THE STUDIO WHO IS A COLUMBINE
SURVIVOR AND IS HELPING
PARKLAND RECOVER.
SPECULATION IS CONTINUING
TO SURROUND GOVERNOR TIM
PAWLENTY WILL BE RUNNING FOR
GOVERNOR.
IN A CAUCUS STRAW POLL, JEFF
JOHNSON DOMINATED WINNING 45%
OF THE VOTE BUT HE IS STUCK
WAITING FOR PAWLENTY, TOO.
HE SAID IF PAWLENTY DOES ENTER
THE RACE, THE ELECTION WILL BE
A REFERENDUM ON THE FORMER
GOVERNOR.
HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER
JEFF JOHNSON JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
TO WHAT DEGREE WOULD THE
RACE FOR THE GOP AND PRIMARY IN
AUGUST BE ABOUT A REFERENDUM ON
TIM PAWLENTY?
THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY IN THE
RADIO.
IF HE IS IN THE RECESS AND
IS OUR CANDIDATE, HE WILL BE
TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE FOR
SURE BUT THE ISSUES WILL BE
ABOUT HIS 8 YEARS AS GOVERNOR
AND LOBBYIST AND COMMENTS ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
I DON'T THINK WE WIN IF IT'S
ABOUT THE PAST.
IF WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T
HAVE THE BAGGAGE, FRANKLY, WE
CAN MAKE THIS ELECTION ABOUT
THE FUTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT IT
NEEDS TO BE IF THE PROBLEMS
WANT TO WIN.
FORMER GOVERNOR TIM PAW
LEPTY IS THE LAST PERSON TO WIN
THE STATE RACE RACE IN 2002-
2006.
DOESN'T THE GOP WANT SOMEONE
WHO WILL BE A WINNER?
I EXPECT SOME OF THE WITH
THE WEALTHIEST DONORS DO.
HE HAS HIGH NAME RECOGNITION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IS
POSITIVE VERSUS NEGATIVE BUT IF
YOU WANT THE MESSAGE TO BE
ABOUT CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT AND
NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL AND NOT
MORE OF THE SAME, HE WILL NOT
PULL THAT OFF.
A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE 2002
SINCE HE RAN.
MY MESSAGE IS ABOUT FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT AND
CHANGING THE CULTURE IN STATE
AGENCIES LIKE THE DNR AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE,
CONTROLLING PEOPLE AND
DIRECTING PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY
SERVING THE PEOPLE THAT PAY
THEIR SALARIES.
THAT WILL BE THE MESSAGE THAT A
LOT OF MINNESOTANS ARE LOOKING
FOR RATHER THAN LET'S GO BACK
TO 12 AND 16 YEARS AGO WHEN THE
FOCUS WAS ON MAKING THE
GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT.
THAT WON'T CUT IT ANYMORE.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER
CLIP YOU PUT OUT ON TWITTER AND
SOCIAL MEDIA.
LET'S LISTEN.
IT'S A BRIEF ONE.
THEY KNOW I SUPPORT OUR
PRESIDENT AND DID BEFORE HIS
ELECTION.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
THAT.
YOU RAN MARCO RUBIO'S CAMPAIGN.
HE WON THE CAUCUSES.
YOU WERE CERTAINLY NOT A DONALD
TRUMP SUPPORTER IN 2016.
NO.
I STARTED WITH MARCO RUBIO AND
CO-CHAIR AND THEN CO-CHAIR OF
TED CRUZ'S CAMPAIGN AND WHEN
DONALD TRUMP WAS OUR CANDIDATE,
I WAS A SUPPORTER AND MADE THE
ARGUMENT HE WAS NOT MY FIRST OR
SECOND CLOSE BUT HE IS MY
CHOICE NOW BUT I STILL BELIEVE
HE IS BETTER FOR THE COUNTRY
THAN HILLARY CLINTON.
I AM A NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN FROM
NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES BUT I
SUPPORT WHERE HE IS TRYING TO
TAKE THE COUNTRY BY AND LARGE.
WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE
HIM AS PRESIDENT?
NO ONE HAS ASKED THAT
BEFORE.
PROBABLY A B OR A B PLUS.
THERE WERE SOME
DISAPPOINTMENTS, PARTICULARLY
SIGNING THE BILL YESTERDAY OR
THE DAY BEFORE, THE OMNIBUS
BILL, WHICH NEVER SHOULD HAVE
BEEN PASSED BUT YEAH, A B OR B
PLUS.
VOTERS DID HAVE A CHANCE TO
VOTE YOU IN AS GOVERNOR AND YOU
LOST BY GOVERNOR DAYTON BY 6
PERCENTAGE POINTS.
WHAT CHANGED?
A LOT HAS CHANGED.
IS NOT AN INCUMBENT RUNNING.
THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL
AND MOST OF THE NATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS ARE RATING THIS
AS A TOSS-UP RACE OR SLIGHTLY
DFL.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE VERY OPEN TO
THE CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT RIGHT
NOW.
I WAS AT THE STATE FAIR FOR 12
DAYS LAST YEAR AND I WAS AT THE
STATE FAIR FOR 12 DAYS FOUR
YEARS AGO.
THE ATTITUDE OF AVERAGE, EVERY
DAY NON-POLITICAL MINNESOTANS
ARE DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT WAS
THEN.
THEY ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT
GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT
INCOMPETENT IN MINNESOTA.
THEY ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT
STATE AGENCIES HAVE BECOME
RATHER BULLYING OF AVERAGE
MINNESOTANS, AND THERE IS A
CULTURE THAT GOVERNMENT'S JOB
IS TO HELP MAKE DECISIONS WITH
THEIR OWN LIVES.
I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENT
ATTITUDE ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO
MAKE MINNESOTA BETTER THAN 4
YEARS AGO.