While President Joe Biden gave a stirring speech yesterday bravely confronting real threats to democracy and challenging the Senate and all Americans to get on the right side of history, Governor Kristi Noem just tired me out with another divisive personal campaign pitch filled with dreary dissemblage. After reading and transcribing the President’s honest and helpful words yesterday, slogging through Noem’s partisan claptrap is just depressing.
So I’ll leave it to some of my favorite Democrats to break down Noem’s broken-down rhetoric:
SDDP Vice-Chair Nikki Gronli:
“It comes as no surprise that Governor Noem used this speech to further divide South Dakotans. Clearly she’d rather continue to build a national profile as a culture warrior than address the real concerns of hardworking South Dakotans. Democrats are focused on delivering for South Dakotans on healthcare, education, and an economy that works for everyone.”
House Democratic Leader Jamie Smith:
“Governor Noem’s speech was an opportunity to bring South Dakotans together, but today we heard a partisan speech that divides. We need a government that works for all South Dakotans. There are opportunities for us to work together. Areas of agreement include workforce housing, job training, and childcare just to name a few.
Instead of paying attention to the science and encouraging South Dakotans to get vaccinated and boosted, Kristi Noem refuses to lead. I encourage people to get vaccinated and wear a mask when appropriate. Together we can end this pandemic.”
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Heinert:
“Governor Noem squandered the opportunity to make meaningful change in many South Dakotans’ lives by focusing on social issues that have been debated and settled in this state over twenty years ago.”
Senate Democratic Whip Reynold Nesiba:
“Kristi Noem is quick to say we’re first in lack of education loss but South Dakota is still 50th in teacher pay. Teachers have worked to ensure our children’s education but Kristi Noem is offering them a raise that doesn’t even keep up with inflation. They deserve 8%. Teachers and state employees deserve better” [South Dakota Democratic Party, press release, 2022.01.11].
Governor Noem should act like President Biden, speaking to true American history and values and proposing practical solutions to real problems affecting all of us. Instead, she ignores facts and science to make real problems worse while she preens for the cameras and a radical right-wing primary base.
I’m glad that I didn’t waste my precious time listening to Noem spew her hate filled rhetoric or to watch her exemplify her misinterpretation of Christianity. I wish Saturday Night Live would do a parody of Noem like they did of Palin. Noem needs to see and hear how stupid and selfish she is.
She’s going to lose this time around because there are people like me who are going to join the Republican party just to vote in the primary. If there is no Democrat running, I want a choice in which Republican gets in.
Let’s see how difficult it is to change my registration to vote. Can’t do it online but city hall is 2 blocks away.
The republican household . . . https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalHumor/comments/s1c45a/so_if_the_bible_says_we_should_help_the_poor/
this is totally true… i turned on the live feed a few minutes after she started talking, and i made it less than a minute before i had to turn it off. there is not one single ounce of genuine concern for anybody else in her eyes, her tone, or her body language. just think… how close we were to having mr. sutton… dang man
The typical babble from Noem, the typical responses from Dems, and the thought I am left from this is: Do the Democrats really need a whip?
Mrs. Noem was dressed to kill yesterday because she’s one-woman death panel.
As South Dakota’s 1/11/2022 active Covid cases rose to a new high—20,475–above 2020’s deadly 19,240 peak–Gov. Noem opened another mostly no-masked legislative session.
In her State of State address, she again boasted of filing anti-federal employer vaccine mandate lawsuits—even for health care workers—lauding “freedom.” over Covid prevention.
Gov. Noem touted debunked “natural immunity” and ignored South Dakota’s Covid risks of no masks, no social distancing, and lower than U.S. fully vaccinated rates.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-still-doesnt-understand-how-covid-and-vaccines-work?ref=home?ref=home
Noem failed to acknowledge Covid’s costs for South Dakotans–sickness and death, medical costs, lost work income, lost school time, and long-haul Covid effects.
Today, South Dakota’s new positive cases reached another high—2708.
Active cases rose to 22,743.
And 2534 South Dakotans have died of Covid.
Covid deaths climb steadily toward 3,000 with no end in sight. Mrs. Noem ignores the deaths, the families in agony, hearses on the streets. She’s full of happy talk and “pretend” issues. Over our dead bodies.
In light of South Dakota’s first reported pediatric COVID death today, Noem’s concept of “freedom” feels like a punch in the gut. Rest in peace, little one. Are the lives of born children – and people of all ages, for that matter – not worth saving?
The Sioux Falls penitentiary just closed to all visitors and volunteers because of the Covid surge. It’s very, very bad – and Gov. Noem is ignoring it as fast as she can.
The Sioux Falls penitentiary just closed to all visitors and volunteers because of the Covid surge. It’s very, very bad – and Gov. Noem is ignoring it as fast as she can. I was there last night – fully masked – and it was scary with so many people coughing, sneezing, and generally looking sick.
Mr. Blundt, did you see that the Associated Press, as libbie an organization as they come this side of Mr. E’s blog, has said stats no longer matter and cautioned their few remaining “reporters” that they’ll be smote with a ruler across the knuckles if they add numbers that don’t make sense?
Once again we have speeches, pageantry, “”76 Pledges,” slogans about “freedom,” photo-ops with shotguns & dead rooster pheasants…and then there is the REAL business of what she’s proposing and the legislature is supporting as Cory recently chronicled on Dakota Free Press. NONE of the proposed bills seem to really address our problems in the state toward the benefit of South Dakota citizens/taxpayers. Instead it appears to be for a select bunch of special interests, for example: funding to build the world’s largest shooting range and let’s pay for everyone’s concealed gun permit and background checks and more money to fund private schools.
Cory, are we going to see a VIABLE CANDIDATE take on Kristi Noem this year??? We have a Governor who has proven she is NOT interested in anyone BUT HERSELF…and yet no one viable is willing to take her on? Are you kidding me? We have people out there who have: 1) The experience…2) The Credibility…and the question is do they have the: 3)Chutzpah to take on Kristi Noem and DEFEAT her…so why are they NOT doing it??? Come on Billie Sutton or whoever is out there. Are you all just going to let her steam roll herself into another term of RIDICULOUSNESS ??? This is ABSURD that we are letting her get a free run on another term of screwing us over for at least two more years, so, she can use us as a stepping stone to some delusion she has a chance to go to the White House?!? It’s like we are living in the Twilight Zone?!?
I agree with Guy. It’s mid January, and there is NO ONE running against Noem !
The twilight Zone is real. Democrats simply don’t have anyone! Billy Sutton ran heroically in 2018. The only reason he lost
is what Gov. Harvey Wollman said—the Democratic Party in this state lost HALF its power and people by 1979! And has never
recovered from that yet. Billy did what he could. The Democratic :Party let him down. Just like Daschle lost to Thune in 2004.
Democratic Party can;t win because they are too busy building their “farm” team, like they were in previous decades. A farm team? You
might have some nice AA or AAA players, but you win when you have major players winning State and Federal Offices.
I am of the opinion that since the Democrats aren’t rebuilding, or even talking about DOMINATING the Legislature, Governor and Major Offices, they are not the horse to bet on.
A very hungry Progressive or People’s Party (SD governor election 1896) can rebuild the state, when they state as their first Principles (and say it often): We will dominate elected offices statewide for the next 50 (or 100 years). Without vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18)
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
A vision is a View of the Future, a POSITIVE View!
In the 2022 Governor’s race, there might be 3 horses out of the gate–
Noem (who can see Russia from here) riding the strongest, most vulnerable horse, one NOT built on Truth
Maybe a democratic Horse, with a Visionless Party that does not grow or expand in numbers, money or inspiration.
The Libertarians, who might capture 5% or so as a Protest against the republican office holder.
the 4th Horse, if there is one, could be one of us, or someone else we know!
Money doesn’t rule politics.
You just need someone with vision who will work to make it happen.
A free run for Noem would be a disaster !!!! No Democratic opposition would make Libertarian and Independent Candidates the
big players.
It’s time NOW to stop WORSHIPPING the huge piles of money Thune and the other Republicans have. All the R’s have is
the Golden Calf—it’s gold and it’s shiny, but you won’t LEAD the state with it, only preside over more Covid deaths.
With a Vision, the people can RESPOND, and Vote In a Great Vision, and new candidates, even a New Party or 2 into Power!
It is time to do that !!