MINOT — The school meals ballot measure was rejected by voters this week. Polling earlier this year suggested the concept was a political layup, but the political consultants guiding the ballot measure campaign made some terrible mistakes.
They chose to design the measure as a constitutional amendment, instead of statutory law, which was a bridge too far for many voters, including this one. Had it been an amendment to the North Dakota Century Code, the proponents would be celebrating right now.
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The largely left-of-center organizers also turned the campaign for the measure into a weapon against the Republican majority in the Legislature. The amendment was cast as a repudiation of out-of-touch lawmakers who refuse to give the voters what they want. That might make for strong social media fodder, but out here in the real world the voters aren't that hostile toward the Legislature.
By my count, on election night, all but one of the Republican legislative incumbents won re-election.
The Measure 2 campaign bought its way onto the ballot with massive payments to paid petitioners, and then ran the sort of affirmative campaign for it that is deeply lucrative for professional p...