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OUR OPINION: DAYTON Dayton believed in service
Like him or loath him, Sen. Mark Dayton always presented a unique political personality.
His decision this week to not run for a second term in the U.S. Senate proved he's a political realist who wouldn't let his personal ego override his own assessment of the facts.
As a candidate he was obviously intelligent (he attended Yale University at the same time as President George W. Bush), but he lacked the warmth and willingness to hobnob that typified the late Sen. Paul Wellstone or Sen. Norm Coleman. Politically, Dayton may have been in the Wellstone mold but he lacked the fire and humor that occasionally swayed moderate or conservative voters to his camp.
His decision to close his Washington D.C., office for security reasons late last year was widely criticized as sending the wrong message to potential terrorists. Even if Dayton had his heart in the right place he failed to explain it in a context that made sense to most Minnesotans.
Dayton often struggled as he tried to articulate his liberal beliefs. He sometimes came off as stiff and awkward, even in one-on-one encounters.
His political legacy, perhaps, will be that of a man dedicated to public service. The heir to Minnesota's Dayton department store chain, Dayton could have lived a life of ease but instead chose to teach in an inner city school, actively support political candidates and serve as state auditor and U.S. senator.
He seemed most at ease on the campaign trail when he volunteered at low-paying jobs in an attempt to connect with the working class. In 2000, during his Senate campaign, Dayton served lunch and washed dishes at Brainerd's Franklin Junior High School -- certainly establishing himself as the wealthiest dishwasher that school has ever seen.
For his willingness to serve, while others stood on the sidelines, Dayton deserves our thanks.
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