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Lori Sturdevant: A political two-step: Run for mayor, run for governor

Richard Sennott, Richard Sennott / Star Tribune

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, left, and his St. Paul counterpart, Chris Coleman

Will Coleman and Rybak do the dance? So far, they aren't saying yes -- but they aren't saying no, either.

By LORI STURDEVANT, Star Tribune

Last update: October 5, 2009 - 12:06 PM

Watching Minnesota's DFL mayoral twins do the candidacy two-step has been about the most entertaining aspect of this year's Minneapolis and St. Paul city elections.

That dance hasn't been seen locally for a dozen years, so a refresher is in order: Step one, run for mayor; step two, run for governor, moving quickly after step one.

R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Chris Coleman of St. Paul might take my gauge of this season's excitement level as a compliment. Politics have been relatively tame in both towns, and that's always a tacit tribute to an incumbent.

Neither mayor confronts a big-name, big-spending challenge to his reelection bid. Republican Eva Ng in St. Paul and the herd of 10 in Minneapolis have their work cut out for them, trying to gin up voter dissatisfaction to toss-'em-out levels by Nov. 3.

But challengers who can't ride a wave of unhappiness about the past can always talk about the future. And this year, the futures Coleman and Rybak appear to have in mind offer their opponents handy talking points.

Both mayors come running whenever a cattle call is issued to DFL candidates for governor. But neither will say definitively that he's a 2010 candidate. They'll go as far as "probably," "very likely" and "moving in that direction," but not further.

What's more, neither has filed the requisite paperwork with the state Campaign Finance Board for anyone spending more than $100 to seek statewide office. That omission prompted the filing of a complaint to the board by the state Republican Party last week, and gives GOP state chair Tony Sutton license to ask questions such as: "Why is Chris Coleman's mayoral campaign paying for him to fly to Alexandria?"

Coleman campaign spokesman John Stiles' answer -- "These are places that any prominent Democratic mayor of St. Paul would go" -- doesn't have the ring of full candor.

If there's a political problem with the mayoral two-step, that's the nub of it. Voters don't like the feeling that they aren't hearing the full story from politicians, on any topic.

Is it a serious problem? I asked the last Minnesotan who performed this dance, Republican Norm Coleman.

The former U.S. senator, now in the think-tank building business in Washington, ably dodged questions about his plans to serve a full term when he was reelected mayor of St. Paul on Nov. 4, 1997. On Nov. 5, prominent Republicans announced the formation of a Draft Norm for Governor campaign.

Coleman didn't make it official until Feb. 16, 1998. By then, no suspense was involved. His draft committee had been recruiting caucus attendees and rounding up commitments from likely delegates for months. (Notably, that's what the Draft R.T. group is doing now. The current Mayor Coleman does not have a similar boosters' club.)

Did his less-than-forthcoming first step do Norm any political harm? He doesn't think so -- and his 59 percent share of the mayoral vote and subsequent GOP state convention endorsement back him up.

"The thing that matters when a mayor runs for reelection is not what's next. It's 'What have you done?' That's the challenge for Chris Coleman," the former senator said.

His point is well taken. But I remember something else about his ultimate loss to Jesse Ventura in 1998: It was the Year of Monica in Washington. Folks I met at a batch of Minnesota Citizens' Forums complained often about deception, double-speak and hypocrisy among politicians.

Their ire was mostly directed at the president and his partisan critics. But some could well have spilled over to tinge Minnesota candidates whom they perceived as "just your typical politicians," prone to disingenuous talk.

Voters have come to expect candidates for mayor to dissemble when they are asked whether they'll run for governor next year. They expect their governor to duck and dodge when asked whether he's already running for president. They expect it. But that doesn't mean they respect it.

Lori Sturdevant is a Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist. She is at lsturdevant@startribune.com.

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