Phillips looks ahead after a bizarre presidential campaign that ended his political career

WASHINGTON — Congressman Dean Phillips says he doesn't know what his next move will be or even where he'll go after he leaves Congress after this session, strange for a man known for his accomplishments and success. He said it was a great place.

Phillips said he will return to his specialty, the business world, but will remain “involved” in efforts to reform the political system.

But Phillips, 55, doesn't know exactly what his future holds after ruining his political career by challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination. He said he doesn't even know where it will land.

“I have a home in Minnesota and a lot of roots there, but it’s a big world,” Phillips said. “Part of the fun of this experience is being exposed to it. So I don't know where to settle.”

Phillips appears to have carefully analyzed what happened after he decided to challenge Biden. He blamed national parties, the media and even “apathetic” voters for his failure to succeed as a modern-day Paul Revere, and warned of the danger of allowing an older Biden to face off against Donald Trump again. He warned the party.

Phillips, who represents a suburban Twin Cities district in Congress, cited the strength of the country's two-party system, which is “less concerned with the country and more concerned with winning.” He said he was surprised.

“We have the disincentives to do what the country needs and the incentives to persist and win,” he said.

Phillips also said the strength of the two-party system captivated the media, which was quick to report on the stumbles and stumbles of the hastily put together short-lived campaign.

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Mr. Phillips' bid for the White House began in late October and ended after the Super Tuesday primaries in March, where Mr. Phillips trailed author Marianne Williamson, or both, on the ballot. It was found to be “irresponsible” in all participating states.

“We don't have state-run media in the United States, but we do have some level of party-controlled media,” Phillips said.

He poured at least $5.25 million into his campaign. Phillips' estimated net worth is valued at more than $70 million, so he can probably afford the loss.

He was president of Phillips Distilling Company and founded Talenti Gelato, which he sold to Unilever in 2014. Currently he also owns a coffee shop he owns the chain Penny's Coffee.

The election of President Trump in 2016 prompted Phillips, who is married with two daughters, to consider shifting his focus from business to politics.

David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, said that a year before Phillips ran for president, the businessman asked him to meet for coffee for advice.

“But what struck me was that he had already decided to run,” Schultz said.

shoot the messenger

Phillips defeated Republican incumbent Eric Paulsen in the 2018 midterm elections, becoming the first Democrat to win a third term.^rd District seat since 1961.

A self-identified centrist, he began climbing the party ladder and was given a leadership position last year as co-chairman of the Democratic Party's Policy and Communications Committee, a job that involved communicating the party's political message. It included creating.

But as far as his party is concerned, Mr. Phillips has come up with the wrong message. At 81, Biden became the first Democrat to publicly say he is too old to run for another term.

He will have to leave his leadership post and, in his campaign to replace Biden, will engage Democrats on Capitol Hill, first by trying to find other Democrats to challenge the president and then by doing it himself. He earned the enmity of Minnesota DFLers.

Phillips likes to say, “I said the quiet parts out loud.” Polls show that Biden's age and health are concerns not only for Democrats but also for Democratic voters.

“In many ways, his message was probably correct,” Schultz said. “It was like shooting the messenger.”

But Schultz said Phillips, who is serving his third term in Congress, should have known better.

“After several terms in Congress, you've probably learned the level of polarization and the strength of partisan politics,” Schultz said. “If he doesn't understand why he failed and why he became an outcast, then he's more naive than we thought.”

But Phillips doesn't believe Americans are entrenched in party silos and don't need candidates who bridge the partisan divide.

“This country is hardly as divided as the 'contamination of anger' would have us believe,” he said. “This country's indifference is the biggest threat.”

Phillips vowed to work for Biden's re-election. He is a little disappointed that he is not working for his own re-election, as he decided not to seek re-election just before running for president.

“I thought I'd be in Congress a little longer,'' he said, looking a little disappointed. “Although I support term limits.”

He is one of 25 Democrats on a “victim list” of U.S. House members who will not run for re-election next year because they are retiring or running for high-level office.

Phillips has confidence in Democratic state Sen. Kelly Morrison, who is running for a third term.^rd The district seat would be a great successor.

Several Republicans are running for the open seat, including former judge and state representative Tad Jude, but Phillips will retain the seat that Morrison took from the Republican Party and placed in the blue box. He said he was confident that he would.

Editor's note: Anna Laderat wrote this article for MinnPost.com. Laderat is MinnPost's Washington, DC correspondent.

This article first appeared on MinnPost on April 16 and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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