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Yankton Mayor: Noem Failing to Lead in Pandemic Fight

Governor Kristi Noem won’t be holding any press conferences with Yankton mayor Nathan Johnson any time soon. Mayor Johnson says Noem is failing to provide real leadership in the fight against coronavirus:

“We’ve heard the CDC and various other health experts,” Johnson said. “Studies have shown that wearing a mask makes a huge difference if the majority of us are doing it.”

Johnson said Governor Kristi Noem could do more to spread the message.

“She has not worn a mask, she has refused to even acknowledge the efficacy of masks. And so that’s created a lot of confusion with the public about who’s telling the truth,” Johnson said [Carter Woodiel, “Yankton Mayor: Noem Has Shown ‘Lack of Leadership’ During Pandemic,” KELO Radio, 2020.10.12].

You can hear Johnson’s call for better leadership from Pierre in Jerry Oster’s audio on WNAX.

Noem was unavailable for comment, since she was away in Minnesota boosting her brand.

18 Comments

  1. james 2020-10-13 07:32

    The whole idea behind Kristi Noem’s stardom was that she was maintaining an open economy while also keeping the virus under control. Right? We all knew that doing nothing would likely benefit the economy (at least short term). But not following medical counsel would lead to this disaster, in the long run. It was so predictable.

    So what exactly is she bragging about?

  2. james 2020-10-13 08:25

    If the virus is no big deal, why is Trump pushing for a vaccine?

    The CDC director said recently that masks can do more to fight this than a vaccine. The best tool to overcome Covid may already be here. A vaccine may or may not work. And many people may not even get the shot.

    They pretend like this pandemic is no big deal. But a vaccine is.

  3. leslie 2020-10-13 09:16

    Rapid City Mayor Allender-show some spine, get on board!

  4. Loren 2020-10-13 09:25

    I have several friends that are very lucky I’m not the kind of person who says, “I told you so!” ;-)

  5. Chris S. 2020-10-13 09:27

    Per a recent DFP post, wearing masks can reduce Covid spread by ~80% if everyone wore them. If we currently had a vaccine that was even half that effective, people would be mobbing clinics to get it like Walmart on Black Friday. But thanks to our complete lack of leadership and our childish “maverick” mentality, people won’t do the simple, effective thing because I DON’T WANNA.

    Inspiring, patriotic stuff there. These people would’ve lost the Battle of Britain in three nights because they’d refuse to use blackout curtains.

  6. mike from iowa 2020-10-13 11:38

    Here is an interesting graph that shows different amounts of covid infections at various points coinciding with drumpf’s lies.

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1315654253311131648

    From june 1 to October 2. This so kewl and should shame the unshamable, but it won’t.

  7. leslie 2020-10-13 12:40

    If all the mayors in all the major cities spoke up to Noem, as i lauded Allender at the time, and as Yankton or Vermillion’s mayor just did, Kristi would have to listen.

    Infamous gaffer Allender on Native American Day: “in this p—pile of posters are the names” of dead boading school children and infants; and “you think i’m racist? I’m from Mobridge. You should see my dad”.

  8. james 2020-10-13 13:26

    At the end of her press conference on the Attorney General situation, Kristi Noem was asked about rising Covid cases. She claimed that those were a result of “increased testing”.

    Really? Wow.

    So our cases went up from 800 to 6,000 because of increased testing? Hospitalizations jumped way up from increased testing? Deaths too? I’d love to hear Kristi explain how testing increases deaths.

    That was a lie. Shame on her. And about such a serious and deadly subject too. I hope our local press doesn’t let her get away with that.

  9. james 2020-10-13 13:40

    In the summer, our positive rate was around 5%. Today, it was about 37%, according to the figures that I just read. (414 of 1158 tests)

    Kristi says it’s testing? Testing, my arse.

  10. Steve 2020-10-13 14:58

    A Democrat Mayor doesn’t like Noem???? What? BREAKING NEWS….

  11. leslie 2020-10-13 16:00

    So Steve, shall i respond that a republicat mayor is a racist? breaking news. Grow up. Grow a spine. Say hi to Tim.

  12. Chris S. 2020-10-13 16:21

    A friend of my parents died from Covid last week, but people like Noem and “Steve” think it’s no big deal, just a big partisan joke. Something is deeply wrong with a lot of people.

  13. Mike Livingston 2020-10-13 16:30

    Mitt Romney scolds trump and the Democratic party for hateful rhetoric, I kind of pride myself for thinking I am not hateful but after nearly four years of observing the vile miscreant in the Whitehouse attempting to destroy the environment for the benefit of the oligarchy in this country and Russia and being assisted by Ms. no m and our spineless senators.

    Then there is the gross negligence and incompetency in attempting to deal with the virus, on display to the rest of the world. What is not to hate?

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/romney-cites-trump-s-rhetoric-as-he-denounces-vile-state-of-american-politics/ar-BB19YZik?ocid=msedgntp

  14. Steven Higgins 2020-10-13 18:31

    Leslie….the “Steve” you are responding to is not the one you think. Heidelberger won’t let me post without giving my last name.

  15. leslie 2020-10-13 19:44

    The tim may not be either, so thank you

  16. DeejayBeejr 2020-10-13 20:33

    Pony Girl Noem will never be able to hold a candle to Nathan Johnson when it comes to displaying leadership.

  17. mike from iowa 2020-10-14 08:58

    Moar drumpf body count milestones in site for today…

    United States
    Coronavirus Cases:
    8,097,973
    Deaths:
    220,989

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