The funniest line heard on South Dakota Public Broadcasting so far this young month is this quote from South Dakota Republican Party chairman Dan Lederman:
The millennial generation believes in community, and they believe in inclusiveness, and that’s what the Republican Party is about [Dan Lederman, interviewed by Lee Strubinger, SDPB: In the Moment, 2017.05.01].
The party of Donald Trump, promoting community? Preaching inclusiveness? Har-de-har-har!
The party of Al Novstrup, who clings to false claims about sharia law to stir up his base? The party of Neal Tapio, who paints immigrants and Muslims as existential threats? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
The party of John Thune, Mike Rounds, and Kristi Noem, whose servile silence before the Trump budget would decimate vital community services in South Dakota and nationwide if it weren’t for Democrats fighting valiantly and successfully to keep such programs alive? Those guys are the models of community and inclusiveness to whom Lederman thinks millennials will flock?
Democrats, your strategy against the Trump/Lederman GOP is clear: let Lederman talk, then when he’s done, just hold up a picture of Donald Trump and say, “Really?” Boom! 50-point win among millennials right there.
Funniest headline today, Cory – The GOP is inclusive!! LOL. Let’s see – they hate LGBTs, immigrants, Muslims, living wage, universal healthcare for all, but hey, at least they know they have a problem with millennials.
The Commander-in-Chief of loyal SD GOP forces is a master of irony.
Something weird is going on with Lederman and Powers. They’re both talking too much about things that don’t need to be said. Powers is obsessed with his opponents annual meeting and Lederman’s been acting out ever since the middle of the night murder in his store. They’re both ranting and acting like the guy on meth in his car. What’s going on?
I heard this on SDPB while driving. I damn near ran off the road !!
Do these people actually believe the drivel they spew ??
Buck they learned to do this from the master and that is, of course, Trump
Ridiculous, but a winning strategy nonetheless. Heck, any communication is better than none. I’m an independent and a millennial, and reached out to both Noem and Hawk prior to the election. Guess who got back to me and who never once responded to me?
I know, I know Mr. Nelson..trump contacted you via the microwave. NOem should have contacted you, she has the resources to do so. Millions of dollars in the coffers makes for a yuuuuge staff to do those things. Not rocket science. What, pray tell, was the urgent question that just had to be addressed?
Doesn’t matter what the Democrats message is if they aren’t willing to shout it like the the GOP. Lederman acts like a kinder garden bully and the Dems aren’t willing to say any thing about it. Reminds me of Dashle’s defeat when the opposing ads were obvious lies and the party just acted as if they were above all that. Time to get down in the mud and grapple.
jerry,
I never reached out to Trump; not a fan. I am neither Republican or Democrat, and politically I am conservative on some issues and liberal on others.
I reached out to both camps, Noem and Hawks, “I would love to know more about where Representative Hawks/Noem stands on the issues, especially the military, veteran affairs, education, health care, et cetera.”. Noem’s camp reached back out to me almost immediately, and directed me towards her website and voting records. Hawks never got back to me, so I e-mailed her again, over a series of months, as well as reached out to her via twitter and youtube (in case, maybe they don’t check e-mail). Never got a response, not even a generic “Thanks for reaching out!”.
I honestly wanted to know what distinguished Hawks from Noem, and I why I should vote for her rather than Noem. I could not afford to go to any of the Hawks town halls, she chose not to go to the State Fair, and her website was very slow on the uptake of putting out anything on issues. Maybe it is the millennial in me, but I want to know that my voice is heard, and if Hawks can’t respond to me while she is still here in SD, why would she hear it if she got to DC?
Cory knows what I am talking about. He has lambasted Al Novstrup for basically being non-existent on social media. Politicians need to get with the program and reach out, and the SDGOP looks like they are making an attempt. I am still not sure what the SD Dems are doing, but they are certainly not courting my vote.
Correction: Paula Hawks was not at the State Fair, the day I went to the State Fair. Couldn’t get are our schedules to mesh.
That is unfortunate that Hawks or any of her volunteers reached out to you. Joe. Or did she even have any volunteers? Cory, isn’t this pretty bad if not one campaign member of her team didn’t even try to call back.
I can tell you from a MN DFL perspective that this never would have happened here. There are too many people that take time to volunteer and that work extremely hard and take it very seriously. Wake up SD Democrats, PLEASE wake up!!
I meant never reached out to you.
In his defense, Lederman sort of has a point. The Republican Party is about inclusiveness… they welcome all type of wealthy white people into their warm embrace. Whether you’re just moderately wealthy, very wealthy, or ultra wealthy they have a place for you. They also welcome all kinds of white Christians, all kinds of white straight people (except if they happen to be poor, disabled, or female), and they even openly embrace all kinds of white gun owners (even those with documented mental health disorders).
See – the party of inclusiveness!
Joe, I sympathize with your points about access to the candidates but would like to remind you that Christy Noem will listen to you and then vote the party line. There is no deviation from that if you are going to be a republican. Least now days.
joe-wired millennial or not, it takes effort to understand politics and get to know candidates. if you are serious about being independent, it takes no effort to see Kristie is a complete, uneducated republican party trump shill who happens to be close to your age. Ive met Paula several time’s, at fairs, at dem events, never even looking for her. so much for your anecdote. She comes across as a bright, shinning, educated, experienced, progressive leader. no question. I bet she answers her phone
0h, guess which party, in ugly legions, tried to shoot down the Indian effort (inclusiveness) to rename Harney their sacred BLACK ELK PEAK?
leslie,
As far as age goes, Hawks (1975) is closer to my age than Noem(1971) (not that it matters to me). I do not have the luxury to drive to various counties across the state to meet her. The one time she actually came to Madison, was the same night that state candidates were speaking at DSU (which I went to.) Hawks did not show up to this, instead she was at a photo op with Unger and Parsley.
I reached out to her, she did no reach back. Maybe she was just courting Democratic voters? That’s her prerogative. Maybe she thought she had Lake county sewn up, since Scott Parsley is stellar. He got my vote, because he talked to me and answered my questions. She did not get my vote.
As for Kristi Noem being a shill? I think she has a good head on her shoulders, and don’t automatically dismiss her just because she is a Republican. Uneducated? She has a BA in Political Science from SDSU, as well as 10 years of OJT in the State and Federal legislature. You are correct, “it takes no effort to see Kristie is a complete, uneducated republican party trump shill”, because it is an ad hominen attack; it is SUPER easy to call someone names rather than evaluate their work with reason, logic, and argumentation.
But it does not fit the narrative here to actually talk about the good things Noem has done.
Jenny’s right: Joe identifies a significant problem. The Hawks campaign left an interested voter hanging. Jerry and I met Paula several times and like her, but that doesn’t change the fact that Team Hawks lost Joe’s vote by letting his e-mail go unanswered. Yes, Kristi has an advantage with more money and more paid staff, but no candidate gets elected because people feel sorry for them and let their campaign boo-boos slide. If you want to win, you have to marshal the resources to win… and respond to voters.
CLyde also identifies a major problem revealed in Strubinger’s report. Lederman was in full BS marketing mode. Who in Strubinger’s report sounded like they were on fire for the Democratic message? Sure, we tell the truth, and that ought to be worth far more than Lederman’s lies, but we have to tell that truth loudly and proudly, including the truth that Lederman is completely full of crap (as Spencer and I say in today’s new podcast!).