Dan Kaiser doesn’t want to stay in Pierre; Steve Barnett doesn’t want to leave!
In other news of Aberdonians getting a really early jump on the 2018 campaign, some of Aberdeen’s richest and Rightest are hosting a fundraiser for local boy Steve Barnett, who wants jump from his term-limited position as state auditor to secretary of state:
The card doesn’t explicitly say where the event is happening; it just says, “Stop Out Before the Abby Awards!” a Chamber of Commerce shindig “designed to salute and enhance the image of the Aberdeen business community.” That omission is either a design error or an assumption that everyone receiving the card is already one of the well-to-do who will be buying an Abby ticket for $40, already knows that the Abby Awards are at the DEC, and is so eager to give Steve money, too, that they’ll walk around the DEC until they find where his party is.
Piggybacking off a big Chamber event may actually be pretty good idea for turnout. Why expect people to make a special trip just to hear a candidate’s pitch? Plus, Barnett is saving everyone some time and gas! Remind me next time I run for office not to host any standalone events; I’ll just rent a room outside other major community events and put out my signs and a collection plate for the passing crowd.
Related: As qualifications protecting the integrity of our elections, Barnett cites a USF master’s in business administration, which he used to administer some business for a year or so, plus pheasant hunting, snow-skiing, and water-skiing.
Cory, next time, I’ll remind you to rent a room outside other major community events and put out your signs and collection plate for the passing crowd. It truly does work and at a lower cost than standalone events.
If proffessionals are congregating for any reason, it’s a candidate’s job to be there, present themselves, offer a means of communication and demonstrate care and genuine interest for the niche that these pros represent.
I think passion for business and people is all public office is about. The best way to get in touch with both is to show up to a professional congregation and pick people’s brain.
However, Steve Barnett does a shoddy job of it – on paper anyways.
Cory writes:
A non-major-party candidate with no money could probably get over 20 percent of the vote against this guy. :-)
Or maybe they’re trying to keep the address quiet because the reception is in someone’s home.
Passion for business—well, I’m hosed. :-D
Kurt, they keep addresses to fundraisers like this quiet in order to keep the smart guy (mover and shakers) insiders from having to endure hanging out with the non-donor and irritating idiot classes of people.
They do it for the same reason Donald Trump doesnt hang out with the people who attend his admiration rallies – because those people are too stupid and poor to be worth his personal, private or professional time.
So, since Kurt did not receive an invitation to this secret fundraiser – he can only hope that it must be at someone’s house with very limited space.
Adam writes:
I’m not even a Republican, Adam. The location doesn’t matter to me, but the possibility that others will be misled about the location does.
Adam, does it make sense not to specifically mention the location on the invitation that gets sent to the selected recipients?
Under the name Arden Gilbert … 1321 N Kline St Aberdeen, SD 57401-2053 is cut off. That’s where checks should be sent and probably is where the gathering is, also.
I love the North Kline neighborhood, but I don’t think the house there is big or swanky enough. The text more clearly suggests that they’re hosting the event at the DEC prior to the Abby Awards.
(Barnett married Arden Gilbert’s daughter Nicole.)
Cory, of course, if Steve Barnett wanted the folks who received his mailer to attend his fundraiser, then yeah, he would have provided the address for the fundraiser within his mailer. However, he just didn’t want a bunch of gubment hating numb skulled average conserva-cons showing up to his well-mannered fundraiser; so he kept the location a secret from his base.
It all makes perfect sense really.