Joe Soucheray thanks “a guy named David Brauer” for reminding him to vote yesterday.

Joe gives me the “enlightened” needle, which is fine because I gave it to him first in this post about St. Paul’s Instant Runoff Voting ballot measure. The Mayor’s faux cluelessness is a well-worn shtick, designed to make anything he opposes look impossibly hard.

That said, I’m pleased I played a part in Joe deciding to call IRV supporters for a sit-down. You’ll pardon me if express skepticism that he’ll change his mind — that would ruin several columns between now and Election Day.

For example, he characterizes the “a means, at least to me, by which the people who have voted for Ralph Nader all their lives intend to develop a system that makes them feel less helpless for voting for Ralph Nader all their lives.”

I’ve never voted for Nader (and wasn’t pleased with those who did). Ultimately, I want to elect governors and senators favored by a majority of the public, rather than those lucky enough to win because the rival ideological block was split. But that’s just another Joe needle.

Nevertheless, Sooch’s willingness to meet with his foes is a stand-up thing to do, as is his willingness to correct his record in the Pioneer Press’ pages.

In that spirit, honesty compels me to note I misstated my own voting record. I wrote I hadn’t missed a primary “since at least 1995.” Turns out I missed school board preliminaries that year and in 1999.

I guess the moral of the story is, don’t listen to people trumpeting their voting records. The merits of an issue matter more.