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Thune Out-Tweeting and Out-Towning Williams

Jay Williams says he can use social media to beat John Thune in November. Thune responds by using social media to show that he can beat Jay Williams on the ground.

As I glance at the candidates’ Twitter feeds this morning, I find six posts from Team Williams over the last seven days. Two of those posts show Williams on the road, at the Corn Palace Stampede and Rodeo in Mitchell and Horse and Buggy Days in Sisseton last Saturday:

Jay Williams Twitter 20160716-Sisseton
Talking with voters!
Williams Twitter Corn Palace Rodeo 20160716
Kids and giant pizza!

Meanwhile, Senator Thune is making the most of his convention skipping. Team Thune has hit Tweet or Retweet seventeen times this week, and fifteen of those Tweets show our Senator traveling South Dakota. A travel/theme sampler:

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Rotary!
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Swimming!
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Local business!
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Basketball and beer!
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Indians!
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Cops… and top cop running for Governor!
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Gun!

Mobridge, Selby, Onida, Eagle Butte, and Pierre… a $12 million campaign war chest puts a lot of gas in the van.

Thune is still avoiding debates. He confirms to WNAX that he’ll be doing a Congressional panel discussion with Senator Rounds and ticketmate Rep. Noem at Dakotafest instead of a traditional debate. He says he’ll look more at nailing down debate schedules later, when people are paying attention to the election. But Thune’s travel and Twitter blitz show he’s certainly paying attention and that Williams needs to catch up.

Related Reading: Stuart Rothenberg writes this morning that Thune “will be reelected overwhelmingly” but wonders if there is room in the rabid, reactionary Republican Party for someone who calls himself a “center conservative who likes to get results” and whom Rothenberg characterizes as “invariably… thoughtful, measured and reasonable.” I think both characterizations are questionable, but Rothenberg’s question about whether there’s any future for Thune beyond holding a Senate seat for the do-nothings is valid.J

6 Comments

  1. mike from iowa

    Marlboro Barbie appears to be packing in the pic with the Indians. Below the belt? Your guess is as good as mine.

  2. I’m not going to speculate about anything in Thune’s pants.

  3. mike from iowa

    Whatever it is or isn’t, it appears to have its own shadow.

  4. leslie

    thune’s traditional levi’s 501s have been washed and rewashed but never worn so many times, they encapsulate his wallet and his philosophy-do nothing (“measured”) but look good at all costs. the standard for south Dakota-never let’um see yah sweat despite sacrifice to personal mental health. thune understands nothing more about the world than FOX news, and it, Rush Limbaugh, and the republican party are goin’ down in flames.

    I am writing Chairman Frasier today!

  5. MK

    My hope is that this is the last year we have to see this man. His most appearances are at track meets; Howard Wood Relays and Basketball Tournaments in SD traveling back n forth; which we pay for and get no thanks in return.

  6. Richard Schriever

    So – he specifically “dressed down” for his meeting with the native representatives? I see.

Comments are closed.