Dayton: So much material to work with

Mark Dayton's weekend included campaigning with people who haven't always supported him.

In state Rep. Alice Hausman's St. Paul home Saturday morning there was evidence that the old differences evaporated as Democrats of all stripes got together to push for a Dayton victory.

"I'm a true believer in Mark Dayton as our governor," Hausman said to the crowd gathered in her living room before sending them out to knock on doors.

She obliquely noted that she was a Margaret Anderson Kelliher supporter before Dayton beat the DFL candidate in an August primary.

"I didn't know Mark Dayton very well until the day after the primary," the long-time state lawmaker said. Then she joined a DFL post-primary unity rally. "On that very first day, I was devoted to this campaign because I heard him respect other people, his former opponents."

She said she listened to Dayton in the debates.

"What I heard was a voice that was always from the heart. Authentic. It's not scripted," she said.

True to form, when it was Dayton's turn to speak he started with a self-effacing comment.

"It's easy for me to make fun of myself when I have so much material to work with," Dayton said.

Dayton also now has much get-out-the-vote material to work with.

Since he won the primary, the DFL party and the unions of the state have been working at phone banks, door-knocks and staffing volunteer efforts to make Dayton the first Democrat to run Minnesota for decades.

Dayton said the party is now absolutely united.

Both Kelliher and primary-contender Matt Entenza campaigned for Dayton last week and those two and seven other vanquished DFL candidates for governor all sent out a fundraising plea for Dayton on Wednesday.