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31 of 34 Democratic Candidates Endorse Clinton; 19 of 32 Republicans Sound Ashamed of Trump

Based on responses from 587 likely South Dakota voters, Nielson Brothers Polling reports that Donald Trump will beat Hillary Clinton in our fair state 49% to 35%. However, if that Sioux Falls paper’s sampling of 68 Legislative candidates is any indication, Republican candidates are far less enthusiastic about declaring for Trump than Democratic candidates are for Clinton.

Paging through the fourteen southeast South Dakota districts from which Joe Sneve compiles responses, I find that, when asked, “Who do you plan to vote for in the presidential election and why?” 31 out of the 34 Democratic Legislative candidates said “Hillary Clinton.” Only three dodged the question: Shane Merrill from District 17 said he’s still waiting to watch the debates (hey, Shane! Watch the first, second, and third debates online!); Dan Ahlers of District 25 says he doesn’t endorse candidates; David Haagenson of District 25 at least says he’s not voting for Trump.

Meanwhile, only twelve of the 32 Republican Legislative candidates covered in Sneve’s series said “Donald Trump.” Five Republicans milk their toast by saying they will support their party’s nominee (one of them, Rep. Jim Bolin, invoked a bumper sticker that says “America’s Chances: With Trump – 50 percent; With Hillary – 0 percent”). Fourteen fully dodged the question, among them Senator Deb Soholt from District 14, who said, “I have no idea what to do when I find myself not supporting any of the candidates.” The only explicit Trump repudiator is Rep. Isaac “Facepalm” Latterell, who says he will vote third party or write in a name and, in his ongoing bid for the Mr. Irrelevancy Prize, calls again for an Article V Convention to solve all of our problems.

Clinton may not win South Dakota, but at least our nominee doesn’t make a majority of our leaders ashamed to declare that we publicly support her.

107 Comments

  1. moses six 2016-11-01 09:45

    But I will still vote fro him right.

  2. Troy 2016-11-01 10:11

    I’m not sure I’d consider it a compliment to your stable of candidates that 90% express support for Clinton. The flaws of our choices are unprecedented.

  3. Steve Hickey 2016-11-01 10:20

    I’m really starting to get excited about a Trump presidency. It’s gonna happen. Bring the troops home, quit with all the wars and bombing, arming of enemies , etc, stick it to the banksters. Put the Clintons in jail. This gay billionaire from the Silicone Valley expresses my sentiments exactly… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfYLEPRiIyE&feature=share

  4. Leo 2016-11-01 10:26

    So that means that 53 of 66 SD legislative candidates are ashamed of Trump. So why will he win South Dakota? If this election has taught us anything, it is to listen to the voters and their concerns more so than the current leadership. Disgusted voters stay home, really disgusted voters vote third party.

  5. mike from iowa 2016-11-01 10:29

    From Sheila Kennedy’d blog-

    Hillary Clinton may be the most-investigated public servant ever, and despite having been the object of right-wing conspiracy theories for over thirty years, she has never been found to have violated any law. She has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, in the United States Senate and as Secretary of State and has been a tireless crusader for women and families.

    To paraphrase P.J. O’Rourke, when she’s been wrong, she’s been wrong within normal parameters.

  6. Donald Pay 2016-11-01 10:55

    Whoever wins, the Republicans are going to try to impeach the next President. The party is a mess of divided values and positions, incapable of leadership, but not quite as fascist as Trump and his alt-right supporters think it is. It’s a party that deserves to die, but will try to self-medicate with its fall back position: impeachment.

    They will try to impeach Clinton because that’s in their DNA. They will have no valid reason, but they have nothing else to offer, so they’ll make something up, as usual.

    But the intriguing part is that Trump is going to be President, should he win, for about two months. Trump is insane and a fascist, not too much different than Hitler, but he’s incapable of governing. That will become obvious very quickly, and the remaining sane folks in the Republican Party will not stand for a Putin-like authoritarian leading the country. IIt could happen because he gets indicted on one of his fraud issues or his tax issues. If there is not a majority in the Republican Party to oust Trump, those anti-Trumpers will join Democrats to kick him out.

    I know, it’s close, as evidenced by the Hickster (see above), but I refuse to believe that most of the Republican Party will sell out to fascism. So, we’ll have President Pence, if Trump wins.

    I could see the possibility that Trump would agree to be a sort of figurehead, sort of like GW Bush in the first term. They might let him hang around, as long as he did what they tell him to do. He might go for that if he got a full pardon for all of his fraud and tax problems.

  7. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 10:56

    Hickey,
    Trump will grab you by your pussy!

  8. Leo 2016-11-01 11:05

    Mike, reality check. If HRC’s career in totality has been so distinguished, she would be blowing Donald Trump out of the water by 20 points, like Bernie Sanders would be doing right now had he been our nominee. And when will people stop calling corruption normal! Is it normal now? Do the American people accept that normalcy? I think not. The Clinton Foundation and its history despite its good works is a cesspool. I have never heard the New York Times ever publicly call for the shutting down of the Jimmy Carter Foundation. Why is that?

  9. mike from iowa 2016-11-01 11:22

    Jimmy Carter hasn’t been accused of every crime in the book for the past 30 years.

    Like it or not, HRC still didn’t murder Vince Foster, she and Bill lost money on Whitewater because their fraudulent partner MacDougall sold off assets and pocketed the money w/o paying off loans. Rose law firm files in HRC’s possession belonged to HRC-no crime their and mostly because Bill didn’t screw everything that wore a dress as he was accused of and HRC is paying the price for.

    I haven’t paid the slightest attn to Clinton Foundation, just assumed most charges are overblown if not totally false.

  10. Dicta 2016-11-01 11:27

    “I’m really starting to get excited about a Trump presidency. It’s gonna happen. Bring the troops home, quit with all the wars and bombing, arming of enemies , etc, stick it to the banksters. Put the Clintons in jail.”

    Your emphasis on vague moral grandstanding and complete lack of nuance is staggering.

  11. jerry 2016-11-01 11:35

    How can you bring the troops home when Trump wants to “bomb the poop out of them”. Dream on Hickey, the dreams of Rapture on the plains of…hey, how the hell will we get there from here? Trump Air will rise like a Phoenix to haul us there, duh. Trump Air, the only airline that utilizes stand up travel for those other people. The wealthy ride on couches drinking vintage and eating Russian Caviar (courtesy of buddy Vladimir), and the girls up front, well, you know.. while the poor are packed in so you do not need seat belts. Standing room only http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/24/air-trump-a-short-play

  12. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-01 11:37

    Trump, do what Republicans tell him to? Never, Donald Pay, not even for the chance to be called President and sleep in the White House for four years.

    If the polls say its close, Clinton will still win, because she has the effective GOTV ground game, while Trump just assumes he can make noisy speeches and mug for the camera and leave the real work of campaigning to others.

  13. Leo 2016-11-01 11:47

    Exactly, Cory. It is all about the money in politics – ground games cost lots and lots of money. SDGOP not beholden to Trump because he is doing nothing for him. SDGOP probably beholden to Koch Brothers. I predict that Clinton and all her questionable money sources is doing everything for SDDP and Dem Candidates that “endorse” her.

    Get the money out of politics. http://www.wolf-pac.com Overturn Citizens United! http://www.cleanmoneycandidates.org

  14. mike from iowa 2016-11-01 11:52

    Leo, my computer has no sound for videos. It only operates in safe mode with networking and it takes a computer genius to figure out how to get the sound do hickey (or don’t Hickey) installed. Got a full transcript I can read?

  15. Craig 2016-11-01 11:53

    Hickey: “Put the Clintons in jail.”

    Trying to abuse one’s power and locking up political opponents (effectively silencing them) without a trial is a tactic well known throughout the world, and if people like Hickey had his way it would be commonplace here as well.

    Scary thought.

  16. Leo 2016-11-01 11:54

    Meet Birgitta Jónsdóttir: The Ex-WikiLeaks Volunteer Who Has Helped the Pirate Party Reshape Iceland

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H61_roSKsVg

    For anyone thinking this is not relevant to South Dakota establishment two-party system, I say you are wrong.

  17. Leo 2016-11-01 11:57

    Sorry Mike, it was a video interview on Democracy Now with Birgitta Jonsdottir. No transcript that I have unless they have one at http://www.democracynow.org

  18. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 12:03

    Donald Trump, “I love war”.
    Donald Trump, “If we have all these nuclear weapons, why don’t we use them”? Sounds like a real president to me, if Trump is elected president we’ll to introduce the draft to deal with the carnage he will leave behind.

    The Trump Foundation was shuttered a few weeks ago for fraudulent funding raising practices. They even spent donor money to erect a sculpture of Trump.

  19. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 12:10

    Put Hickey in jail. He is a fugitive from justice and fled the country when his petition fraud was exposed. Even Bosworth fessed up after some prodding, Hickey ran.

  20. Leo 2016-11-01 12:41

    Yes Roger, Trump is a disaster, and so is Clinton. Vote third party to deny either the Presidency. This is not a false equivalency because the reason for each disaster is on different topics. We need to take our democracy back from the Oligarchs and Plutocrats who currently have control. I do have faith in our balance of powers doctrine elucidated in the United States Constitution. People need to stop being so polarized against one another and recognize from whence the problems originate!

  21. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 13:12

    Leo,
    I thought you were more realistic than many, the fact is regardless of a third party vote, Clinton or Trump will be the next president.
    It isn’t in the cards, it is the popular and electoral college votes.

  22. Rorschach 2016-11-01 13:14

    Trump may win and have a GOP Party senate behind him to appoint at least one Scalia-like justice to the Supreme Court and validate the GOP Party’s obstructionism. Then they will repeal Obamacare throwing millions off of health insurance while cutting taxes for billionaires, increasing defense spending while sending the bill to your grandkids, and set about punishing Democrats, Republicans, minorities, Muslims, women, reporters … . Commence the recriminations! It would be horrible for the world, but the voting public will fall back in love with Democrats at every level of government everywhere.

    Then again, Clinton may win and be investigated for 4 straight years at unlimited taxpayer expense and further erode the Democratic Party at all levels of government till the GOP Party rolls to a Presidential landslide in 2020.

    Choose your poison folks!

  23. mikeyc, that's me! 2016-11-01 14:44

    Max Kennedy, (Bobbies son), told me that when his dad was assassinated, they found a handwritten note in his sportcoat pocket that said- “South Dakota 50%.”
    He was very proud of the results in SD.

  24. bearcreekbat 2016-11-01 14:53

    The best that I can say about a potential Trump presidency is that my friend pointed out that after two years our country will likely be so screwed up that voters will put Democrats back in the majority in both the House and the Senate. Likewise, voters in states governed by Republicans will likely decide that they have been screwed badly enough to change state government from red to blue.

  25. Leo 2016-11-01 16:40

    @Roger, you are certain what is going to happen with election day results? Really? Have you been studying California? Has anyone in the MSM?

  26. mike from iowa 2016-11-01 16:53

    Leo- the FBI released some real old Clinton files about the foundation and Bill’s pardon of Mark Rich which was investigated and no wrong doing found. That case was closed years ago. Why release them now?

  27. Leo 2016-11-01 17:27

    Mike, don’t know anything, I am a Democratic loyalist who will never see anything wrong with the Clinton Foundation ’cause they help people in other countries. If anything new comes up, I am sure the corporate media will cover it in great detail.

  28. mike from iowa 2016-11-01 17:41

    Texas Ag Commish just called HRC the “C” word and I’m betting it wasn’t kristian.

  29. Troy 2016-11-01 18:29

    Finally looked at the Neilson Brother’s Poll.

    Most interesting piece of information: Trump is polling above GOP Registration %. Clinton is polling below Dem Registration %.

    Next most interesting piece of information: Only the Vo-Tech School Governance Amendment has good chance of passing (42%-27%) as it would take 80% of undecided’s to go against it for it to fail. IM21 looks like it might squeak through as historically 2/3 of the undecideds vote no on ballot issues which would put IM21 through by a squeaker. The rest go down even with benefit of the margin of error.

  30. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 18:30

    Leo,
    If you follow the major (legitimate) polls you will see there won’t be a successful 3rd party victory regardless of how long you cross your fingers.

    California or MSM have nothing to do with my opinions and I don’t study either one.

    Nate Silver @538.com offers some of the most honest analysis of all polls and is showing a very tight race as of today. I wish the results were better for Hillary, but they are not, however she is still ahead of Trump.

  31. Troy 2016-11-01 18:52

    Roger,

    I think it entirely possible that Trump wins the popular vote and still loses the Electoral College. Trump needs one of these three to switch: PA, CO, or NH. These don’t happen, there isn’t a real path without a shock in MN, WI or MI.

    Bear, the 2018 Senate election is a tough one for Dems. They have to defend 4 Senators in strong Red states (ND, MT, MO, IN) plus 5 more in swing states. GOP defends none in Blue States and only 2 in swing states. For your friend to be right, it will take a wave election. Who knows what the situation will be in two years? Who would have thunk we’d be where we are today even a year ago?

  32. Troy 2016-11-01 19:04

    P.S. I agree Nate Silver is definitely a go-to source for poll analysis. From my perspective, he is the best as I like hard empirical analysis of information, a weighting to the mean over time which smooths out bumps during the campaign.

    However, I’m wondering if this might be the one-off election because how much this election is different than prior elections. Usually we have an election with both candidates with a 10-20% Net Favorable rating. This time it is the opposite.

  33. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 19:17

    Troy,
    Nate Silver has been wrong in the past or his numbers have slightly off, but over the years I have seen where he has perfected his analysis.
    If you checked his site, he is still showing Clinton with an electoral college edge all though it has gone down somewhat in the past 10 days.
    We are getting to the point in this campaign where it all comes down to voter turnout.
    Hillary continues to do well in early voting.

  34. Troy 2016-11-01 19:39

    Roger,

    Nate is smart and pretty close since he came on the scene. His strength is his solid methodology. But if this election is a one-off (both candidates with net unfavorable is unprecedented), his methodology might not perform as before.

    You are right what his methodology shows. Might be right. Might not. My point is I think his electoral college prediction is more likely to be right as I think flipping CO, PA, or NH looks likely only in a wave.

  35. jerry 2016-11-01 22:21

    The reports show that Trump is in bed with the Russians and I ain’t talking about all of his wives either. Do we have an FBI or do we have the KGB? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yICulnahSM

  36. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 22:33

    Jerry,
    I harken back to the time when the FBI and the Russians were on opposite sides.

  37. grudznick 2016-11-01 22:42

    You people are all insaner than most when talking about this business. Trump is right there with you. The South Dakota libbie bastion and Trump have all just jumped over the buffalo.

  38. jerry 2016-11-01 22:47

    Mr. grudznick loves him some taters, turns out taters are what makes the national drink of Russia.

  39. grudznick 2016-11-01 22:51

    Mr. jerry, this has nothing to do with breakfast. I admit much of what you fellows talk about on this blog is over my head and kind of baffles me, but in this case I think making fun of me does not help the point that Mr. Trump is insaner than most. And Hillary is corrupter than most. We are in a tough spot.

  40. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 22:55

    Jerry,
    This all makes you wonder how much Trump’s commie wife has influenced the Trump/Putin relationship.
    LePen should be asking Donald Trump for a 29 million campaign contribution.

  41. grudznick 2016-11-01 23:03

    It can’t make me hate Mr. Trump any more, but I am somewhat shocked, Mr. C, that his wife is a commie. That is bad. It is pretty bad.

  42. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-01 23:04

    grudz’s, we are not in a tough spot, Hillary is clearly the most qualified candidate. The choice is easy.

    republicans have been calling Hillary corrupt and crooked for decades and have yet to produce the evidence of that corruption. It like the old saying goes, ‘if you repeat a lie enough times you will believe it is fact’.

    Hillary isn’t an avowed racist.
    Hillary isn’t a woman hater.
    Hillary doesn’t talk about women in derogatory terms.
    Hillary is everything Donald Trump isn’t.

    The choice is clear between a candidate that understands government and policy and one that wants to run the government with bumper sticker slogans.

  43. jerry 2016-11-01 23:05

    No sir, not making fun of you sir, making fun out of it all. You see nothing is really serious. When you become to serious, you loose your smile and if you loose your smile, girls get the idea you don’t like them and that starts the saying that girls have cooties. When that happens you become rank and file tea party republicans who are so afraid of girls that they become unglued when it comes to even thinking about one becoming president.

    By the way, taters for breakfast is what a lot of the rank and file have by mixing the liquid form with tomato juice and a chunk of celery to stir it with.

  44. jerry 2016-11-01 23:11

    Communism died when Cuba opened the door to Obama, but it was on its death bed for decades. Putin is not a commie, that is for sure. He is an oligarch and that makes him part of the club that Trump and the rest of the corporate rulers belong to. All they have to do is toss a bone to the rank and file, something like poor people or disabled or the darkies and wham-o presto, then tell them that when they run the company, they will get rid of them. The rank and file eat on that bone with much chewing as they have them thinking they are in the club as well.

  45. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 05:51

    Leo, I don’t think the GOP candidates’ squeamishness about Trump has anything to do with money (although you’re right: Trump isn’t doing anything to help the party with basic campaigning and down-ticket races—Trump is all about Trump). The Sanders campaign has done far more to help SD Legislative candidates than the Clinton campaign (I’ve seen no sign of direct aid from Clinton), yet we Democrats are still willing to endorse her in far greater numbers than our GOP counterparts. That difference speaks to the false equivalency: Even in a red state with Trump polling higher than Clinton, Republican candidates balk at tying themselves to the unseemly top of their ticket because Trump is verifiably worse than Clinton.

  46. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 05:53

    (Hickey is not guilty, and I will never join the lynch mob Bosworth/Haber and friends tried to form to distract from their criminal and immoral behavior.)

  47. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 05:57

    Ror, I disagree with the “elect Clinton, doom Democratic Party” scenario. Nationally, the Democratic Party has survived eight years of GOP obstructionism and freak-out over President Obama. The demographics will keep flowing Dem; the GOP base will keep aging and dying. At the SD level, our party will struggle to organize and recruit regardless of who wins the Presidency.

    Under President Clinton, the Republicans will have a convenient whipping girl, but (a) she will triangulate and govern like a centrist, mitigating their attacks, and (b) while the GOP will have the good sense to nominate a far better candidate in 2020, the Dems will have a proven incumbent President who will ride the strengthening Dem-ographics to re-election.

  48. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 06:02

    Plus, the GOP is saddled with a Trump base that has nowhere else to turn but won’t stand for some milquetoast McCain or Romney in 2020. The Trump base gets its enthusiasm from its hatred. Trump’s racism, misogyny, and contemptible lack of qualifications (the negatives Roger outlines) actually stoke his base’s enthusiasm. They want an idiot jerk for President, to affirm their own idiocy and jerkiness.

    Clinton was right: Trump’s base is a basket filled with deplorables.

  49. Leo 2016-11-02 06:10

    Cory, perhaps all the direct Clinton aid to SD Dems is going directly to SDDP Chairwoman Ann Tornberg who can then dole it out as she sees fit. There must be some money coming in because I have seen the change in the fine print on mailers which now clearly indicate HillaryVictoryFund, whereas before June 7th, that fine print was not there.

  50. Leo 2016-11-02 06:31

    I just can’t wait until November 9th when everyone is free again!

  51. Troy 2016-11-02 06:41

    CH,

    Two things I like about your recent posts:

    1) Your assertion winning elections is about demographics and not issues. Its a reliance which will allow Republicans to win elections.

    2) Your characterization of Trump supporters as “deplorables.” Its a view which will allow Republicans to win elections. It also belies a frustration Clinton might yet lose. I’m not quite there yet but your words give me hope. :)

  52. Leo 2016-11-02 06:52

    Troy,

    1) Trump has issues, but not policy statements,

    2) The One Party Monopoly system is deplorable.

    Vote Third Party, that gives me hope!

  53. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 06:56

    Troy, I’m not saying that issues don’t matter. I’m not saying we Democrats don’t have to make our case. I am saying that the younger, less homogeneuous electorate seems more receptive to the Democratic message.

    I stand by the characterization of racism, misogyny, and those who cheer such attitudes as deplorable. Darth Vader and the Emperor appealed to deplorable characteristics. If you want the Sith Party, you’ve got it. Hand me my lightsaber!

  54. Troy 2016-11-02 07:27

    Ch,

    Since the 60’d, the Dems do better with those who are younger but, with wisdom, they see the light. The lifetime conversion from one party to the other is over 4:1 in favor of the GOP. Plus, keep in mind the US is aging collectively. Finally, of color matters in 20 years, might we declare MLK’s dream a fantasy as pursued by Dems since nothing changed in 75 years. Maybe it might be time to try something different.

    P.S. Keep on with the deplorable line. It resonates only with your most loyal base.

  55. Leo 2016-11-02 07:34

    Umm, Troy were you awake when Barack Hussein Obama was elected President? MLK’s Dream was realized!

  56. jerry 2016-11-02 07:35

    Never ever in American history with the exception of Benedict Arnold, have we seen such a man corrupted by a foreign power so close to the presidency. Arnold was a spy that was cultivated by the British to do great harm to American interests. This is far worse. This is not only the undermining of American interests, but also our foreign commitments as well. Tea Party (what the hell does that mean) republicans are in full support of a candidate that has close personal Russian ties. Tea party does not mean patriotic, it means just the opposite, so they can remove that triangular hat and slap on the ear muffs. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/campaigns-elections/dangers-donald-trump-russia-links/
    When our own head of law enforcement of our state is corrupt, we want to make him governor. When our own head of law enforcement of our nation is corrupted, we have to ask ourselves, who is really running the show here?

    Finland is nervous and so are many of the countries in Europe, we have seen history in the last 100 years and should have a pretty good idea of what happens when we fail to understand the implications of white nationalists that start creating more desires on territories that are not their own. The clear, pro Putin statements on his desire to not honor NATO, make Trump a most dangerous man to not only the US, but too the entire world. Maybe this is what NOem was blathering about with a 9.1 GDP, the only way to get that temporarily is with a major conflict. Is this our plan for growth? Republicans need a quick lesson in world history or it will repeat itself.

  57. Darin Larson 2016-11-02 07:38

    Troy says “Finally, of color matters in 20 years, might we declare MLK’s dream a fantasy as pursued by Dems since nothing changed in 75 years. Maybe it might be time to try something different.”

    So, you are saying that since racism has not been abolished, we should embrace our inner Trump racist and give racism a chance? Nothing has changed? I’d say a lot has changed as exemplified by the election of the first African-American president–A Democrat– and the first openly racist presidential candidate in over 100 years–A Republican. Wear your deplorable hat proudly, Troy!

  58. Troy 2016-11-02 08:13

    Darin,

    You know better than to put words in my mouth which endorse racism. But, if things have changed with regard to race, wouldn’t CH’s supposition demographics matter ultimately become moot?

  59. Dicta 2016-11-02 08:17

    Only if you oversimplify and treat the issue as a dichotomous variable. Race relations are significantly more complicated than that.

  60. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 08:27

    I’ve noticed how all them older Blacks , Asians and Latinos have been flocking to the wingnut party in recent decades. Such welcoming arms- NOT!

  61. Rorschach 2016-11-02 09:27

    “Since the 60’d, the Dems do better with those who are younger but, with wisdom, they see the light. The lifetime conversion from one party to the other is over 4:1 in favor of the GOP.” Troy

    My grandfather the WWII veteran was a lifelong Democrat – until he got Alzheimers and started listening to Rush Limbaugh. Actually I’m not sure which came first. Then he started voting GOP.

  62. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 09:52

    Puppies and kittens are born wingnut and become Dems as soon as they open their eyes.

  63. Craig 2016-11-02 10:15

    Demographics don’t seem to suggest the GOP will be gaining ground anytime soon. Our nation becomes more racially diverse with each year. Women are more empowered and immigrants are having more success. When it comes to religion, more people associate with “no religion” than ever before and adherence to an organized religion is in decline. The GOP hasn’t appealed to a growing number of Americans, and based upon the fact they are moving ahead full steam behind a candidate that has effectively alienated women, minorities, and anyone who has a college degree… that isn’t about to change.

    However when you speak to policy positions, it seems clear the trend is more progressive. For all of the focus we have seen on the issue of abortion, even in a conservative state such as South Dakota we have seen the public starting to resist restrictions, and the younger someone is the more apt they are to be pro-choice. When it comes to religion, more people associate with “no religion” than ever before and adherence to an organized religion is in decline.

    Gay marriage is legal in all 50 states and although there are areas such as South Dakota where it remains unpopular, on the whole the nation now supports it more than ever before (and that trend is only going up). The desire to have universal healthcare is also growing, and support for the US being the world’s police force are waning.

    What policy positions do the Republicans really bring to the table that appeal to the younger, more diverse population? Which positions are they holding on to which seem to be gaining popularity over time?

    I don’t doubt that we will continue to see the GOP have success in political races if for no other reason than they have gerrymandered districts to protect themselves for the next few decades. I’m sure we will also see a Republican President sometime in the next few elections not due to a shifting populace, but only because he or she will be perceived to be a change from a continual cycle of Democratic Presidents.

    Aside from that however, I don’t believe the trend is looking very positive for the Republicans. I feel that as long as they continue on their current path of preaching about God, guns, abortion, and the continual protection of the upper class, they will continue to lose support year after year. As the older generations continue to die off (the most loyal members of the Republican party) we will continue to see greater and greater support for more progressive ideas and candidates (read: Democrats).

    I saw some analysis which suggested we may not see a Republican President for the next 40 years. I won’t go that far, but I would suggest that Democrats will likely win at least 7 of the next 10 contests.

  64. Darin Larson 2016-11-02 10:30

    Troy, one party that has changed is your GOP. It used to be the party of so-called family values. Now it is led by a thrice married, Howard Stearn loving, misogynist, who is an accused child rapist and self-avowed sexual predator and who made or lost his money in casinos and beauty pageants where he objectified women and “inspected” them personally. He has talked about dating his daughter and the role of women in society as if he was a cave man. There’s your family values party taken over by your lewd, drunk uncle. And the worst part for your party is the folks that have endorsed this guy will have to live with being associated with Trump for the rest of their political careers as Trump goes to trial for sexual assault, fraud and a thousand other lawsuits that will remind everyone of what a dirtbag he is. If you support Trump, you have just ceded the moral high ground for the rest of your life.

  65. Dicta 2016-11-02 10:31

    “What policy positions do the Republicans really bring to the table that appeal to the younger, more diverse population? Which positions are they holding on to which seem to be gaining popularity over time?”

    Depends, right? The fact is that young republicans (like yours truly) are sick of the culture wars. We don’t care about gay marriage. We think creationism is stupid and forcing it to be taught in classrooms when it isn’t falsifiable is dumb. We find Trump’s misogyny appalling. We aren’t completely opposed to government spending, but we think it can be made more efficient and that sometimes social programs create perverse incentives to keeping people poor. The young are frequently a neo-Rockefeller republican. We hate iconoclasts like Trump just as much as you do. There is a place for people like us.

  66. Rorschach 2016-11-02 10:48

    I’m starting to think that Trump will win this race. With the new speculation the FBI’s Republican director has raised about Clinton’s e-mails people aren’t talking about how dishonest Trump is or how racist or misogynistic he is or how or how temperamentally unsuited he is for the Presidency. If a small percentage of Clinton’s voters are dissuaded from voting in battleground states, Trump sneaks in. And if he sneaks in it looks like he will have a GOP party senate and house with a lot of upside potential to grow in the senate in 2018.

    Is everyone else on here finding it difficult to concentrate on work this week, or is it just me?

  67. Dicta 2016-11-02 10:52

    His path to victory is limited. Ralston’s reporting on Nevada has been pretty on point, and I am not seeing how Trump takes any of PA, MI, WI or VA. General malaise with recent development != Trump victory, and you need to look at the EC and ask yourself how he wins.

  68. jerry 2016-11-02 11:38

    The Russian mob and the Jersey mob are all in deep with Trump. https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-shows-trump-with-mob-figure-he-denied-knowing-090025964.html That means Trump fits right into our political scene in South Dakota perfectly. For those who may have forgotten, we have a very good track record with extortion, and shake downs here in our state. In fact, corruption is so prevalent, our attorney general supports them because they are to difficult to do anything about. Sometimes they toss a minnow into the net like in the EB5 with the Dutchman, but he will get to keep his goods and smell a little, but that is all. The whales still swim. Free Willie!

  69. Troy 2016-11-02 12:57

    Darin, I am in the middle between their respective immigration and foreign policy views. I endorse most of Trumps domestic and economic policy. I endorse little of the personal lives of either candidate. Just making a judgement a cad is better than a power hungry crook who protects a cad.

    Personally, I’d rather be associated with Trump than Clinton. We Republicans lived through Watergate. You are going to get yours. If she wins, I hope you are ready for President Kaine. I’m better she is gone faster than Nixon.

  70. Dicta 2016-11-02 13:17

    “I’m betting she is gone faster than Nixon.”

    You’re jumping the shark. What would you impeach her on that the FBI hasn’t declined to raise up to the DOJ? And how would doing so not appear to be a naked political ploy that backfired on the GOP the way the last attempted impeachment did?

  71. Troy 2016-11-02 13:28

    Dicta,

    The pay for play evidence is getting stronger and is rumored (people have been asked to provide information) to being investigated by the White Crime Division of the DOJ. But, you are correct there is a jumping to a conclusion based on the limited Wikileaks release and preliminary connecting of the dots. My real point is in response to Darin thinking association with Trump is a kiss of death and Clinton a safe place to be.

  72. leslie 2016-11-02 13:49

    crooked lying TROY: “wouldn’t CH’s supposition…”. you do mean “crooked Hillary don’t you troy. enjoy boiling in oil along with trump, troy. Turn off rush Limbaugh why don’t you, and feel free to move to coastally threatened out of state locations you know will not be threatened by the Chinese hoax and your candidate you mimick by your devious calling Hillary “crooked” and “a power hungry crook who protects a cad.” ( Xie Zhenhua said. ‘I believe a wise political leader should take policy stances that conform with global trends.’)

    Still butt-hurt after failing to impeach a sitting president for lying about a blow-job which only surfaced after your party fail which spent millions to find any illegality in Whitewater, just like Benghazi and Emails! OMG, troy, “you” are why trump needs to make this country great again :) You and rush. http://billmoyers.com/story/morning-reads-11-1-trump-russian-connection-democrats-voter-intimidation/

    also 10.29.16: http://billmoyers.com/story/hillary-hatred-revisited/

  73. leslie 2016-11-02 14:07

    “Barry Carry” can tell you how it feels, and now, for the kind of MISOGYNY you pervay, TROY JONES, you shall now forever be known as “crooked, lying troy, the misogynist”. you are welcome CLT&M. or stop acting like trump here. your choice.

  74. Troy 2016-11-02 14:09

    Leslie,

    That is an awful lot of anger. Is it at me or just boiling out because you are afraid Hillary might lose?

    P.S. And, I mean’t CH. Follow along.

  75. leslie 2016-11-02 14:31

    ditka-“we think it can be made more efficient and that sometimes social programs create perverse incentives to keeping people poor.”

    this is as much a red herring as one can get. don’t take the bait. “If the rights of businesses and corporations continue to triumph over basic needs of billions of people, it is bound to fuel more anti-WTO protests that would be difficult to silence….

    The war on poverty must be fought anew. Not in terms of setting more development and poverty reduction goals. That has already been done enough. In his address to the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD on 1st October, the UNCTAD Secretary General talked about the lessons that must be drawn, “The first of these has to be the need to give concrete expression to our belief in the interdependence of nations. True interdependence should lead to an increase in multilateral co-operation using methods such as intergovernmental deliberations and other forms of consensus-building. We have to use all the possibilities at our disposal, and not allow ourselves to be carried away by particular problems, while forgetting others.” https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/211/44260.html

    the new millennium has been unkind to a large swath of Americans. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/01/did-the-us-lose-the-war-on-poverty/

    ***oh…:),

    (Ditka, a self-described “ultra-ultra-ultra conservative”,[38] was reportedly considering running against the Democratic candidate, state senator Barack Obama, …. He presented President Obama with a Chicago Bears jersey with the number 85 on it with “Obama” on the back of it in 2011[41])wiki

  76. leslie 2016-11-02 14:36

    Crooked Troy: I am actually very happy to be winning. I ascribed your vehemence to losing. say it ain’t so. “a power hungry crook who protects a cad.” that doesn’t mean “crooked Hillary”, huh troy? just “CH”. u r such a bull-sheiter troy, as is your party, careening down in flames. bu-bye:)

  77. Troy 2016-11-02 14:50

    Leslie,

    Follow along. Corey made a supposition to which I responded. It’s really not that hard if your anger doesn’t get in the way of your brain working. But, just to make sure you aren’t confused, I think Hillary is the most crooked politician to rise to this level in my lifetime. You, your party, and your agenda would have been better served by looking beyond how she appears on paper and nominating Biden, O’Malley, or a host of other people of higher personal character. But that is your problem. Me, my party, and my agenda would have been better served if we had done differently as well. That is my problem.

    Unfortunately, no matter who becomes President is our problem. No matter who wins, they will be taking office with unprecedented lack of personal support and goodwill.

  78. Dicta 2016-11-02 15:12

    “ditka-“we think it can be made more efficient and that sometimes social programs create perverse incentives to keeping people poor.”

    this is as much a red herring as one can get. don’t take the bait. “If the rights of businesses and corporations continue to triumph over basic needs of billions of people, it is bound to fuel more anti-WTO protests that would be difficult to silence….”

    This was one of the longer non-sequiturs I’ve seen in recent memory, so… thanks?

  79. leslie 2016-11-02 15:16

    the last 7&1/2 democratic led yrs have been the best thing for the nation and the world despite your hand wringing, republican designed “blind obstruction” through the present, and the difficulty and consequences of bush/cheney’s “bring it on”, “shock&awe”.

    “in their zeal to placate tea party conservatives, Republican officials created a leadership vacuum that has been filled by something far worse.” trump!

    we, on the other hand do not, as you input, have a problem with our candidate.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-mindless-obstruction-has-helped-create-something-far-worse/2016/03/11/46ba9022-e723-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

    please don’t patronize, troy:

    “Follow along… ‘just boiling out’ anger doesn’t get in the way…you aren’t confused” you say. Sounds a lot like rush every day, spewing hate, day-in, day-out, for the last how many years? wonder who supports rush? patronizing troy:)

    Hillary’s next 8 years will continue to dig us out of the republican conspired mess and serve the rest of us and the world. the hole however, is deep. thank you for that. please stop digging, at least here anyway. you’ll get blow-back

  80. leslie 2016-11-02 15:22

    u said: “sometimes social programs create perverse incentives to keeping people poor” on behalf of your generation, so care to support that with anything substantive?

  81. Troy 2016-11-02 15:29

    Leslie,

    If you were following along, you’d have been able to see I meant Cory and not Hillary. And, you’d have seen my specific response on why I think it is possible Hillary could be a bigger albatross with whom to be associated with than Trump.

    You disagree. You love Hillary. Good for you. If she wins, you’ll get just the outcome you deserve.

    If you feel patronized, maybe you should read more closely and not jump to conclusions or try to read things into what I say or assume what I listen to on the radio. Don’t know if I’ve heard Rush (or anyone on a political radio talk show) in years except surfing.

  82. Dicta 2016-11-02 15:44

    “u said: “sometimes social programs create perverse incentives to keeping people poor” on behalf of your generation, so care to support that with anything substantive?”

    1. I didn’t speak on behalf of my generation; I spoke for those who are like me and support the republican party agenda in some areas, but not those like culture wars. Your reading comprehension consistently sucks, and you need to work on it.

    2. Here is a decent article that explains the incentives these programs can sometimes create: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/opinion/sunday/kristof-profiting-from-a-childs-illiteracy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

    Notice, by the way, that I never acted as though welfare is ALWAYS bad, or things like TANF are per se the devil’s work. I don’t think they are. But the problem is derps who think that any criticism of such programs equals to distaste for poor people. Try nuance, Leslie. I promise it only hurts a bit at first.

  83. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-02 15:46

    Troy,
    Today the official newspaper of the KKK, The Crusader, endorsed Donald Trump for president, this isn’t new since it was anticipated.

    Donald Trump’s campaign has not denounced this endorsement.

    Is it safe to say that anyone that still supports Trump after this hateful organizations endorsement is as racist as Donald Trump.

    Troy, will you denounce the KKK and Trump for this endorsement?

  84. Dicta 2016-11-02 15:51

    Wait, are you wanting him to denounce Trump because he hasn’t denounced the endorsement, or because the endorsement exists? If it’s the latter, that’s really specious reasoning.

  85. Troy 2016-11-02 16:00

    Roger,

    Even if the Clinton Foundation returns the money from people who support the subjection of women and killing homosexuals in their country or Al Sharpton, I still wouldn’t call on Trump to denounce the endorsement. The Al Sharpton and the KKK is a Krazy organization with despicable views and they don’t deserve the attention. Ignoring them is the best policy in my mind.

    It is absolutely ludicrous to impute to Clinton or Trump the views of the most crazy among their supporters. There is evidence the guy who did the Orlando massacre was for Hillary. I don’t put that on Hillary.

  86. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 16:05

    There is evidence the guy who did the Orlando massacre was for Hillary. I don’t put that on Hillary.

    Just some folks saying, right?

  87. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 16:12

    We Republicans lived through Watergate. You are going to get yours. If she wins, I hope you are ready for President Kaine. I’m better she is gone faster than Nixon.

    Keerist your head must hurt from banging it against the wall for better than 30 years trying to find a crime, any crime, to nail HRC on.

    Nixon was a crook from the minute he stole the 68 election until his death. Clinton will never be removed from office, patriotic and constitutional loving Dems will make sure you traitorious wingnuts lose some more.

  88. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-02 16:24

    Troy,
    I baited you and you went all in.

    Donald Trump’s campaign denounced the KKK Crusader endorsement immediately when it came out and yet you just couldn’t do it.

  89. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-02 16:26

    mike from iowa,
    The guy that ambushed two cops in Des Moines earlier today was photographed with a Tump/Pence campaign sign in his yard.

  90. bearcreekbat 2016-11-02 17:14

    Troy says: “I think Hillary is the most crooked politician to rise to this level in my lifetime.”

    Wow, Troy, you have pretty intriguing standards. Are you old enough to remember Dennis Hastert? Michael Grimm? Rick Renzi? Scott Bloch? David Safavian? Louis Libby? Duke Cunningham? Catalina Vasquez Villalpando? David Durenberger? Jay Kim? James G. Watt? Elliott Abrams? Michael Deaver? Earl Butz? James F. Hastings? John N. Mitchell? Richard Kleindienst? H. R. Haldeman? John Ehrlichman? Egil Krogh? John Dean? Dwight Chapin? Charles Colson? Spiro Agnew? Maurice Stans? Edwin Reinecke? J. Irving Whalley? Martin B. McKneally? James Fred Hastings?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

    And that is just the tip of the iceberg of federal politicians and officials who reached high levels of government and actually committed real crimes. I left out Democrats and a few other Republicans, but you can read what crimes each of these individuals committed and explain how someone who has never even been charged with a crime, let alone convicted, is somehow the “most crooked” politician from the Senate or high up in the executive branch.

    I know you seem to enjoy calling Hillary insulting names and making allegations about how corrupt she is, but really, you are destroying your own credibility by making such obviously silly claims.

  91. Troy 2016-11-02 17:22

    Roger,

    Well, you kinda got me. Glad we can have fun during these tense days.

    That said, I want to reinforce what I said before just to be clear (even though you did get me).

    I don’t think politicians (either side) should denounce fringe endorsements. It gives these groups and their leaders exposure they don’t deserve in my opinion. If asked about it, I’d prefer to say nothing but that probably isn’t feasible in today’s world. I guess I’d just say “Its America and anybody is free to endorse anyone they want for any reason they want.” I’d try not to say anything that would give exposure to their views either.

  92. Troy 2016-11-02 17:32

    Bear, I stand by my statement, even against those names you listed that I recognize and my recollection of their crimes for two reasons:

    1) They didn’t ask to be President and except for maybe a couple weren’t in the succession line to be President or as the civilian representative of our foreign or defense policy (the higher the responsibility, the greater the responsibility). Some of them I recognize from Watergate committed crimes for which they were insufficiently punished in my mind. It happened when I was 11 so my capacity to put myself in the times and make proper judgment is hard without potentially committing the logic fallacies of presentism or historian’s fallacy.

    2) They didn’t enrich themselves to the tune of ten’s of millions of dollars by selling their office.

    What it does to my credibility in your eyes of little concern. It is what I believe based on what I know and I’ll stand by it unless I get sufficient contrary information which would impact what I believe.

  93. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 17:43

    Even football is rigged the way wingnuts move the goalposts.

    Troy’s bitterness in having Nixon run out of office is consuming him and someday-hopefully soon for his sake- he will just go “Poof”

  94. bearcreekbat 2016-11-02 17:52

    What evidence can you cite to support your claim that Hillary enriched herself by selling her office? I read that you said there was a “rumor” (defined online as “a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth”) about pay to play, but is that your only evidence, some alleged “rumor”?

    And I understand that you could (and should) care less about my view of your credibility. My point is that you seem to be making false statements and untrue allegations on this blog page, which I object to.

    Why not just oppose Hillary because you think it is bad public policy to raise the minimum wage or subsidize public college tuition or that you object to whatever policy proposals she has made? Instead, you are calling her names and making unfounded allegations in an effort to demean her character. That says so much more about your character than hers.

  95. Roger Cornelius 2016-11-02 18:12

    Fake News
    Last night on Hannity he reported that Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and finally President Obama deleted Hillary from their Twitter feeds. As usual Hannity thought this ground breaking news, by the end of his newscast the report was found to be bogus and Hannity had to apologize via Twitter.
    This is what this campaign has been about for the past year, fake news and believing every negative about Hillary that you hear or read.
    Hillary used a private server, so what? Other Secretaries of State and even presidents have used private servers.
    Hillary didn’t reveal or sell state secrets to anyone, but someone like Troy will repeat it and repeat it until he believes it. And so it goes.
    Troy doesn’t hold Trump to the same standards that he holds Hillary to. In fact he seems to close his eyes to the laundry list of real allegations against Trump or makes excuses for him just as he did with the Trump KKK apology.

    Trump won’t reveal his taxes, why?
    Trump didn’t pay taxes for 19 years.
    Trump defrauded students out of $10 million at Trump University.
    Trump filed bankruptcy at 6 times.
    Trump brags that it is okay for him to grab women by the pussy because he is famous.
    Trump is under investigation for 1997(?) rape of a 13 year old girl.
    Trump has had at least 12 women come forward to say they were sexually assaulted by him.
    His racist comments about minorities have been degrading and have the approval of his followers.
    Trump has demonstrated time and again that he doesn’t have the temperament to have control of our nuclear codes.
    Now, Troy will talk about Bill Clinton’s sexual indiscretions when he knows full well Bill isn’t running for president.
    Hillary remains the most qualified person to be president, in fact, as President Obama recently said, with her credentials as First Lady, a elected Senator from New York, and her service as Secretary of State, she is probably the most qualified person to ever run for president.

  96. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 18:24

    It is what I believe based on what I know and I’ll stand by it unless I get sufficient contrary information which would impact what I believe.

    What did Troy know and when did he know it? Hmmmm.

  97. mike from iowa 2016-11-02 18:30

    Roger and bcb- the naughty “C” word has been magically transformed into the palatable see you next Tuesday. I don’t know who thought that one up. It is kinda cute.

  98. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 19:02

    Dicta, I think I can work with neo-Rockefeller Republicans. If you don’t have a good Democrat on your ballot, can you elect a few of those NRRs for me to work with? :-)

  99. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-02 19:07

    Troy, it is not racist to observe that Trump’s GOP message resonates most strongly among demographic segments that occupy a decreasing slice of the American pie.

  100. Troy 2016-11-02 20:05

    CH,

    Good catch. I was thinking of the time from second inauguration. Duh. Hope you got my point though.

    After the election, I’ll touch base to talk about your race. Al is a good guy. I had occasion to meet and get to know him over 30 years ago. Haven’t talked much since. Yes, you two disagree on a lot and I’m impressed you both have stayed pretty darn well on the issues without personal denigration. I am sure it is sometimes hard when you both believe so differently and so strongly.

  101. Dicta 2016-11-03 08:21

    “Dicta, I think I can work with neo-Rockefeller Republicans. If you don’t have a good Democrat on your ballot, can you elect a few of those NRRs for me to work with? :-)”

    Without disclosing too much about where I live, let’s just say the republican candidate was a big supporter of the bathroom law and looked genuinely offended when another republican told him his law was wrong-headed and completely out of touch with most peer reviewed research. He made some vague hand waving about slippery slopes and barked at me that HE’D VOTE FOR IT AGAIN.

  102. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-11-03 12:39

    “without personal denigration”? Troy, you haven’t been following very closely, have you? I’ve been on practical South Dakota issues from the beginning. Al is running a Pat Powers campaign (or it the other way around?).

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