Boy, just how much out-of-state campaigning is Kristi Noem going to miss due to her back surgery?
The Maryland Republican Party has finally acknowledged that Governor Noem can’t attend this Friday’s big party fundraiser in College Park. Evidently they’ve replaced her as their speaker and as our Governor:
“South Dakota Governor Kellyanne Conway”? No matter how bad Noem’s back is, Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden might have something to say about that.
Team Noem tells Annie Todd that Noem is going to miss a bunch of other East Coast events:
The governor recently underwent surgery for a back injury. Because of that, she will not travel to Maryland for the event and is instead sending her regards through video message, her communication director Ian Fury said. She was also slated to appear at a few other events on the east coast, but will be unable to go [Annie Todd, “Gov. Kristi Noem Will Stay in South Dakota Instead of Traveling to Maryland GOP Event,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2022.09.20].
But cry not for Coastal Kristi; Fury says she’ll still make it to the Black Hills next weekend for the Custer State Park buffalo round-up and her only debate with Democratic candidate for governor Rep. Jamie Smith.
Hmmm… if she’s canceled all those East Coast campaign trips but her back is still good enough to sit in a chair for a debate in Rapid City, maybe Noem can make time to fill the chair she said she’ll leave empty at the SDPB candidates’ debate.
Her handlers are siding with the simple law of mathematics here, the less debates the snow queen has, the less chance she has to get caught in one of her many lies.
It would be hilarious having Rhoden substitute for Noem at east coast fund raisers. We should encourage that.
Yeah, John! Really, if all this trips to the coasts are about promoting South Dakota, why isn’t Noem making arrangements to send someone from South Dakota to fill in for her and carry our brand to the world? Send Larry! Send Jason Ravnsborg (who isn’t otherwise occupied right now, and who loves talking up Republican crowds)! Send Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen! Send Mayors TenHaken and Allender! We can’t drop this important state business just because Kristi’s back is out. We must represent South Dakota at all of these important out-of-state events!
Maybe it was a back injury and maybe Mrs. Noem went out of state for medical treatment because the procedure was more sensitive than her fragile campaign would announce or leaked from a South Dakota hospital. It’s not like telling the truth is one her strong traits.