To understand the paucity of intellectual and political leadership from South Dakota’s Republican Party, consider the titles of the “weekly columns” offered by our four highest elected officials over the weekend:
- Governor Kristi Noem: “Grit and Tradition“
- Representative Dusty Johnson: “Angels in Adoption“
- Senator M. Michael Rounds: “Constitution Day a Reminder of Founding Fathers’ Vision for America“
- Senator John Thune: “Realizing the Joy of Being a Dad“
Seriously, who reads this fluff?
Right out of the gate, three of those four headlines sound more like we’re tuning in to reruns of “The Neighbor Lady,” not getting any uniquely instructive or insightful information on happenings in either Capitol. Only Senator Rounds’s headline hints at talking about something related to the job he’s doing… but even his epistle merely rehashes basic senior-year government class and frosts it with bromides about common goals and building consensus, of which we heard none when he was busy blocking the President’s agenda in 2015 and 2016 and of which we hear nothing now as he sits motionless on the scads of useful legislation the House has sent to our mostly dormant Senate.
I write more substantive reports about action being taken by our federal, state, and city governments every day before breakfast, and this isn’t even my regular paying job. I could spend every week writing about the joys of fatherhood and our rural grit, but then I’d be creating a very different blog, a fluffy blog (of which I would tire quickly) reaffirming the obvious rather than attempting to educate and provoke discussions about matters requiring analysis, debate, and decisions.
I may occasionally digress on such softer topics, because it’s my blog and I can do what I want… but elected officials cannot say such a thing about their positions. Senators and Representatives and Governors enjoy their place on the public stage with their megaphones because they have been elected to do a job. They don’t get to do what they want; they are expected to do their jobs and talk about matters of policy that affect the public they serve.
Our elected officials should view their public communications as job reports, informing us of what they are working on and how that work affects us. Yet not one of their weekend columns reads like any sort of work-related job report. Every one reads like fluff and stuff. But that’s the job Republicans elect themselves for, not to do policy, but to say warm and fuzzy things (sprinkled with mean, nasty, and often false things about their election-year opponents) that improve their chances of winning the next election.
Obviously, they want us all to live in Pleasantville, and – as in the movie – they are determined to keep things “pleasant”. For themselves. At any cost.
Wow! All the pressing & serious business right now playing out in America and this is what they write about. It’s makes South Dakota look un-involved and out of touch.
I give a pass to Thune for bragging on his kid. It’s understandable. I do hope he didn’t use a penny of my tax dollars to write and send that early Christmas card. It is sort of a hoot that Rounds talks vapidly about the Constitution, while his President is busy ripping it up. That’s how they deal with the tyrant: ignore the toddler who is taking a dump in the corner. I didn’t read the others. Too disgusted by Rounds nonsense.
No, MJK, it makes Noem, Thune, Rounds and Johnson look out of touch. As if we needed further evidence.
In a better light, another high ranking wingnut from Texas, head of armed services committee is stepping down and not seeking reelection.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/30/republican-mac-thornberry-wont-seek-reelection-011926
By my count that makes around 800 chicken hearted mess makers quitting before America is totally buried.
This clown sees the writing on the wall without first having to sneak into capitol dome and write on the wall.
The fluff pieces are all “cover” cranked out by their PR staffs. They likely have ZERO input – and next to ZERO idea as to what is even written. Pieces are likely reviewed and approved by the “Chiefs of Staff, not the officer holders themselves.” meanwhile they do the “real work” of the office holder – raising money and schmoozing with lobbyists who feed them ready-made legislation and tell them how to vote.
Donald, I, too, might give Thune a proud-dad pass: every now and then, I call personal privilege here and right about something personal or fanciful.
But every now and then. Every rare now and then.
I get a weekly email newsletter from my Congresswoman, Angie Craig. It’s all about her job, bills, issues, etc. I hear regularly from both my senators. Sen. Klobuchar’s emails are about 2/3 campaign and 1/3 governing matters. Sen. Smith is up for reelection so her emails are about 50/50. I see regular FB posts from my state representative, Democrat Todd Lippert, and my state senator, Republican Rich Melman. Both posts are nearly always about their work in the statehouse.
One of the big reasons Angie Craig beat the incumbent GOP representative was because he ignored his constituents, except the rich donors. If all I received from the people who are supposed to represent me is the garbage SD’s quartet sends out, they could count on me working for their defeat in the primary or general.
It’s not only inconsequential fluff, it’s demeaning to the voters. It’s like a patronizing pat on the head.