Where Is The Conservative Leadership In North Dakota?

These are contentious political times, even in stoic North Dakota. There have been no fewer than a dozen “tea party” protests against big government in this state which, I don’t think I need to tell anyone, is not exactly a hot bed of marching-in-the-streets political activism. During the August congressional recess earlier this year Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan were faced with an unprecedented number of constituents at town hall events who angrily read them the riot act about health care, spending and other issues.
Rep. Earl Pomeroy no doubt would have faced the same if he’d bothered to actually hold an in-person town hall event.
Now all three of North Dakota’s congressional delegation are on the record as having voting for a health care bill that is extremely unpopular with North Dakotans. Earl Pomeroy voted to pass it out of the House, something that has subsequently drawn so much ire from his constituents that he’s currently hiding behind the AARP and casting aspersions at “out of state” critics even as he collects 90% of his campaign money from out of state. Senators Conrad and Dorgan voted to advance this same health care bill to the floor of the Senate. And Earl Pomeroy continues to side against North Dakotans on other issues as well, choosing to support the continuation of an estate tax (no doubt at the behest of the life insurance companies that have contributed millions to his campaign) that is opposed by 85% of North Dakotans according to the last polling.
As I’ve said before on this blog and on my radio show, given the anger and resentment present among the populace and given the somewhat arrogant reaction to it from the state’s “big three”, I’m not sure that these at times seemingly unbeatable incumbents have ever been more vulnerable in their political careers than they are right now.
But what is the conservative movement in North Dakota doing about it? Tea parties are a great way to organize and fire people up. Town hall protests are a great way to remind these incumbents of just how far off the path they’ve strayed. Ultimately, though, change doesn’t happen without winning elections. So where are our candidates?
A couple – Fargo architect Paul Sorum and Bismarck football coach Paul Schaffner – have announced their intent to run against Byron Dorgan and Earl Pomeroy, respectively, but outside of their announcements we’ve heard little from them despite ample opportunity to capitalize on the gaffes and deceptions of the incumbents they intend to face.
And are these the only candidates we have? I remain convinced that Governor John Hoeven will be getting into the race against Dorgan, and other names such as Commerce Department director Shane Goettle and Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer (who is still in the hunt despite an earlier announcement not to run) are being talked about (among others) for a run against Earl Pomeroy.
So what gives?
I understand that conventional political wisdom in North Dakota has it that we should allow the primary process to play itself out and then engage Dorgan and Pomeroy in a traditional campaign. But that sort of conventional wisdom hasn’t done much against North Dakota’s entrenched “big three” in the past, and even in these strange political times (and even with the springboard provided by someone like a John Hoeven getting into the race) I think it puts us at a serious political disadvantage.
“Make hay while the sun is shining” is how the farmers put it. Pomeroy and Dorgan are vulnerable now. And the campaign against them needs to start now.
I understand the need for a candidate selection process – and indeed I’m aware of a “meeting of the minds” in conservative circles to be taking place about this issue later this week – but there’s no reason why we can’t be building momentum against Dorgan and Pomeroy even as we find the best candidate to run against them.