Thanks for the summary Terry. One quibble, geographically, you state that there was "a familiar pattern between the progressive urban core and the more moderate southwest" But if you look closer, Frey also had strengths in the far north side, Nokomis area over to the river, downtown + North Loop, which I assume had a strong turnout of condo owners, and the farther north neighborhoods of Northeast. There's a lot of tan and brown on that map.
Yes, that is true, but I think the number of votes in Ward 13, where Palmisano received almost 15k votes eclipses what happened in Ward 4, where fewer than 7k votes were cast. Ward 7 have over 13k. While Frey won in a number of different areas, these are the ones where he racked up votes. I think of Ward 3 as North Loop. Almost 14k there.
It's impossible to over-emphasize just HOW telling the bargaining and final outcome over leadership positions will be. I note you consider Whiting to be at least potentially a swing-y vote. You could be right... but if you are, either his "swinging" will be highly principled and issue-specific, AND very well explained by him to his constituents (in ways Emily Koski's was NOT...) - or he will be a very unpopular one-term CM. I just can't imagine that he's going to start ticking off his core constituents by standing squarely with the DSA/4theMany crowd right off the bat during votes for leadership positions.
And that means that either Jamal Osman gets to decide - OR that the two sides get together and come up with something creative where both sides get something. Perhaps one gets Council Prez, and the other gets Vice Prez and Budget Comm Chair, or some such. I'd prefer the latter resolution, but I'd be be OK with either outcome. One thing I will say for Jamal Osman is that he does truly seem to "swing" according to what he thinks seems best for his Ward and for the greater Mpls. Somali-American community, regardless of Ward. Yes, he votes more often than not with the DSA/4theMany crowd, but he's convinced me over time that it's more a matter of representing the folks he's trying to represent, than straight-on ideology, virtue-signaling, and litmus-testing. I think it's appropriate to see nobility in that even when the result on any given issue is not necessarily what I would want it to be.
So even though I am not Somali, nor do I live in 6th, I'd rather have Osman making decisions all by himself than have the DSA/4theMany crowd doing it. So I think the fact that we ended up "6 to 6 to Osman" is a Very. Big. Deal. It is fundamentally different than either the last biennium OR the one before it. And I think the real positive role that Jamison can play is that, with his high intelligence, charisma, positivity, high energy, and outgoing nature, he could possibly serve to get folks together to work out creative solutions and actual compromises, so that Council actions don't always come down to Osman needing to decide every issue, whether he wants to or not. And I hope that is how it all plays out. So far, to me, the glass seems half-full.
We can’t overlook this reason for optimism: the DSA-aligned council members no longer have a supermajority. Frey’s veto will be enough to stop ridiculous idealistic legislation.
"It would be good for Minneapolis if the heated rhetoric of the campaign season gave way to collaboration and a shared focus on progress". Agreed! The heated attacks and red-baiting of the DSA candidates did not work here and did not work in New York City. Democratic socialists are not extremists or communists (far left). Let's move past the alienating polemics, anger, and divisiveness and strive for a city that serves ALL its residents: renters, homeowners, and those without shelter. Wellstone's mantra still resonates: "We all do better, when we all do better."
Thanks for the summary Terry. One quibble, geographically, you state that there was "a familiar pattern between the progressive urban core and the more moderate southwest" But if you look closer, Frey also had strengths in the far north side, Nokomis area over to the river, downtown + North Loop, which I assume had a strong turnout of condo owners, and the farther north neighborhoods of Northeast. There's a lot of tan and brown on that map.
Yes, that is true, but I think the number of votes in Ward 13, where Palmisano received almost 15k votes eclipses what happened in Ward 4, where fewer than 7k votes were cast. Ward 7 have over 13k. While Frey won in a number of different areas, these are the ones where he racked up votes. I think of Ward 3 as North Loop. Almost 14k there.
It's impossible to over-emphasize just HOW telling the bargaining and final outcome over leadership positions will be. I note you consider Whiting to be at least potentially a swing-y vote. You could be right... but if you are, either his "swinging" will be highly principled and issue-specific, AND very well explained by him to his constituents (in ways Emily Koski's was NOT...) - or he will be a very unpopular one-term CM. I just can't imagine that he's going to start ticking off his core constituents by standing squarely with the DSA/4theMany crowd right off the bat during votes for leadership positions.
And that means that either Jamal Osman gets to decide - OR that the two sides get together and come up with something creative where both sides get something. Perhaps one gets Council Prez, and the other gets Vice Prez and Budget Comm Chair, or some such. I'd prefer the latter resolution, but I'd be be OK with either outcome. One thing I will say for Jamal Osman is that he does truly seem to "swing" according to what he thinks seems best for his Ward and for the greater Mpls. Somali-American community, regardless of Ward. Yes, he votes more often than not with the DSA/4theMany crowd, but he's convinced me over time that it's more a matter of representing the folks he's trying to represent, than straight-on ideology, virtue-signaling, and litmus-testing. I think it's appropriate to see nobility in that even when the result on any given issue is not necessarily what I would want it to be.
So even though I am not Somali, nor do I live in 6th, I'd rather have Osman making decisions all by himself than have the DSA/4theMany crowd doing it. So I think the fact that we ended up "6 to 6 to Osman" is a Very. Big. Deal. It is fundamentally different than either the last biennium OR the one before it. And I think the real positive role that Jamison can play is that, with his high intelligence, charisma, positivity, high energy, and outgoing nature, he could possibly serve to get folks together to work out creative solutions and actual compromises, so that Council actions don't always come down to Osman needing to decide every issue, whether he wants to or not. And I hope that is how it all plays out. So far, to me, the glass seems half-full.
Great post. I love that you predicted and then debriefed your predictions.
Great post Terry; Clear & concise in a field of polar opposites.
your prognostication skills are quite good Terry
We can’t overlook this reason for optimism: the DSA-aligned council members no longer have a supermajority. Frey’s veto will be enough to stop ridiculous idealistic legislation.
It is honestly ridiculous that you, a Minneapolis political journalist, cannot be bothered to properly pronounce the names of local politicians.
You're going to be saying these names for the next few years. C'mon dude.
Thanks for bringing this error to my attention. Who am I mispronouncing?
The fact that you either cannot or will not put in the effort to answer that question for yourself is disappointing.
"It would be good for Minneapolis if the heated rhetoric of the campaign season gave way to collaboration and a shared focus on progress". Agreed! The heated attacks and red-baiting of the DSA candidates did not work here and did not work in New York City. Democratic socialists are not extremists or communists (far left). Let's move past the alienating polemics, anger, and divisiveness and strive for a city that serves ALL its residents: renters, homeowners, and those without shelter. Wellstone's mantra still resonates: "We all do better, when we all do better."
At a national level, DSA are not generally extremists. The Twin Cities DSA, on the other hand…
I suggest you familiarize yourself with their charter, and in particular, the resolutions they adopted last fall.