Stu Whitney writes a magnum opus on the political career of one of the few Congress critters whom I outweigh, Representative Dusty Johnson. The line that may resonate most for South Dakota campaigners may be this endorsement of his possible gubernatorial aspirations from the Governor he worked for, Dennis Daugaard:
News Watch analysis, based on interviews with political pundits, officeholders and colleagues and mentors of Johnson, point toward him running for governor in 2026. He has met with potential donors and had nearly $3 million in his campaign committee as of the June 2023 filing date, plus about $65,000 in his leadership political action committee. He also established a state-level PAC in February.
“I hope he runs,” Daugaard, who served as governor from 2011 to 2019, told News Watch. “I think he will. And if he does, I am four-square behind him” [Stu Whitney, “Dusty Johnson Went from SD Republican Boy Wonder to the US House, Is He Tough Enough to Be the Next Governor?” South Dakota News Watch, 2023.10.09].
Whitney emphasizes that the Daugaard endorsement does not guarantee electoral success the way a mainstream Republican Governor’s nod would have a generation ago. Both Daugaard and Dusty represent mild, pragmatic Republicanism, not the rabid Trumpism of the current cult their party has become. But Dusty has beaten back Trumpy challengers in two statewide primaries and coasted to Congress in three November victories. South Dakotans may like Trump, but closer to home, they still seem inclined to pick Daugaardians over chaos agents.
The Daugaard endorsement may cause less indigestion among the radical right-wingers who may stage futile Haugaardian runs for Governor than among the Jackleyites who may think the current Attorney General is back on track for the Governor’s chair. Jackley leans closer to Johnson and Daugaard in politics than the wingnuts. If Daugaard is signaling that Dusty is the man for 2026, he is making it harder for Marty to make his case to donors and voters.
Denny Daugaard is an unindicted co-conspirator in so many miscarriages of justice in South Dakota they’re too numerous to count and Dusty Johnson is a Trump loving Butina accomplice helping to hide Russian assets in dynasty trusts.
I would consider Dusty or Marty to be more ‘normal’ types of candidates for once.
I had hopes for Dusty when he first headed to D.C. He made a couple of comments that weren’t Trumpian, but evidently, soon learned how to play the game, probably after some back room counseling. He may call himself “Main Street” Johnson, but has pretty much voted the party line along with his MAGA brothers and sisters. “Main Street?” Uh, ya…
None of the cited politicians has any articulated vision for South Dakota – Johnson is more of the same mediocrity. They are a tribe of go-alongs-to-get-alongs. Not a George Mickelson in the bunch. Yet mediocre will shine next to the lamentable noem and rhoden.
Stan Adelstein hates Herr Trump so he is doing South Dakota a colossal disservice by not endorsing anyone but Howdy Doody Dusty who is still raising money on the Big Lie.
I just vomited in my mouth a little. Democrats in South Dakota need to get serious.
Seeing as how you brought up “outweighing”, do you suppose Dusty outweighs our current governor?
Mr. Dusty is 5’11, so he’s got the reach on Mr. H. So does Ms. Noem, but she would never punch a gentleman.
Neither Dusty nor Marty would spend his gubernatoriate making speeches at Michigan GOP dinners or angling for live interviews in Fox’s NYC studio. Neither would hire Corey Lewandowski.
Have to agree with Cory, as low a bar as that may be. ;-)
CK, Democrats ran pretty much the most ideal moderate candidate they could in 2018 and still came up a little over 11,000 votes short. Billie Sutton was a great candidate and ran probably the best Democratic campaign for Governor I’ve seen in my lifetime.
People around this place said the issue was Billie was too moderate. The D’s needed a more leftwing progressive candidate. A candidate that would push ideas like higher taxes and more gun control and gun bans. Well all the liberals on this board that said Sutton was too conservative got their wish with Jamie Smith. What a blow-out that was even though we were told that’s the kind of candidate that could win big against someone like Noem.
I’d say at this point either Johnson or Jackley is about as good as we can hope for. Either would be a major improvement over Noem and would actually care about being Governor.
One of the ways I entertain myself is by directly asking people why they support or oppose a political candidate. Some people are so surprised that they behave as if I asked them why are they still married, and become rather indignant.
Others will say they like or dislike a politician’s policies, but when pressed can’t identify which policies are a concern. Still others will say it’s because he does or does not “care” about them, but can’t explain what evidence they have for that, or why they think it’s part of the job.
It’s surprising to learn just how many people can’t explain their support or opposition to a candidate, because it’s emotional, not rational, and you might as well be asking them why they are still married.
Go for it, it’s fun.
One of the ways I entertain myself is praying for the Rapture of every Republican on the planet.
Dusty Johnson is a statesman and Denny Daugaard is a duck dynasty.
https://www.tumblr.com/politicalsmokeout/65647694146/a-halloween-tradition-in-pierre-is-for-local-kids
Lar, is Mr. Zitterich calling down a rapture again? grudznick needs to know where I should send that stash you left with me for housing. It needs to be housed.
Even if, *cough* *cough* there is not, a, “rapture”. You want a Rapture, you come back to breakfast with the Conservatives with Common Sense and you will get your ass raptured, middle-aged sir.
Amoral Johnson nominated Gym Jordan for House speaker. Gym Jordan is a main ringleader for the republican clown circus created over the past several years. Gym Jordan served in congress for 16 years and has a record of non-accomplishments that would make noem jealous (she passed one bill into law). Jordan – none, nil, nada, zilch.
“It remains astonishing that the Republicans would consider making Jordan speaker. The hallmarks of that position are an ability to negotiate and to shepherd legislation through Congress (think of all former speaker Nancy Pelosi got done with the same slim majority the Republicans have). Jordan has none of those qualities; he is a flamethrower who, in 16 years in the House, has not managed to get a single bill through the House, let alone into law. Jordan’s elevation would reflect that for many years now, Republicans have elevated those who disdain government and whose goal is to stop it from working.” Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American, Oct 13, 2023
The fact that Amoral Johnson snuggled up with the republican clown circus and Gym (failed to report) Jordan) bespeaks his lack of character, his absence of judgment. Johnson acts more as a greasy opportunist than a statesman. Johnson’s unfit to be janitor for the Mitchell Legion baseball team.