Just think how that worked out for WI Republicans: Scott Presler to train Central MN GOP

In the Minnesota Reformer, Deena Winter reports Conservative activist connected to Jan. 6 insurrection to train Minnesota Republicans:

The Benton County Republican Party is hosting an event Saturday featuring a right-wing activist connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Scott Presler is a 6-foot-5 rising star on the right known for his Fabio-like hair and organizing volunteer trash cleanups and voter registration drives in large cities, where he decries Democratic leaders who he says help “foreign nationals” and “illegal aliens” instead of veterans.

He planned so-called “stop the steal” rallies and was on the Capitol grounds the day of the insurrection, which he has described as “the largest civil rights protest in American history.”

The Minnesota event will be held at a Sauk Rapids country roadhouse that displays a large collection of Confederate memorabilia and whose owner was convicted in connection with hitting a Black man with his Ford Bronco.

The chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, David Hann, mentioned Presler’s event in a recent newsletter, calling him a “nationally recognized speaker and activist, widely considered to be an expert in grassroots organizing.” He said Presler will talk about canvassing, voter registration and chasing alternative methods of voting like absentee and mail-in voting.

Asked about the event, interim executive director of the state Republican Party, Andy Aplikowski, said in an email the state party has no connection to the “planning of the event” and referred questions to a local party official, who has not yet responded to a request for comment. . . .

Forgive Bluestem if we're a bit skeptical about Hann's description and the notion that Presler's a rising star.

Bluestem's cynicism comes from our recollection of news reports about Presler's relatively recent campaigning this spring for Daniel Kelly, the Republican candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This caught the attention of Wisconsin media--and even the Editorial Board of the Washington Post:

Mr. Kelly also tweeted a video last week with Scott Presler, who planned “Stop the Steal” rallies and was at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Mr. Presler is driving around the state stumping for Mr. Kelly, who describes his support as “invaluable.”

While Presler isn't the only cause of the defeat, Kelly lost, with Tim Marema and Sarah Melotte of the Daily Yonder reporting Rural voters shift Democratic in Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

Winter is doing a great service in letting Minnesotans know just how in touch the Benton County Republicans are with the North Star State's voters. It's that Scott Jensen touch that should have DFLers cheering. 

And then there's Saturday night's venue's Confederate decor.

Bluestem's hoping Presler won't just train Republicans, but join MNGOP candidates on the 2024 campaign trail, since no party can buy the sort of publicity Kelly earned in the Badger State's newspapers.

Just days before the election, Corinne Hess reported for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly says he's not bothered by association with 'stop the steal' activist, Jan. 6 participant Scott Presler:

 Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly said Thursday he's not bothered that one of his vocal supporters is connected to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Scott Presler, a Virginia native and conservative activist who planned several "stop the steal" rallies that promoted false claims about the 2020 election and was on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is backing Kelly and campaigning in Wisconsin on his behalf.

"We're coming down to the final days of this race and with your help, we're taking the fight to Janet! Voters now see her for who she is — a politician in a robe," Kelly tweeted this week with a video of him and Presler. . . .

The Reformer's sister publication, the Wisconsin Examiner. raised the Presler January 6 connection early on, in March 17's Jan. 6 attendee spends month in Wisconsin campaigning for Kelly.

In late March, PBS Wisconsin published an Associated Press article Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Kelly OK with Jan. 6 participant.

Media Matters Spencer Silva and Alex Paterson raised an additional question in Wisconsin media should ask Daniel Kelly why he’s campaigning with a QAnon conspiracy theorist:

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Judge Daniel Kelly is campaigning with right-wing social media influencer Scott Presler, a January 6 insurrectionist who helped organize “Stop the Steal” events around the 2020 election and has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory. While local outlets have pressed Kelly about Presler’s ties to “Stop the Steal,” they have not mentioned Presler’s promotion of QAnon.

Kelly is one of two candidates vying for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 4. . . .

Presler has a history of supporting far-right causes and conspiracy theories. Following the 2020 presidential election, Presler helped organize election-denying “Stop the Steal” rallies. At a protest outside the Pennsylvania Capitol he led people in a chant calling for politicians to “Stop the Steal” and “audit the vote.” Presler also attended the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. What’s more, Media Matters previously documented that Presler promoted QAnon in dozens of instances on his Instagram account. . . 

Kudoes to the Reformer for letting its readers know about Presler's gig.

Let's hope the DFL comes up with less notorious trainers for organizing Minnesota activists and voters.

Image: The banner for the Eventbrite page for Grassroots Workshop with Scott Presler.

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Comments

[Chanty Banty]

Going back to Bill Cooper's support of Tony Sutton, the Republican Party of Minnesota is known for thinking that throwing a lot of money at grifters and thugs is the key to winning elections. Then they wonder why they keep going broke:

https://m.startribune.com/they-have-to-raise-money-minnesota-republican-party-seeks-rebound-from-fundraising-slump/600291427/