bluestem post from 2013: Tom Emmer shills for Integrity Exteriors and Remodelers as a candidate running for congress.
Related posts:
- In early morning Facebook post, Matt Grossell frets about alter agenda coordinated attack
- State DFL responds to Matt Grossell Facebook post
- Was Minnesota state representative Matt Grossell out with vigilantes during Bemidji curfew?
- Beltrami Co. Sheriff addresses rumors and misinformation; Grossell presence confirmed
- In more sober moments than Saturday morning, lawmaker has more respect for hospital staff
- Minnesota state representative Matt Grossell may not want any more Muslim colleagues elected
- MN2A GOP candidate shares views of Pope, LGBT & black people & Muslims on Facebook
- Republican tells Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey 'Don't touch me' [VIDEO] [City Pages]
Photo: Matt Grossell in a more sober moment. Photo by Maureen McMullen / Forum News Service.
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