Perhaps Mark Dayton's most important audience, for the moment, is not the general public, but the DFL delegates who will decide the party's endorsement in the 2010 governor's race.
So at the same time that the former U.S. senator was owning up to the Star Tribune about his struggles with depression and alcoholism, his campaign sent out an email blast to friends and supporters explaining his decision to go public. The text: I want to tell you myself about this article published today in the Star Tribune. In it, I disclose that for many years I have been challenged by mild depression, and also that, for a brief period while I was in the Senate, I "slipped" in my recovery from alcoholism. These are deeply personal matters, and it is very hard for me to disclose them publicly. However, I believe that you and others have the right to know them about me, as you consider supporting me for Governor of Minnesota. In the months ahead, before the DFL primary and the general election, you will have many opportunities to see and hear me and to decide for yourself whether I am the best person to lead Minnesota through the serious challenges confronting us. My best,
Mark
