Governor Kristi Noem spent the whole weekend in warmer climes, returning to Georgia to boost her own brand under the guise of campaigning for Senator Kelly Loeffler, who stands in Georgia’s double-run-off tomorrow. Noem was also in Georgia last week Wednesday campaigning.
While Noem was away, South Dakota reported its 100,000th case of coronavirus. Let’s hope Noem’s incessant interstate travel to maskless, indoor events don’t bring more cases to our state or to Georgia or whatever states she visits next.
If you think Noem’s frequent absence from the state she’s supposed to be governing is unusual, you’re right. In a report on Noem’s gamble on letting coronavirus run its course, Jeremy Fugleberg tallies Noem’s absences in October and finds them unprecedented:
By late September, the state was nearly leading the nation for newly reported daily cases of the virus per capita, behind only North Dakota.
Noem, meanwhile, crisscrossed the country stumping for Trump’s re-election, posing for selfies with fans and fundraising for both him and herself.
The governor was outside South Dakota for at least 12 days visiting eight states in October, according to a Forum New Service analysis of her social media sightings and media reports. Her travels, including events at two Trump resorts in Florida, came amid South Dakota’s deadliest month of the pandemic to that point, with 202 reported fatalities.
“We haven’t had a governor who’s spent this much time out of state for business that was clearly not state business,” said Michael Card, political science professor at the University of South Dakota with a focus on the state’s politics, in an Oct. 30 interview [Jeremy Fugleberg, “Kristi Noem’s Big Bet: How Covid-19 Challenged South Dakota’s Governor,” Mitchell Daily Republic, 2020.12.30].
Janklow, Mickelson, Miller, Rounds, Daugaard—for the most part, they hung around the Second Floor and did their jobs. Kristi Noem’s priorities are clearly different from those of her predecessors.
Her true disdain for South Dakota can be read by all.
Well, it doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist
to realize why the Dope Queen wants a new airplane.
Kind of embarrassing pulling up to the airport on an old Gray mare when everyone else is riding a Tennessee
Walker.
What she doesn’t get is that the new plane might be bright and shinny , but
you can’t polish a turd.
One can only imagine how Billy would have conducted business for SD. Then again, DON’T think about it. It’s depressing! @#%^&*!
For once South Dakota is sending its garbage out of state, rather than the other way around.
Let’s see, where do you want to be in January, Georgia or South Dakota? Having grown up in South Dakota I known the South is a ruse.
She needs to pay back her salary for the absent, personal days.
What’s really disgusting (besides everything else about Noem) is that she doubtlessly thinks she’s “doing the Lord’s work” or something. Because the Jesus they tried to get me to follow as a kid was all in favor of arrogant, corrupt, traitorous, purely evil people like Trump. You betcha, Kristi.
Who needs a plane when you’ve got a perfectly good broom. Trumpolini is coming she must be just giddy.
Beware the frustrated dominatrix.
Dear Mr. Livingston, trust me when I say that no self respecting witch would allow her access to our preferred travel method! Haha!
Donald, I just that when we export our garbage, it wouldn’t come back?
Mr. H, what would you have her doing if she was physically sitting in her office, instead of no doubt being on the phones and computers doing the state’s business? Have you not advocated extensively for working remotely for all of the governments? I, for one, encourage the young lady to get out and see the world a bit. It will make her appreciate the Great State of South Dakota even more upon her return.
She could address the covid emergency in SD. See Mayor of LA Garcetti’s proactive leadership, CBS Sunday AM. It’s not a belief or a political ideology.
I think Noem realizes she is in political trouble. That is why she is doing everything she can do to raise money by running all over the country. That is why she already announced her run for a 2nd term as governor, hoping to get ahead of others who may be interested in running for governor.
Noem has dug in so deep with Trump that it is impossible for her to admit she is wrong and change her ways.
Noem knows she is in for one hell of a fight to get re-elected.
Interesting angle Scott, but don’t you think she is more popular than ever amongst her SD Base? What have you heard? I think she knows she’s good at raising money and she is still fairly young and plans on a long career in politics wherever it may take her and so the more money raised the better.
She will have to acknowledge the covid pandemic eventually come election time but South Dakota Republicans loved her choices on that.
Again, grudznick raises the correct question – albeit from the wrong direction: Is Governor Noem doing less work for SD being out of state? Has her travel reduced her dedication to this state, or has it only put a stark focus on where her priorities have always been?
Jenny, as the covid numbers continue to rise, we are approaching 1 in 8 South Dakotans testing positive and 1 in 575 had died. That means somebody in your family or somebody you know well has had covid. That likely means we all know somebody or several people who has died from covid.
That is difficult for people to overlook and why I believe people are questioning Noem’s concept of doing nothing. I just hear people that are not happy with Noem for just doing nothing and letting the pandemic get out of control.
I’m sure kristi appreciates Stone Mountain Znick, its a relief for her.
Kristi knows what she’s doing. She knows that South Dakota’s electorate is so ignorant and lazy that they only vote on name recognition… and every South Dakotan recognizes the name Kristi Noem. It is very sad for me to say this but I think it is very true.
According to Judge Kornmann, Kristi has done diddly squat with regard to Covid. I fully agree with the judge. She follows her mentor in that regard, or maybe we should say her soon-to-be out of the White House and good riddance mentor.
Just me, but I think it’s difficult to make a case that Kristi cares about SD when she spends so much time elsewhere, anywhere BUT SD. Yeah, maybe she’s seeing that work gets done, but exactly what would that be that’s getting done while she is elsewhere?