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Nov 4th, 2010


On Election Day 2010 Tom Horner — in my opinion the best candidate in the race and the steady hand on the helm Minnesota needs in these challenging economic times — came up short in his bid for governor.

As I see it, in our polarized political environment the Democratic and Republican nominees were so far-left and far-right that the majority of independents voted their fears — for the “lesser of two evils” rather than casting a ballot for the candidate of their choice.

However, in a civil society, we respect the voters’ choice and think forward to new possibilities to make things right. Against that background, Tom Horner looks to the future.

A Message from Tom Horner: “Reflections on a Great Campaign”

Two days isn’t enough time to put into focus all the great things that happened in the Horner 2010 campaign, but I want to share a few thoughts from Libby and me on how much I think our great team accomplished and a bit about what the future might hold.

First and foremost is the unbelievable team that came together under campaign manager Stephen Imholte. As I’ve said time and again, we had one-third of the staff of the other gubernatorial campaigns but did three times the work. In particular, I’m especially proud of the young people and first-timers to politics who joined the staff and as volunteers. This is an incredibly strong base for the future.

Second, our biggest challenge was fundraising. When everything is tallied, we will fall about $1 million short of what we believe would be necessary. If we had the money in early to mid-September when the campaign was surging in the polls, media coverage and endorsements, we could have better defined my candidacy and the vision I have for the future. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the money when we needed it the most. Still, even here, there is good news. We will end the campaign with more than 4,000 contributions and between the Primary and Election Day, the campaign was able to raise about as much in individual contributions as the Dayton and Emmer campaigns. That’s a great tribute to the foundation that was built during the summer months.

Third, don’t for a moment buy into the “wasted vote” charges. Every vote in this election was important and every vote mattered. Since Election Day, I’ve heard from liberal Democrats and very conservative Republicans (including elected officials in both of these parties) who told me they voted for me and did so proudly. The Independence Party continues to give voice to hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who are dissatisfied with the extremism so often found in the DFL and GOP. A vote for me isn’t a wasted vote; it was evidence of growing support for common-sense, centrist solutions.

Where do we go from here? That is part of the conversation I will be having with many people around the state. This campaign engaged and energized a lot of Minnesotans. It contributed to the civility of the gubernatorial campaign, to the incredible number of candidate forums and to the specificity with which the candidates addressed the issues. All of that is for the good.

We also raised important issues and offered credible solutions. In fact, here’s my prediction — when all the dust settles at the end of the 2011 legislative session, the solutions will look a lot more like the issues I raised during the campaign than those offered by the other candidates.

As I said at our celebration party Tuesday, this is the time for Minnesotans to join, to offer all we can to finding good solutions for the difficult challenges we face. The recount should be done diligently, but let’s hope we can keep it free from the stridency and harsh rhetoric that will serve only to undermine confidence in elections and politics.

I also hope that both the Democratic and Republican parties will use their new positions and leadership thoughtfully and resonsibly. As these parties gather to select their legislative leaders, let’s hope both put a priority on finding those who are pragmatic, who are able to engage all Minnesotans and who are respectful of all viewpoints, even as they promote their agendas.

To all of you, THANKS from Libby and me. You have blessed us with your support, your hard work and your trust. This is just phase one of the campaign of 2010. We will find new ways to carry the message forward and will continue to tap your energy and thoughtfulness as we re-build the political center in Minnesota’s public policy arena.

Tom and Libby Horner

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Related reports

Vote Tom Horner for Governor (Oct. 29, 2010)

Horner Endorsements Rolling In (Oct. 24, 2010)

Tom Horner on Higher Education (Oct. 18, 2010)

Star Tribune: Horner ‘Serious Contender’ (Sept. 12, 2010)

Tom Horner at the State Fair (Aug. 30, 2010)

‘Eyeballs’ — Tom Horner TV Ad (Aug. 23, 2010)

Tom Horner Speaks in St. Cloud (Aug. 16, 2010)

Tom Horner for Minnesota Governor (Aug. 9, 2010)

Vote Tom Horner in Aug. 10 Primary (Aug. 2, 2010)

Horner 2010 Gains Momentum (July 19, 2010)

Horner Campaign at Granite City (June 26, 2010)

Tom Horner Rises in the Polls (June 8, 2010)

Tom Horner’s Statewide Swing (May 12, 2010)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — November 4, 2009

Election Bodes Ill for Democrats

Video

Decision 2009 bodes ill for Dems (NBC Nightly News, Nov. 4, 2009) — A day after watching his party suffer its first bad November election night since 2004, President Barack Obama got nostalgic for his own election exactly one year ago Wednesday. NBC’s Chuck Todd reports. (02:59)

One year ago today, I featured a New York Times report that made the point that Republican victories in the 2009 New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections “put the party in a stronger position to turn back the political wave President Obama unleashed last year, setting the stage for Republicans to raise money, recruit candidates and ride the excitement of an energized base as the party heads into [the 2010] midterm elections.”

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — November 4, 2008

Write-in Campaign: Day 17

Two years ago today, on the 17th day of my write-in campaign against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, I reissued my Statement on the Iraq War, reiterated instructions for casting a write-in ballot, and reported on ongoing violence in Iraq.

Statement on the Iraq War

My initial motivation for challenging Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) for the Republican nomination was her enthusiastic support for the destructive neocon policies that gave us the Iraq War. Following is an excerpt from my campaign statement.

My main reason for running is U.S. national security — specifically, the unintended consequences of the Iraq war.

Plain and simple, the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.

More than just exacting a huge cost in American blood, treasure, and loss of international stature, our military intervention in Iraq has created complex security challenges for the United States.

Before the invasion, we had in place a very successful containment policy against Iraqi aggression — preserving a delicate balance of power between Iran and Iraq in one of the world’s most volatile regions, the Middle East.

ParaBn-patrol.jpg On Patrol - Parachute Batallion picture by Rifleman-AlThe removal of Saddam has empowered Iran, with its nuclear ambitions, and placed Iraq under the control of Islamist Shiite leaders closely aligned with Iran — thereby creating an infinitely more serious threat to U.S. national security in the region than existed before the invasion.

I’m the only candidate in the Sixth District congressional race with military experience, trained as an airborne soldier in counterinsurgency and anti-terrorist operations and with professional credentials as a military consultant on nuclear counterproliferation, threat assessment, deterrence, and psychological operations.

I offer my specialized training and expertise to help secure the vital national security interests of the United States in the wake of the attacks of 9/11 and emerging security threats triggered by the ill-conceived, short-sighted Iraq war. …





One Response to “Tom Horner Looks Ahead”
  1. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Iraq-Afghanistan Casualties Says:

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