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Noem Ducks Education Debate with Sutton

How much muscle does it take to get Kristi Noem to debate education in front of school officials?
How much muscle does it take to get Kristi Noem to debate education in front of school officials?

Break out the chicken suits—Kristi Noem is already ducking debates!

Democrat Billie Sutton’s gubernatorial campaign sends out a press release bemoaning his Republican opponent’s refusal to participate in a debate on education. The event was to be hosted by the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, the School Administrators of South Dakota, and South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

Discussing education policy in front of the front-line local education policymakers—yeah, I can see why a Republican who has spent the last eight years gallivanting about with her big out-of-state funders and Beltway friends would chicken out of a live debate with a sitting State Senator who has played a key role in South Dakota policy debates about education for the last eight years.

Sutton has a new Facebook page called “South Dakota Educators for Billie Sutton.” Among other things, the website notes that education was “Billie’s number one reason for getting involved in politics.” It appears Kristi’s number one reasons for making her career in politics was neither education policy nor educating voters with public debate appearances.

29 Comments

  1. owen reitzel 2018-08-09 13:08

    Not surprised. She hasn’t had a real town hall meeting in a long time.

  2. Jenny 2018-08-09 13:21

    I say just hold the town hall meeting anyway for the People and Have The People ask questions. It will appear loud and clear who is really interesting in making the State of South Dakota better – Sutton or No Show Noem.

  3. Kelly 2018-08-09 13:24

    Ravnsborg will do the same. I’m sure he’s pooped his pants in fear of a debate.

  4. Jenny 2018-08-09 13:37

    Noem is scared to face an audience that will have a few Sutton supporters in it. She is playing it safe and just wants to cruise to victory.
    She know it’s hard to defend her Party that has held power for 40 years and with nothing to show for it except more last place finishes for South Dakota in almost everything. Tied with Mississippi and Alabama for racism, 4th most corrupted state with scandals that become worse each year. Eb-5, Gear Up, farmers not getting paid from local grain elevators. Dirty rotten corruption that stinks more each year.

  5. jerry 2018-08-09 14:54

    Very difficult for NOem to have a debate on education when she can’t even spell the word without spellchecker. Besides nothing, what is her platform?

  6. mike from iowa 2018-08-09 15:29

    She is not running for office because she can contribute anything of value, she is running because her horse isn’t eligible.

    Noem saunters into a lingerie shop dressed like a cowgirl and says- “I need a girdle for muh horse.”

    Nice lady says, “Oh, you wanna Playtex?”

    Noem says, “Sure, but, right now I got to get a girdle for muh horse.”

    I made this up disclaimer.

  7. OldSarg 2018-08-09 15:36

    bemoaning = whining.

    This is what is really stupid about trashing Noem: It doesn’t matter how much you complain, cry or whine Noem is still going to win against ANY democrat. The dems have done it to themselves on a National level by embracing socialism, open borders, anti-cop pro-killing babies. It doesn’t matter how much you all profess you have a better plan when the people that represent you on a National level are not level. . . The dems have done this to you. You will continue to be losers and you can not change that simple fact. The dems have done this too YOU!

  8. Hank 2018-08-09 15:47

    I have listened to Noem debate in the past and it is a joke, she is nothing but a master of the pivot. And now, she won’t even participate in a debate and she will probably win. Things are very wrong here.

  9. Jenny 2018-08-09 16:11

    Don’t make up lies, OS, Sutton is a pro-life Democrat.
    That’s all the more reason, SD pubs should vote for Sutton. After 40 years, you would think them pubs would get brave enough to vote for a pro-life moderate democrat after all the stinkin’ corruption goin’ on in their one-party system.

  10. mike from iowa 2018-08-09 16:14

    OldSnotface- put a sock in it. Noem will probably win but it has nothing to do with Dems. It is apathetic wingnuts voters like you who vote for the party regardless.

    Wingnut party is corrupt from top to bottom clear across the land. I am holding you personally responsible for Drumpf and his swamp creatures who are robbing America blind while you whine about Dems.

  11. Jenny 2018-08-09 16:21

    Noem embraces lots and lots of big farm welfare checks. She also has government healthcare, so your tired old blather of socialism is getting old, OS.
    There are very real conservatives that will refuse government entitlements when it is going to them. They just vote to refuse it to anyone else.

  12. Jenny 2018-08-09 16:23

    I meant there are very few real conservatives that will refuse government entitlements when it benefits them.

  13. Donald Pay 2018-08-09 16:31

    That is really quite telling. Education is a driver of the state budget, a part of any discussion of economic development, and involves nearly every family in the state. If you can’t stand up and deliver a well developed position on this issue, you shouldn’t be running. Is the name on the ballot Noem or Noshowem?

  14. OldSarg 2018-08-09 17:24

    Please read each word Jenny: Sorry, the party (dems) is over. When your party rejected God you lost. When your party endorsed the killers of islam you lost, When your party cheers for the killing of innocent children you lost. When your party puts illegals above the citizens who pay the bills you lost. When you poisoned the towns of Minnesota, North Dakota, and even some in South Dakota with those who do not have and have never in their history had civil behavior you lost. This message is not singular and is not just my own. The people can see through the lies and they know the truth no matter how much you support the globalist media. You are fools my friends. You have lost, are losing and will continue to lose.

  15. Porter Lansing 2018-08-09 17:58

    When a desperate, right wing, Russian sympathizer tries to convince you that you’ve lost … #WalkAway hehHehHO
    SAVE AMERICA ~ STOP TRUMP

  16. jerry 2018-08-09 19:45

    Comrade oldsoviet is on the verge of loosing his Medicare and Social Security, thanks to his Comrade gal pal Noem. That tax cut you love so much is gonna cost you and yours and then when your Medicare takes a dump, you’re gonna be what?

    “Republicans on Capitol Hill are giving up on what might be their last best chance to overhaul Medicare, just as they’re losing their leading champion on the issue, House Speaker Paul Ryan.

    The quiet surrender on a subject that’s energized GOP fiscal hawks for the better part of a decade comes as new projections show Medicare’s trust fund in its worst shape since the recession, partly because of Republicans’ other chief obsession: their sweeping tax cuts.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/15/republicans-medicare-overhaul-abandoned-623203

    Comrade oldsoviet and the rest of the surrender monkeys, need to keep thanking NOem for putting them out on the street.

  17. mike from iowa 2018-08-09 19:52

    OldSnotnose and Russian beans sure are working up a blow tonight.

  18. Jenny 2018-08-09 20:26

    Oh Go do your boring mumbling somewhere else old Sarge.
    Really the Midterms are going to be sad for the Republican party except for maybe in South Dakota. Who is he kidding.
    If young independents Are going to come out and vote, it will be really bad for the pubs.

  19. Debbo 2018-08-09 21:27

    Oh Mike, I think you OD’ed on your funny pills today. 😆😆

    OS, you never did tell us where you REALLY live.

  20. leslie 2018-08-09 21:48

    Ducking debate is status quo for SD republicans. Rounds election to the US Senate was shielded from scrutiny by GOAC Committee chair Tidemann. “Without specific facts, prosecution is obstructed” (quote from this weeks Trump and/or Manafort investigations). That is what happened in the 2014 EB5 explosion of fraudulent dealing by much of his administration. Rounds has done everything, that Trump is doing now on the national stage to avoid accountability for his death spiral. There are many similarities. Daugaard and Jackley are part and parcel to this lack of transparency.

    Noem is such a yes-woman to Trump and the republican party that she will do anything to avoid exposure to debate and any transparency.

  21. Jason 2018-08-09 22:06

    What is there to debate about education?

    Most of it should be handled at the local level.

  22. jimmy james 2018-08-10 04:33

    When Billie Sutton’s advertising takes hold, she will be hounding him to debate. I have said this before…. his two minute intro video is VERY effective. If he can put up ads like that and also continue to remind voters of the 40 year old Republican swamp in Pierre, his numbers will soon equal hers. He is unusually strong for a SD Democrat. Her support is fragile.

    You’ll see.

  23. Mark 2018-08-10 08:36

    If you’re a major party nominee and you decide to not debate – whether out of fear or political expediency – you don’t deserve my vote, unless you can come up with a compelling and cogent reason why not. And if the reason smells of fear or expediency, many, if not most voters will draw the right inference about the suitability and temperament of that candidate. Candidates that hold themselves out as leaders and sometimes as “bold leaders” owe it to the electorate to demonstrate they’re willing to articulate and defend their positions, even if their position is a simplistic “most of it should be handled at the local level” stance.

    Too often, political consultants advocate that candidates who are leading or perceived as leading, to not debate, i.e., to “play it safe.” That’s certainly smart politics in the consultant’s world, but more and more voters (especially in these times) see this as purely calculating and craven.

    My simplistic advice for candidates, especially candidates for statewide office: put on your “big boy” or “big girl” pants and DEBATE.

  24. DR 2018-08-10 09:52

    Do you remember when Sen Johnson refused to debate Joel Dykstra? What were your thoughts then Cory?

  25. o 2018-08-11 14:47

    Jason shows why there is need for an education debate: to inform the populace on education issues AND candidate positions.

  26. RJ 2018-08-11 17:24

    Oldsarge..I’m curious..You have ignorantly hypothesized that Democrats are cop and baby killers. If I’m married to a liberal cop and I’m a democrat does that mean I’m going to eventually end up killing my partner or we will rejoice if a fellow officer is killed? Also, I did several clinical rotations in the NICU and didn’t kill any babies, so not sure how caring for babies and their families equivocates killing babies? That would be like me assuming all Republicans are terrible human beings based on your blog posts. I figured I’d ask you, because you seem to know all the answers.

  27. Rick Summerville 2018-08-11 19:52

    Reply to OldSarg, You talk about Dems and Socialism, what do you call Noem getting over
    $ 500,000. a year farm subsidy ?? I guess since she’s a Republican, it’s deserving ?????

  28. Truthteller 2018-08-26 19:38

    With the states institutions in a shambles from poor management and brain drain

    With the education system underfunded and floundering

    With the state much more inclined to pay lawsuit settlements for poor practices and negligence than provide competent services
    …because it’s cheaper

    And the years of fake budget surpluses

    What will happen if a democrat “wins” the governor election?

    He will struggle against a huge uphill

    Almost no matter what he does it will be able to be twisted to look as though he is being fiscally irresponsible and he will have one term mired in fighting a republican majority in the legislature

    Without active and vigorous political journalism
    There is little hope of anything much better

    Either Noem or Sutton will be inheriting a mess

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