Star Tribune surveying gov candidates on substance use and mental health

Here’s the email the Star Tribune sent to all candidates this past Monday:

Dear candidate for governor:

Following up on the recent published remarks by former Sen. Mark Dayton about his treatment for depression and alcohol abuse, the Star Tribune is asking each candidate for governor whether he or she has ever received therapy or treatment of any kind for use of alcohol or prescription or non-prescription drugs, or for depression or anxiety.

The response - or the absence of a response - will likely be used in a future news story. The newspaper requests that any response to this inquiry be made by Jan. 8.

Thank you.

Pat Doyle
Staff Writer
Minneapolis Star Tribune
651-222-1210

That’s an interesting development I didn’t expect. As we opined in the last Weekly Report of 2009, former U.S. Sen. and current DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton did a masterful job managing the “news” that he suffered from depression (most people who were paying attention kind of knew that), but also the real news — that he suffered a relapse in his alcoholism during the last year he served in the Senate.

First things first. Neither issue will likely have a dramatic impact on the race, in part because everyone knows someone who suffers with depression and or alcoholism, but also in large part because of how Dayton disclosed it. The “masterful” part of the disclosure was giving the exclusive to Star Tribune weekly political columnist and editorialist Lori Sturdevant. As expected, Sturdevant handled Dayton’s confession with humanity and grace. We have to assume, though, that the political reporting team at the paper was less than happy with being scooped and not allowed to further pursue the issue until Sturdevant’s column had run.

The second smart move on Dayton’s part was making his disclosure on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s 2009 news and we’re about to start the clock has started on 2010. More directly from Dayton, here.

Finally, Republicans took some heat after being quoted as suggesting that other Democratic candidates were going to use Dayton’s diseases against him. For the record, that information came from Democrats, not Republicans. Now that it’s 2010, both Republicans and Democrats expect the gloves to come off. Dayton might actually be in the best position because his Senate record is out there, and now the personal stuff is out there. Dayton’s bags are unpacked and he’s ready to go.

As best we can recall, two other gubernatorial candidates have also unpacked their bags.  What we know from published reports is that Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Delano) had two brushes with alcohol and the law (1981 and 1991); and Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), one (a DUI arrest in 2004). Both Emmer and Rukavina were repentant about their transgressions and appeared to suffer little political damage.

We’ll post reaction to the Star Tribune’s request as we get it.

2 Responses to “Star Tribune surveying gov candidates on substance use and mental health”

1. MrJM Says:
   January 8th, 2010 at 8:45 am

   Will the Star Tribune also ask candidates if they are working in league with the Devil, or will this journalistic witch-hunt be woefully incomplete?

   – MrJM

2. Hypocritenumber2 Says:
   January 14th, 2010 at 12:04 am

   Hey maybe we should ask If they ever had a homosexual experience too. Or better yet let’s just disqualify them for their color? Dumb As_es