Last updated on 2017-05-29
In a sign that new national party chairman Tom Perez is serious about the 50-state strategy, the Democratic National Committee includes South Dakota among the first five states to receive funding for “Resistance Summer” activities:
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, Perez’s opponent for chair and now his top deputy, said the intent is to help local Democrats manage everything from rallies, town halls and neighborhood meetings to registration drives and voter database improvements.
“We’re asking them to engage neighbors not just in this whole mess about Trump but on what kind of vision we have for our country,” Ellison said, adding that he and Perez are talking regularly to many of the independent groups on the left.
Party leaders hope to use the anti-Trump groundswell to improve voter turnout, and swing elections back in their favor.
Initial recipients of the funds include Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kansas and South Dakota. Those states span the spectrum of Democratic fortunes: Massachusetts is a liberal bastion; Michigan is a presidential battleground; Arizona is nearing swing-state status; Kansas and South Dakota are Republican strongholds [“DNC Funds ‘Resistance Summer’ in Hopes of Harnessing Trump Opposition,” AP via Fox News, 2017.05.17].
A source familiar with the South Dakota Democratic Party tells Dakota Free Press that South Dakota Democrats will raise matching funds and use the DNC dollars to register voters, mobilize volunteers, organize local teams, and boost voter turnout among our American Indian neighbors. The effort will include hiring seven organizers part-time over the summer based in five reservation communities and in Rapid City and Sioux Falls.
Related: In other organizing, the South Dakota Democratic Party is hosting a Summer Issues Caucus at Augustana on June 9 and 10. That Friday afternoon and evening, Democrats will discuss seniors, women, youth, and LGBT issues. Saturday morning and afternoon, Dems will discuss rural and small business, veterans and military, Native Americans, and diversity. The caucuses are free; Saturday lunch is a measly $7!
This Just In … Disband Indian Tribes Next on Trump South Dakota agenda.
Porter, Drumpf (his real name before he changed it) has hated Indians for over twenty years, since his clashes with them in New Jersey over casinos. The fear over what he will do to tribes nationwide, including enacting a formal termination policy, has been very real here in Indian country ever since he became the nominee. The last time termination was seriously attempted was during the Truman Administration, through the zealous efforts of his BIA superintendent.
The effort was ultimately, and fortunately, unsuccessful, but given our current congress that might not be the case this time. And our congressional delegation certainly wouldn’t be any help at all to tribes, nor would Indian hater Marty the Jackal and clueless, heartless boot-licking lackey NOem.
Is one of the five reservations Cheyenne River, where I live? This is a fantastic idea, and it’s good to see the national DNC finally taking serious, practical actions in Indian Country.
Laurisa, yes, though it looks like Cheyenne River and Standing Rock may be sharing an organizer. But that’s still one more organizer than SDDP has on either reservation right now.
Porter, Trump won’t do that. His White House is paralyzed right now. It has squandered any political capital it may have enjoyed in January on the Hill. Now is the perfect time for Dems to push back and build for next year, while Trump is running for cover and Republicans are holding their breath.
Had heard from the SDDP that this was happening!! Should have been done long ago!! I never understood why it wasn’t! We should be uniting with our native brothers and sisters out of common decency, not to mention the political capital we were wasting! Have a couple of friends that are native and one relative who passes for white! It’s about time we welcomed everyone equally into the party and the rest of our American culture, government and society!
It was done long ago, in some form—remember Johnson beating Thune in 2002 thanks to the Pine Ridge vote? Democrats used to do GOTV on the reservations but let that slide in recent years. This project appears to be a return to good practices.
“We’re asking them to engage neighbors not just in this whole mess about Trump but on what kind of vision we have for our country,”
Words to live by right there…
@Laurisa: “…Drumpf (his real name before he changed it)…”
Not true at all. Gwenda Blair, a biographer of Trump’s, found the Drumpf name appearing in German tax logs around1600, and the change to Trump appeared later in that century. Trump had nothing to do with the name change unlike Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. Bill Clinton was Bill Blythe before taking his step-father’s name when he was 15 or 16. And of course Barack Obama as a child was known as Barry Soetoro. Obama didn’t drop Barry (an Anglicized version of Barack) until his college years at Occidental.
Barry Goldwater, Barack Goldwater..yeah, dude would have probably gotten more votes as well. Bill Clinton was Bill Blythe, he did good with the name change. Blythe is kind of difficult for republicans to pronounce, but, by golly, republicans did not have trouble pronouncing Clinton. I think the russian word for Drumpf or trump for that matter is Bribe.