by Steve Timmer

Oct 21, 2013, 8:00 PM

A blinding flash of the obvious

Sometimes, one is struck by a blinding flash of the obvious.

Both Mark Andrew and Betsy Hodges made appearances at Drinking Liberally this spring. Neither one mentioned education in speeches. Mark Andrew did field one question on education, and he said, quite reasonably and responsibly, I thought, that the mayor has no authority over the Minneapolis schools, and that the question was one that ought to be directed to the Minneapolis School Board.

But, as many of you know, these two have of late been falling over themselves — and each other — to proclaim their fealty to education deform, as website sidekick Rob so aptly calls it.

The question was put to education chair Senator Patricia Torres Ray at DL just the other night: should the schools be turned over to the mayor? Her response: no.

One might legitimately ask: what are Hodges and Andrew trying to do? Other that get elected mayor of Minneapolis, that is.

I think, in fact, that is all they are trying to do. It’s a cynical strategy on the part of each of them to try and get second choice vote from supporters of Don “the Arsonist” Samuels.

This, kids, is what RCV hath wrought. And it’s pretty ugly. Instead of encouraging candidates to define themselves and point out their differences, RCV promotes a form of political prostitution that encourages voters to think that a candidate is like their guy or gal. That’s pretty direct, I know, but I can’t figure out another way to describe it.

RCV does the polar opposite of really informing voters about candidates.

We ought to think long and hard about adopting it anywhere else in Minnesota.