Press "Enter" to skip to content

SDGOP Convention Had Voter Fraud, Delegate Ejections… and DiSanto Sending Progressive Smoke Signals?

Paging Krebs and Kobach: the only evidence of voter fraud in South Dakota this year comes from the Republican Convention, where Pennington County Republican delegates tried to cast extra votes:

Dana Ferguson, Tweet, 2018.06.23.
Dana Ferguson, Tweet, 2018.06.23.

Perhaps the two ineligible votes belonged to delegates Pennington County Commissioner Mark DiSanto and Rep. David Johnson (R-33/Rapid City), whom Bob Mercer reports were ejected from the convention Saturday. Rep. Johnson had some inflated fracas with DiSanto’s sweetie, Rep. Lynne DiSanto (R-35/Box Elder), on the House floor last February. Johnson and Lynne DiSanto just survived primary challenges; DiSanto is trying to switch chambers from House to Senate.

Perhaps the ejection should have included Mrs. Rep. DiSanto, whose latest public Facebook profile picture seems to be luring viewers into progressivism:

Lynne DiSanto FB profile pic 2018.06.14
Come hither… to an anti-Trump rebellion in Tampa Bay? Lynne DiSanto, new FB profile pic, 2018.06.14

Eyes up, fellas—see that little tag at the top? Action Together Tampa Bay is a progressive/Indivisible protest group that formed to fight Trumpism in Florida’s District 15. By borrowing this background from ATTB’s Instagram, Rep. DiSanto is either (a) engaging in some subtle critique by co-optation of an organization that hasn’t posted a newsletter since May 2017 (but I think ascribing subtlety to DiSanto is a bridge too far), (b) hinting that Donald Trump is making DiSanto wish she were a poster girl for Democrats, or (c) continuing her tradition of copying stuff from the Internet without paying attention to her sources.

Voter fraud, delegate ejections, and Lynne DiSanto—why can’t Democrats throw as interesting a convention as Republicans?

32 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2018-06-25 12:51

    Texas Dems had an interesting convention according to Juanita jean herownself. A wingnut slipped in and tried to handout propaganda to Dems and when he was asked to leave he pulled a gun on them.

    In the real world he would have been arrested for domestic terrorists threats. In Texas he was allowed to leave.

  2. owen reitzel 2018-06-25 14:00

    “Voter fraud, delegate ejections, and Lynne DiSanto—why can’t Democrats throw as interesting a convention as Republicans?”

    Maybe because the Democrats are honest.

  3. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-25 16:19

    Owen is on to something. Analogize to state government: put Republicans in charge, and you get Benda with a shotgun blast to the stomach, the Westerhuises burned up, and $1.5-million in damages for retaliating against a sexual harassment victim. Put Democrats in charge, and you just get boring old good government.

  4. John Kennedy Claussen, Sr. 2018-06-25 17:30

    It’s all my fault. I tried to make it interesting…. ;-) But I will say this for our GOP friends at least, they know how a convention is suppose to be run with the election of the constitutional offices being the last thing the delegates do before the grand finale consisting of a dinner banquet of togetherness and great speeches.

    Chairwomen Tornberg assigned me to the Order of Business committee for the SDDP state convention this past month, and let me assure you that I protested how our convention schedule was front loaded with the constitutional office elections being first, then the training, and then the platform at that OoB committee meeting, but to no avail…. I failed you again….

    For, the purpose of a political convention is to congregate, deliberate, and then decide, and not just meet to immediately approve our Party’s slate so as to conveniently railroad the election of our Party standard-bearers with a rubber stamp borrowed from the Supreme Soviet.

    Now, in defense of the SDDP, they might have thought it smart to have the elections first, so that they could make the Friday night news cycle with this slate instead of being lost in the weekend news cycle. But they never mentioned that to me, and the SDDP’s main opposition to my concerns stemmed around how it was too late to change everything; but if that is the case, then what is the purpose of the OoB committee, and doesn’t such a reality lead further credence to the word “railroading?”

  5. Porter Lansing 2018-06-25 21:12

    I’m reading on Facebook that Kristi Noem is paying for some really nasty push polling. Most of these folks don’t even know what’s happening. They’re just trying to be South Dakota nice and all these nasty lies are being told about Billie Sutton. #deplorable

  6. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-25 22:23

    JKC, I agree with you that our convention order was all wrong. We should save the most important decisions, our nominees, for last, as the GOP did.

    (1) Saturday means more delegates can make it.
    (2) Last day gives candidates more time to work the voters.
    (3) News: arguably we get more press by placing our nominees in the Sunday paper than the Saturday paper.
    (4) Last day also gives us more time to recruit candidates for every office… although, as we saw, that’s nothing that a little suspension of the rules can’t solve. ;-)

    But notice that the GOP didn’t do a banquet after their nominations. Their voting ran two hours late, but they had no event scheduled after nominations anyway. Imperfect as our schedule was, our Friday schedule made sense: two hours to duke out our nominations, then 3–4 hours for the nominees and runners-up to collect their wits, work out their frustrations, whatever while we noodled about in training and receptions, then the evening banquet, where speeches and alcohol could flow freely before folks stumbled off to their rooms for a nice safe rest.

  7. Debbo 2018-06-25 22:24

    What– I repeat — what is DiSanto thinking with that image? She does realize that her constituents and opponents see it, right? It does not look legislatorly. It looks more spring breakly. Does she think it will get her votes? Tell me gentlemen, will a mildly trashy photo such as that result in votes?

  8. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-25 22:25

    Next Noem will recruit Johnson to come and speak sternly to Sutton. Look out!

    Seriously, let this push poll be a warning to Team Sutton and all Dems: Kristi Noem will pull no punches. She will wage all-out war to win this pageant—er, election.

  9. Curt 2018-06-25 22:59

    As I understand it, one of the main points being driven by Noem’s push-poll relates to Sutton’s vote in favor of “a 67% pay raise for himself”. As we know, facts are insignificant in a debate with any Repub, but those who know will realize that Billie did not and could not have voted himself any such pay increase being term limited. As someone once tweeted, “Sad!”

  10. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-26 06:27

    Thanks for that detail, Curt! That’s a good reminder that Team Sutton will need to be ready to respond instantly with the facts and with a bigger hit against Noem’s voting record… and her lies about her family’s estate tax.

  11. Barbara 2018-06-27 00:38

    I’m wondering what caused Mark DiSanto and David Johnson to get ejected. Inquiring minds want to know……

  12. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-27 11:06

    I’m working on that, Barbara. I invite any eyewitnesses to provide their observations.

  13. Ryan 2018-06-27 11:41

    Debbo, are you actually asking whether or not sex sells? Does the pope $hi+ in the woods?

    Also, I was under the impression that folks who support feminism typically support the freedom for women to wear whatever clothes they want without being judged based on their appearance, or accused of being trashy or having sexual motives. Is that…like…a part-time philosophy?

    It’s summer and she is wearing a tanktop, not stripper tassels. Or are you judging her choice in make-up? Or are you suggesting her posture is mildly trashy? Or some other physical characteristic that has nothing to do with her political prowess (or lack of)?

  14. Debbo 2018-06-27 12:03

    Ryan, I said “It does not look legislatorly. It looks more spring breakly.” I also used the phrase “mildly trashy.”

    Being a card carrying feminist does not imply blind acceptance of all things any woman does. I think DiSanto’s photo is highly inappropriate as she is campaigning. Public servants need to be aware of their public image, and women are generally held to a higher standard than men.

    Other feminists may disagree with me on this. That’s part of feminism too. We are diverse.

  15. Ryan 2018-06-27 12:25

    Hahaha OK, Debbo. Nice mental gymnastics – like usual. The irony and hypocrisy in your comments never cease to amaze me.

  16. mike from iowa 2018-06-27 12:59

    Does the pope $hi+ in the woods? No he does not. I think you misplaced what passes for a brain, buddy.

    Your examples are contradictory. One is yes the other isn’t.

    ps you know zilch about feminism if you try to pigeonhole Debbo because of one comment.

  17. Ryan 2018-06-27 13:40

    Mike, it was obviously a joke about the pope in the woods. It was a hilarious conglomeration of bears pooping in woods and popes being catholic. I’m very funny and your sense of humor appears to be comparable to tofu.

    As for pigeonholing debbo, she is doing all of that herself. For months I have read her consistently sexist, racist, hypocritical comments, so my opinion of her is certainly not based on this one comment.

    This is about the twentieth time you have defended her ignorance yourself, so I doubt you actually think I am relying on one comment for my impression of her. Do you agree with debbo that women should be judged by their choice in clothes or make-up? Or are you defending debbo because you like her despite disagreeing with her ugly-hearted comments? Either way, buddy, you associate with some real lowlifes.

  18. Debbo 2018-06-27 14:27

    Ryan, you hear whatever you choose to hear. Oh well. That’s outside my control so I’m not going to spend my time on that. My answer was clear and simple and you made it something else.

    Mike is a very good and decent man, hence your issues with him too. Again, it illustrates your biases. Oh well. Have fun.

  19. Debbo 2018-06-27 14:29

    Mike, issues of race and gender are Ryan’s hot buttons, as he shows repeatedly. His problem. I’m mostly going to let him play by himself.

  20. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-27 14:37

    Debbo has a point. It doesn’t take mental gymnastics to look at a photo of a woman reclining on the ground and smiling up at the camera to get a spring-breakly, unlegislatorly sexual message.

  21. Ryan 2018-06-27 14:46

    Race and gender issues are no more or less “hot buttons” for me than any other issues. I get worked up about religious crazies, too. I get worked up about political corruption. I get angry at liars and cheats and fraudsters and people who take advantage of the gullible, impressionable, or over-trusting. You just happen to see my responses to race and gender issues because you post ignorant comments about race and gender quite often.

    If you ever feel like talking about all the self-contradictory, homophobic, unethical, silly, and dangerous things about organized religion, I’d be happy to show you that I am equally passionate about that as I am about race and gender equality. And I mean actual equality, not your kind of lip-service-only equality.

  22. Ryan 2018-06-27 15:08

    Cory, is that the same sexual message that women send when they wear tank tops to the bar? Or at the park? Or anywhere?

    Maybe they are just wearing tank tops and not at all trying to get you to think about sex. Maybe that’s a symptom of what is in the viewer’s head, not in the head of the person being objectified.

  23. Porter Lansing 2018-06-27 15:26

    Debbo … Porter doesn’t think you’re sexist, racist or hypocritical. Unlike Grudzie, I don’t think you hate men. I think Grudzie just hates himself and that’s where that comes from. You seem like a very nice lady that would belong to the groups of friends I have all across USA. It’s a pleasure reading your thoughts.

    PS … now that the Supreme Court is tilted, I believe it’s time I move more to the Machiavellian right. Like Cory, I was a registered Republican with fiscally conservative beliefs until middle age. (Even when I was an elected Teamsters official in the 80’s.)

  24. Debbo 2018-06-27 16:02

    Thanks Porter. I am fairly nice and I know my comments sometimes upset some, like Ryan and Grudz. Oh well. Such is life. I enjoy reading your comments too and it would be a pleasure to meet you some time.

  25. Dicta 2018-06-27 16:13

    “Maybe they are just wearing tank tops and not at all trying to get you to think about sex. Maybe that’s a symptom of what is in the viewer’s head, not in the head of the person being objectified.”

    I mean, he is right.

  26. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-27 16:17

    Ryan, did I mention the tank top? I thought my statement was pretty clear.

  27. Ryan 2018-06-27 16:20

    Yes, your statement was as clear as debbo’s. Loud and clear.

  28. mike from iowa 2018-06-27 16:25

    Ryan, you are about as funny as a rubber crutch. Someone got up on the wrong side of the crib, Someone besides the orange monster in the WH.

  29. Debbo 2018-06-27 16:57

    Dicta, that’s pretty much what I had in mind, public perceptions. I asked the gentlemen what they think and mentioned that women are usually held to a higher standard. We are and, while its definitely unfair, the double standard exists.

  30. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-27 17:23

    Debbo and I are on the same track. Ask any advertising firm why they put women in bikinis in beer ads.

  31. mike from iowa 2018-06-27 17:25

    Debbo, we can take solace in the fact that Ryan doesn’t have a clew what ignorant means.

  32. Ryan 2018-06-27 20:03

    Well, mike got one thing right so far this year despite his best efforts: skunks really do smell good – to each other.

Comments are closed.