Dawn is breaking on primary day (Keith Ellison, AG race in MN) what should I do?

[progree]

Oh God. I don't really want a flame war. I just want a clue on how to vote today.

i have been concerned for more than a decade about Keith Ellison's gremlins, though I have been ecstatic about his record in Congress since early 2007.... but I've considered him dubious character-wise like he is above the law and above us peasants who have to obey the laws ... and now he's got to deal with accusations of domestic abuse by someone who doesn't seem to be a Roger Stone plant (though I agree with many progressive that the time has come and the time is now to produce the goddam video or quit saying you have video proof among other weirdoisms)

Anyway, I really want our strongest Democratic candidate to run against whatever Repuke in November...We've had a Dem attorney general and strong consumer advocate for more than 50 years in this state if I've got that right (I red that from a reliable source). And that is huge to me especially in the health care arena and the mortgage fraud crap.

Trouble is that the media has been saying that Ellison is by far the favorite to win the Dem (DFL) primary. I just don't think with his baggage he's our strongest candidate by far in the general election in November against the Repuke, sure he's unbeatable in a core Minneapolis/inner suburb CD 5th district, but statewise in a state that only had a 1.5% margin of Hillary over Trump? ... I definitely won't be voting for him in the primary for that reason and because my feeling about his character (sorry that's important to me).

So who do I vote for in the DFL primary that has a chance in hell of beating him in the primary and of course beating whatever sick Repuke that he/she faces in November? Who is the strongest candidate against him in the primary that also has a chance in hell in the general election)

The other candidate for A.G. are (well uhh, frankly have zero name recognition):

Mike Rothman, (Star Tribune endorsed)
Debra Hilstrom,
Matt Pelikan (DFL endorsed),
Tom Foley,

To put it in plain English, I want to vote for the strongest candidate in the primary that has a chance to beat Keith Ellison (and who could win in the general election which or course is the whole point).

I vote soon. Thanks.

Just to be clear -- I'd vote for Ellison in the primary without hesitation if I thought that was the surest path to a Democratic victory in this AG's race in November. But I just don't think so.

[OnDoutside]

1. You can only vote based on your best information at the time.

[progree]

3. Yup. I've never felt so inadeauate and "hands in the air"

I face a ballot full of people in like 3 key (to me) races. I was going to skip the damn thing (it's a primary, not a general election where my choice is frankly automatic), but I find myself with strong negative opinions about a couple of candidates (both in 5-way races) and if nothing else, just to vote for one of the "non-negatives" is reason enough to get off my rusty dusty and vote (though actually I've probably put like 10 hours at least into research so far ... sigh). Will likely flip a coin for the top 2 choices (to me) in a couple races, but considering those are 5-way races... that's good, sigh, I guess. No wonder I feel stupid and ignorant.

This is what democracy looks like (chant)

Like making sausage...

[OnDoutside]

7. It's not easy alright ! It's exactly what was intended in letting this out

4 days before an election, to create uncertainty.

[Sherman A1]

13. Precisely

We had two bad choices here running for County Executive and neither was one who I wanted to pick, (the crook or the one who donated to the now disgraced Missouri GOP Governor when he ran) but I went with the "lesser of the two evils" method.

[RandySF]

2. A 911 report surfaced from 2005

Link to tweet

?s=21

[progree]

4. Ick. Sigh. n/t.

[OnDoutside]

6. Randy, can you see what this resultant report says ?

https://mobile.twitter.com/jpkolb/status/1029137284984123393

The newspaper is blocking me as I'm in the EU

[Mister Ed]

9. Link leads to Twitter account of Jeff Kolb, a prominent MN Republican.

I couldn't find a resultant report at that link, just the same initial report posted by Randy SF,

[OnDoutside]

10. Sorry it would only allow me to embed the other tweet. Here is the

Article he shared


https://lacrossetribune.com/politics/mn/restraining-order-against-ellison-dismissed/article_888ae084-71b9-5b4e-98d7-9c131772e3e4.html

[Mister Ed]

11. Thanks. Here'e the gist of the article from the LaCrosse (Wisconsin) Tribune:

It looks as though not only was Ellison's accuser unsuccessful in getting a restraining order against him, but Ellison was actually granted a restraining order against her:

MINNEAPOLIS - Hennepin County Judge Robert Lynn dismissed a woman's attempt to get a restraining order against U.S. Rep.-elect Keith Ellison on Monday.

The judge also issued an order preventing the woman, Amy Alexander, from repeating allegations that she and Ellison had an extramarital affair or that Ellison tried to intimidate her or smear her name, according to Ellison's lawyer, Carla C. Kjellberg.

Alexander can't come back to the court for a restraining order against Ellison, who has denied having an affair with the woman.

The two have been fighting through lawyers for more than a year. Ellison, who became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress earlier this month, got a restraining order against Alexander in June 2005 after what he described as phone and e-mail harassment.

Kjellberg said Ellison agreed to dismiss that restraining order as long as Alexander doesn't contact him. If she does, he can go to the court to have the order reinstated.

https://lacrossetribune.com/politics/mn/restraining-order-against-ellison-dismissed/article_888ae084-71b9-5b4e-98d7-9c131772e3e4.html

[OnDoutside]

12. Thanks, that puts a different gloss on it, doesn't it ?

[tirebiter]

5. The twit is from Minnesota Conservatives

http://conservativeminnesotans.blogspot.com/

I'm guessing he doesn't have your best interests in mind. Or Randy's

Just sayin'

I'm not on the Bernie wagon but I don't want to see Democrats go down on unproven accusations.

[blue cat]

8. My advice

Vote him out.

[geardaddy]

16. He's not "in" to vote out.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

14. I voted for Keith and will in the General if he wins today...

I trust Keith. This allegation timing smells fishy to me. Had it come out when he announced his AG run or when in the House, perhaps I would have felt different.

[trotsky]

15. I was wavering.

But the last bit of news I heard, that there is allegedly a video - but his accuser won't release it - persuaded me to give him the benefit of the doubt. There is a reason Repubs are scared shitless of Keith. As AG, he will have tremendous power to apply pressure to them and their big donors.

[question everything]

17. Definitely not Ellison for me (may be too late by now)

He clearly has higher ambitions - senator, president, perhaps - and wants the AG platform to raise his state and national profile. Will concentrate on high national issues like suing the administration. At the expense of defending Minnesota residents. I don't always agree with the strib editorials, but this time I am 100% in agreement on all.

Mike Rothman will get two votes from this household.

[dflprincess]

18. I went with Rothman as well

Keith has always triggered my spidy sense though I can't tell you why. And I just couldn't see him winning statewide before this happened.

[progree]

19. Looks like Keith Ellison vs. Doug Wardlow in the general

85.68% reporting, 1040p last update

DFL --
Mike Rothman 39249 7.96%
Debra Hilstrom 93445 18.95%
Matt Pelikan 52470 10.64%
Tom Foley 60234 12.22%
Keith Ellison 247628 50.23%

https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/AttorneyGeneral/114?id=st&officeInElectionId=17118