Almanac hosts Mike Lindell-Kendall Qualls debate

Friday night, Almanac hosted the first televised debate between top GOP gubernatorial candidates. Kendall Qualls and Mike Lindell participated. Lisa Demuth couldn't attend because of scheduling conflicts. Follow this link to view the debate for yourself. The debate introductions start at the 20:00 mark, with Kendall Qualls getting the first question. The first question was asked by Co-Anchor Cathy Wurzer about whether he'd call a special session to address the wildfire situation in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Qualls quickly affirmed that he'd call that special session. For the record, Lindell also affirmed that he'd call a special session.

When Wurzer asked if he'd tack anything else onto the widfire bill, Qualls said that he'd add tax relief for everyone to the wildfire relief bill. Qualls also mentioned that the paid family medical leave was already running a deficit. When Wurzer replied that paid family medical leave was popular, Qualls questioned her, asking why it's running a deficit the first 6 months it's existed if it's so popular. Later, Wurzer asked directly about relief for Operation Metro Surge. It was in that context that Qualls mentioned paid family medical leave as a bigger problem for businesses than Operation Metro Surge. Here's Esme Murphy's report on the Almanac debate:

Here's 'Mexico Mike' Lindell admitting that he can't implement his amnesty plan as governor: Overall, I thought that Qualls won the debate because he was solid from start-to-finish. Further, Lindell sounded like he was winging it too often. For instance, he tried to talk about his proposed budget several different times. He literally said that it'd be out in "2 days", "3 days", "4 days" and "5 days. The thing Lindell wanted to feature was the elimination of the state income tax. That's interesting. From his Platform Page:
Jobs and Minnesota's Economy
Mike Lindell’s Minnesota jobs plan puts small businesses, manufacturing, and higher‑paying careers for workers and families at the center of the state’s economy.

Mike Lindell knows the economy runs on real people—Moms juggling schedules, business owners signing paychecks, professors shaping the next generation, urban church leaders holding communities together, young workers chasing a first big opportunity, and farmers betting everything on the next season. He built a national brand from a Minnesota factory floor, so when he sees bureaucracy slowing everything down, his instinct is to fix it fast and clear the way. As governor, he will throw Minnesota’s doors wide open for business with faster permits, simpler rules, and a clear path to hire, build, and grow in every part of the state.

He will lean in for Minnesota’s shop floors, start‑ups, family farms, college grads, and main‑street businesses with a relentless “Buy Minnesota” push that keeps jobs, innovation, and paychecks here instead of drifting to the coasts or overseas. By teaming up with technical colleges, universities, trade schools, and employers, Mike will connect young people and mid‑career workers directly into high‑demand careers in construction, skilled trades, healthcare, logistics, and technology.

His bottom line is simple and strong: more jobs, bigger paychecks, and a Minnesota so full of opportunity that families, graduates, and business leaders don’t look for a way out—they see their future being built right here at home.

Not once did Lindell mention eliminating Minnesota's state income tax. That seems more than a little strange. If I was running and had that as part of my economic plan, I'd feature that. Further, there's NO MENTION of fraud on his campaign website. Period.

Finally, I liked the fact that Qualls hit Sen. Klobuchar on affordability and health care, asking how her health care vote had helped Minnesotans. By asking that question, he opened Sen. Klobuchar up to a new line of attacks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kendall Quall's big mistake

Image
A loyal reader of this blog just sent me a screenshot touting Kendall Qualls. The screenshot is short on truth. What it lacks in truth, it makes up for in fiction. Here's Kendall's fiction: Kendall Qualls should be ashamed for spewing this BS. First, Qualls knows better than this. Jeff Johnson and Lisa Demuth have both confirmed that they're abiding by the Convention's endorsement. This appears to be Qualls attempting to be something he isn't. While I'm not disputing whether Mr. Qualls will abide by the endorsement, I'm calling BS that he's THE ONLY GOP CANDIDATE who will abide by the endorsement. This brings into question whether Mr. Qualls is willing to say anything to win. We don't need another candidate who'll put together fiction to win. We've had too many candidates who fit that description throughout the years. Next, we need people who fit J.C. Watts' description of character. Watts said that "the definition of character is d...
Read more

Proof that Tim Walz doesn't care about fraud or other crime

Image
Anyone that thinks that Tim Walz, Minnesota's DFL governor, doesn't care about preventing crime or fraud hasn't read this article . Alpha News is reporting that "The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has confirmed that Dylan Adams, the fiscal policy analyst caught on video vandalizing Teslas in Minneapolis, is still employed by the state — meaning Minnesota taxpayers are footing the bill for his salary. In response to Alpha News inquiries, a DHS spokesperson said: "Dylan Adams is a current employee." Apparently, the Walz administration doesn't care that it's employing a vandal in its Department of Human Services. As for whether Adams "has faced consequences for racking up more than $21,000 in damage during work hours , the agency offered little transparency. 'No public data exists with respect to disciplinary action,' the spokesperson said." This reminds me of the old phrase I coined, which says 'It's impossible to...
Read more

Johnson family statement (unedited)

We are heartbroken beyond words by the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved daughter, Hallie Marie. Hallie was a bright light in our lives and in the lives of so many others. She was kind, compassionate, and full of promise. The pain of losing her in this way is something no family should ever have to endure, and we are still struggling to comprehend this unimaginable reality. We want to express our deepest gratitude to our family, friends, and even strangers for the overwhelming outpouring of love, prayers, and support. Your messages, tributes, and acts of kindness have brought us comfort and your prayers are sustaining us as we navigate this difficult journey. We are also thankful to law enforcement for their ongoing efforts. As we grieve and begin the difficult process of laying our daughter to rest, we respectfully ask for privacy from the media during this incredibly painful time. In the midst of this tragedy, we also want to acknowledge the importance of mental health suppor...
Read more