Emmer racking up kudos

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer is racking up kudos from Mankato to Minneapolis.

On Saturday, The Free Press gave Emmer a thumbs up for basically saying he was going to be reasonable when it came to challenging the recount. He said he would make sure nothing extraordinary was happening and then if the margin is still fairly large, 8,700 votes or thereabouts, he would be done.

He went on to say that he wasn't going to put everyone through a futile effort.

Emmer also got a good 700- to 800 words of praise from Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman, who had much good to say about Emmer's sportsmanship. Many of Coleman's readers were at the very least surprised, and possibly some shocked, as he is not want to heap a lot of praise on many Republicans.

Coleman said Emmer "deserves great appreciation" and that kind of "leadership" is "rare."

Emmer has in the past been described a the bulldog of the Republican Party, especially when he was in the Legislature. But a long campaign for governor, hearing and seeing the hopes, wants and desires of average Minnesotans, may tend to have a calming effect on any candidate.

When I hosted the gubernatorial debate in Mankato, I thought one of the best and most sincere statements Emmer made came when he was asked to pick a former governor he respected. He said something to the effect that he respects anyone and everyone who has put themselves through a campaign and made sacrifices simply because they believe they can make the state better for future generations.


 Emmer's recounts statement has hints of those beliefs. Good for him.