Top 100 Dakota Free Press Blog Posts of 2018: Viewers’ Choice!

1. Debbo

   “DFP’s 2018 viewing stats suggest that the only women you readers find more interesting than Maria Butina is Kristi Noem.”

   That has me wondering what the gender breakdown of your blog topics was. The Minnesota Women’s Press does an annual breakdown that shows how greatly coverage of males dominates Minnesota newspapers.

   Hmmmmm. 🤔🤔🤔

   2019-01-01
2. Cory Allen Heidelberger

   That, Debbo, is an interesting question. One of the problems I face as a political blogger is that, as long as men make up a majority of the elected decision-makers, a majority of my blogging will likely be about male decision-makers… unless the female decision-makers raise a whole lot of heck and drive the agenda.

   Dudes appear to constitute a majority of the players in the Butina story. Her Russian handler, the billionaire patron, her South Dakota boyfriend, the South Dakota Congressman-Elect who praised let her propagandize his teenage Republican campers… dudes. The only other major female player I can think of in the Butina story is Svetlana Nikolaeva, the billionaire’s wife, shootist and gun manufacturer.

   The lead players in EB-5 were men. Like a bad movie, the only ladies in EB-5 who jump to mind were the go-go dancers at the Havana Club in Manila and the Filipinas Benda and Bollen dated, side characters who didn’t get really juicy lines or character development in the reporting.

   GEAR UP had some female leads. Secretary Melody Schopp inherited Rick Melmer’s monkeyshines and thus had to manage the cover-up. Nicole Westerhuis was a partner in her husband Scott’s crime in GEAR UP. Stephanie Hubers went to trial but was found not guilty, and the other ladies at Mid-Central appear to have kept themselves out of the spotlight.

   Kristi Noem got lots of attention from me during the election, and she’ll get even more now.

   I do what I can to talk about women’s issues, particularly reproductive rights and equality, but I always speak from a male perspective. We could use a few more female voices joining us in the comment section to keep us guys on the right track.

   2019-01-01
3. Debbo

   “I do what I can to talk about women’s issues, particularly reproductive rights and equality, but I always speak from a male perspective.”

   I know you do. And I understand what you’re saying about males in seats of power, with a few exceptions, and thus getting the ink.

   I don’t think SD knows how desperately they need more women in Pierre for balance and new perspectives and thinking. Of course that’s precisely why the SDGOP doesn’t want more women.

   2019-01-01
4. mike from iowa

   There was one Chinese woman, if memory serves, in the EB-5 case who also rented or bought an apartment in Drumpf Dump North, New York.

   Then, of course, there was Benda’s minor daughter whom Jackley claimed made the decision not to release her Dad’s autopsy- again if memory serves.

   2019-01-02
5. mike from iowa

   What the Debbo could a woman know that white wingnut men don’t already know?

   2019-01-02
6. Debbo

   Of course Mike, what was I thinking?! My pretty little brain must be addled from all this manly stuff. I think I’ll retire to my fainting couch. 🤯🤯😵

   2019-01-02
7. mike from iowa

   Yer mail is in the mail. As of this morning.

   2019-01-02
8. Cory Allen Heidelberger

   We could definitely use more women in the blogosphere. I miss the Dakota Women blog!

   2019-01-02
9. Donald Pay

   Female leadership has really gone down the Fallopian tube in South Dakota. I’m not sure why that is. Democrats generated a lot of energy from female legislators in the 1990s, and Republican women actually led the in the Legislature for a few years. I think a more equal balance in party numbers tends to elevate women of both parties.

   Part of it is women don’t let themselves be put into the cipher role as easily as men. They don’t play it safe, so they become a target, and have more opposition at election time. They have real issues to bring forward, as opposed to, say, Al Novstrap, who can’t seem to find an issue (or his member) with both hands. In essence and putting it in a sexist way, the women are more of a man than Al. Women tend to do something when they are in the legislature, rather than take orders, like submissive little Al, who tends to hide behind his “making friends” with the elite approach to leadership.

   2019-01-02
10. Debbo

    I think you’re right about women Don. That’s part of why some men won’t vote for a woman too. They like the status quo.

    Mike, yay!

    2019-01-02
11. mike from iowa

    And, as women like to none too gently remind us pigs, can balance a checkbook.

    Ms Debbo, words alone cannot express my utter amazement and astonishment at what arrived in my mail this very day. The hard candy was yummy as well. I know a couple of young ladys who will be thrilled to death, just as I am. And I will tell the whole phreaking world!

    2019-01-02
12. Debbo

    ☺☺☺☺☺☺

    2019-01-02
13. happy camper

    Why is it ok for there to be a Dakota Women’s blog when a Dakota Men’s blog would get hammered as sexist, misogynist …, oh yeah that thing called double standard.

    2019-01-02
14. Daniel Buresh

    Yeah, the public outrage over Men’s Health magazine being sexist and misogynist is deafening…./s

    Happy, put the pipe down and quit trying to play a victim.

    2019-01-02
15. Cory Allen Heidelberger

    No more double standard there, Hap, than in the plain fact that “Black Power!” is an acceptable rallying cry for an oppressed minority while “White Power!” is the racist chant of a snowflake majority that fears losing its unwarranted privilege.

    But hey, Hap, you’re fully connected and Web savvy. Start on up, lead that conversation.

    2019-01-02

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