Enough toe-dipping—Rep. Paula Hawks (D-9/Hartford) officially, truly, for reals, wants to be your next Congresswoman. Here’s the press release, straight from her official, true, for reals campaign:
Sioux Falls, SD (August 3, 2015)- Fifth generation South Dakotan and current South Dakota State Legislator from District 9, Paula Hawks today announces her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for the 2016 general election.
Today, in an email to supporters across South Dakota, the Hawks for U.S. House campaign released a video announcing Paula Hawks as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I’m running for United States House of Representatives because I believe South Dakota needs a Representative who will work hard to represent the interests of everyday citizens. I believe South Dakotans deserve someone who listens and works hard for them each and every day in Washington.” Hawks continued to say, “If I’m elected to the United States House of Representatives, I will stand with our family farmers and ranchers. I will stand with South Dakota’s women and support equal pay for equal work, something our current Representative opposes. I will stand with our seniors and fight for lower drug prices instead of lining the pockets of pharmaceutical companies. I will stand up for our young people who are pursuing a higher education, to ensure that their degree gives them a career not decades of student loan debt. I will stand up against Wall Street to make sure your hard earned dollars are not swept away by the high risk practices that crippled our economy.”
Paula looks forward to meeting and talking about the issues important to South Dakota in the weeks and months ahead. This week Paula will be visiting the Sioux Empire Fair serving at Agriculture Appreciation Day, Huron, and Aberdeen.
Hey hey! If she’s at the Sioux Empire Fair, she can check in on the fake petitioners, then go talk to the real petitioners at Booth 22 to talk about how their campaign to truly and for reals cap payday lender interest rates at 36% could synergize with her campaign for Congress.
Here’s the announcement video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F72CkiUA9GE
Hawks sounds ready to challenge Noem on policy and image. Hawks says her dad on her farm taught her to fix things that are broken. Hawks speaks to the groups she feels Noem has failed to represent—farmers, women, seniors, young people trying to get an education without being swamped by student loan debt. And while she never speaks Noem’s name, she signals that she’s ready to give South Dakotans a representative who listens to them and works hard… which of course means that Hawks is ready to make the case that our current Congresswoman does not listen or work hard.
Now, if Hawks wants people to listen to that message, let’s have a minor musical critique: the background music in this video sounds more like Erik Satie or a lullaby than campaign launch. Call it style, but I need a little more thunder in my campaign openings:
Democrats won’t win back Congress playing lullabies. Less Satie, more AC/DC—bring the thunder, Paula! South Dakota needs it!
Well, all right! An “issues” candidate, not a “see-I-have-a horse-and-tight-jeans” candidate! You go, Girl!
Keep in mind, Loren, that the last time we ran a female issues candidate who didn’t run on appearances, Noem won. But Paula can wage that fight without the Tea Party/anti-DC frustration that fueled Noem’s win in 2010.
Hopefully Hawks can get down and dirty. I want her to talk issues but don’t be afraid to get nasty with NOem
Hawks can win this – but she’s gotta get aggressive fast!
She sounds great in this video, but the recipe for winning in 2016 requires her to bring the “THUN-DER” vs. KRISTI NOEM (not “our current representative”) or the CONGRESS writ-large.
Gotta give:
a) The party activists something/someone to get excited about
b) The media something to talk about to control the media cycles
and
c) The soft Noem supporters and independents a reason for pause on Noem’s 5 career in congress
She can do all of the above! This is going to be an interesting campaign…
Noem is on Recess after an “excruciating” first 7 months of 2015 filled with exhausting long hours spent… umm… giving the president Trade Promotion Authority to authorize up-and-down votes on International Trade Agreements?
In the first 7 months what legislation has been passed, and what issues have been left unaddressed?
The first wave of contrast could be spent talking about the lack of focus and GOP brinksmanship on the recently passed Highway Bill that Speaker Boehner calls a “piece of sh*t”
(http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/congress-faces-fall-from-hell-120753.html)
If she runs on Obama’s record,she should be a shoe in. Same as if she makes No-see-em’s and No-hear-em’s record the focus of her campaign. But Noem looks good on a horse. So does a horsie’s arse and it already has one. Don’t need Noem as HA Numero 2-0.
Brinksmanship and Boehner—Hawks can hang Noem after her third term the same way Noem hanged Herseth Sandlin after her third term: tie her to the Speaker of the House, hang every failing of the Speaker on Noem, and show that she’s now a creature of Washington, not a South Dakota gal getting anything done. “This is what hanging out with Speaker Boehner gets you—nada! Bupkis! Nothing!”
I also want to hear our candidate say “Bupkis!” on the stump. With feeling.
NOem can only talk about the pine beetle only so many times
Was Noem a part of the attempted ousting of Boehner by the tea party last week?
“Hawks can win this – but she’s gotta get aggressive fast! ”
Hawks and supporters should read the above again and not forget it.
Get around SD like Weiland did, but make certain something is said at every place to warrant press coverage. That may be difficult these days however.
Go after XL RIGHT NOW as a fraud on South Dakota and the US. Paint it as not in the US interest and point out how GOP flagwavers should all be opposed to it, but are purchased by the fossil fuels industry. Hammer on the future value of clean water.
Talk about the economy and what a disaster we would be in right now if Noem, Thune, and Rounds would have had more influence.
There are dozens of issues just as long as Democrats don’t run away from rational progressive ideas and Obama policies.
Talk about the lack of economy here in South Dakota and what she will do to move the economy in general. We are talking highway bill here. Talk about healthcare and how NOem wants to steal that not only from veterans, but everyone else as well. She has more ammo against NOem in simple terms than the right can dig up on her character.
This is good news. I liked Corrina Robinson (sp?) and was very hopeful in her challenge of Noem. But as time went on, it was clear that her challenge to Noem was not even going to get close to being successful. And just that…….she didn’t CHALLENGE Noem really on anything.
I don’t know anything about Ms Hawks, but am looking forward to learning more about her. It sounds like she is going to be on Dakota Midday today, so it will be a good opportunity to start learning more about her today!
I liked all of Douglas W’s ideas on what to run on. Also, what is the pulse of South Dakotans reference the multiple raising of license plate “fees” , fuel tax, and driver’s license issue? In other words, R’s in this state let infrastructure run down, then are having to play catch up to try to take care of business on roads/bridges. (Oh yeah, that’s right. They didn’t raise taxes – they only increased fees!!)
A tip for Ms Hawks…… Don’t hire Tom Katus as your campaign. Nice guy, but he won’t get the job done. Just ask Corrina Robinson.
Cory, an AC/DC fan? Thunderstruck is good music but would probably scare the GOP elders.
Jenny, GOP elders could use a good scare.
Dana, Hawks on SDPB today? Awesome! I’ll get home fast and tune in! But I’m not so sure that the Robinson campaign reflects any failure on Katus’s part. He has won elections. He knows people. He could direct Hawks toward some money.
But yes, maybe she should hire Doug Wiken as policy advisor! Doug’s got experience, too! Combine the old guard and the new guard and win!
I hope she has a good Campaign manager that has plenty of experience. First rule – conquer Sioux Falls. Dems will need the votes there to win. I hope they know it’s all about getting the minorities out to vote. They’re overwhelmingly democrat, and you need to get to them before the GOP feigns their admiration for them. Remember GOP is anti-immigrant. Minorities – get them and new American citizens registered to vote. Invite them into the party and educate them what being democrat mean. This is how Southern MN did it, an historic red district, that voted Tim Walz – DFL 1st Congressional District in.
No doubt it will be an uphill battle and Hawks is already roughly 20 percentage points behind, but this will be all about establishing a Democratic base.