Some Dude For Governor

I have nothing constructive to add to the government shutdown discussion. I haven't seen so much traffic on Twitter since the end of Republican primary debate season.

Instead, in the kind of outside the Beltway minutia that only a state-level blogger can give you, we have, via the Story County Dems, an actual Some Dude story.

Yeah, I know, the last time I called anyone a Some Dude I had to eat my words. But somehow, I think this is safe. Paul Dahl of Webster City is launching an announcement tour for governor - governor? - on Friday:

October 4

8 a.m.
Sioux City Public Library (outside)
529 Pierce Street

10 a.m.
Council Bluffs Public Library (outside)
400 Willow Avenue

1 p.m.
Central Library, Des Moines Public Library (outside)
1000 Grand Avenue

2:30 p.m.
Parks Library, Iowa State University, Ames (outside)
Corner of Osborn Drive and Morrill Road)

5:00 p.m.
Mason City Public Library (outside)
225 2nd Street SE

7:30 p.m.
Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (outside)
1227 West 27th Street

October 5

8 a.m.
Local 838, UAW Hall, Waterloo (inside or outside to be determined)
2615 Washington Street

10 a.m.
Downtown Library, Cedar Rapids Public Library (outside)
450 Fifth Avenue SE

12 noon
Main Library, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City (outside)
125 West Washington Street

2 p.m.
Burlington Public Library (outside)
210 Court Street

4:30 p.m.
Davenport Public Library (outside)
321 North Main Street

6:30 p.m.
Dubuque Carnegie-Stout Public Library (outside)
360 West 11th Street

Note that 1) The Iowa City stop is during the Hawkeye football game and 2) the common theme of "outside the library."

Outside the library is, it turns out, very apt. Two years ago Dahl was hired and in just two months fired as Webster City's library director for numerous yet unspecified complaints from the public. Since then he's stayed in Webster City in a... wide variety of jobs, according to his resume, most recently as a bus driver. A bus driver with two masters degrees. I thought that only happened in Iowa City. Still, a step up from his previous stop at Dollar General.

Closest I can find to a platform is "The Significant Seven Issues for Iowa":

1) Agricultural Revitalization (Biotic Friendly Practices)
2) Renewable Energy Commitment
3) Tax Reform
4) Greater Higher Education Investment and Preschool - Grade 12 School Support
5) Mass Transit Infrastructure Development
6) Improvements in Health Care and Long Term Care Insurance Options
7) Criminal Justice Reforms

All interesting in their own right, but unconventionally presented. And nothing wrong with bus drivers. Yet the overall impression is of That One Guy who talks waaaay too long at the platform committee meeting.

This is the second campaign for Dahl, 49. In 1994 he won 5% in the Democratic primary in the old 5th CD. After that he had a fairly stable career in the library sciences in Iowa and Minnesota, before returning to Iowa for that ill-fated Webster City job.

Compared to this, Bob Krause's long ago legislative service is a Bidenesque Ears Of Experience. But as Sal Mohamed proved, anyone smart enough to get nomination papers in the caucus packet is likely to make the ballot, and just the name on the ballot is good for at least 1 percent.