Tom Mielke won.
Let me repeat that.
Tom Mielke won.
Joe Tanner had EVERYTHING... almost.
Money?
Check.
The fishwrapper writing about him like he was paying them?
Check.
The endorsement of everyone in the establishment?
Check.
The support of all the money? (He outspent Tom roughly 8 to 1.)
Check.
But what he DIDN'T have... and it's a cautionary tale, to be sure...
Is the issues.
The Job drum has been banged around here so much that no one heard it.
Tanner's problem was his failure to show where he could be more effective at killing the CRC and getting a 3rd... and 4th bridge built than Tom was.
Tom was not remotely responsible for the economy of this county: all of that was taken out of his hands by the democrat cabal of Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt.
Tom spent 4 years trying to get the CRC and their supporters to listen... and they failed to hear.
Yes, Tanner had it all, although he spent far too much money for his campaign manager ($4000 a month? For a county race? Seriously?) he ran a technically proficient campaign.
He shows $167,000 spent through the end of October; Mielke?
$21,000.
If Tanner had the issues, he would have hammered Tom like a nail. But the issues can be a strong force... stronger than TV, apparently.
But the people of this county, particularly when all the people are allowed to vote... have a festering hatred towards the bridge scam and all who support it.
Tanner indicated that he was opposed to the bridge, but that opposition appeared to be of the "pro-forma," type, a lot like that lying little worm Tim Leave-it's variety.
The rag, for example, never took a swing at Tanner for his opposition: likely because they had written out the equation that Tanner's opposition was merely going through the motions.
But Mielke has been opposed to the crap pile of the CRC literally for years.
The jobs issue appealed, perhaps, to those unemployed, thought it's likely they were less interested in voting.
But to the 90%+ with a job and the tens of thousands of commuters seemed to be less impressed with the jobs mantra.
Nonetheless, Tom Mielke persevered, tapping the wave that failed to develop for Tanner, and hatred of the CRC trumped the necessary element required to get rid of an incumbent... the element that was present in the Boldt-Madore race in abundance:
Anger.
The people might not have been thrilled with Mielke, but with him, they knew that on the CRC and tax-related issues, Tom was on their side. Tanner's reliance on the downtown mafia for money and support really didn't help him... and Tom Mielke won on cab fare.
Well done, Tom. Well done.
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