Larry Rhoden’s lazy campaign artists could take some graphic design advice from South Dakota’s next Governor, Dusty Johnson. Take a look at the banner image on his campaign website:
Compare that banner image with Rhoden’s update hat shot:
While the rolling clouds look like they are ready to gobble up the shrinking Larry, Dusty’s smiling face owns his banner, fills the space, and shows not one hint of the MS Paint-quality cut-and-paste of his opponent’s top graphic. Dusty’s background is appropriately blurred to keep attention on the candidate, but check out the most clever graphic element of this banner image: the artists bring the flag back into focus by capturing the image within the right lens of Dusty’s eyeglasses, with Dusty’s kindly, energetic eye aimed right at the Stars and Stripes. Dusty’s Vision, Focused on America—beautiful!
Below the banner, where Rhoden’s website shows him standing around by himself and out of place in downtown Sioux Falls…
…, Dusty’s team places a ribbon of pix showing Dusty in context, surrounded by and engaged with other people:
Dusty shaking hands, Dusty shooting selfies, Dusty listening to folks wearing hats (including a lady in a cowgirl hat, a real ranch woman sending multiple subtexts, including that South Dakota is done with Cosplay Kristi), Dusty chatting up his interns outside a furniture store and receiving their applause (o.k., not every picture is a home run, but just keep scrolling), Dusty playing cards with the fam (adorable! All adorable!), Dusty working the ladies at the coffee shop… sure, Dusty’s pix are all staged, just like Larry’s, but they show him attending to other people, not strangely alone and isolated like Rhoden.
We can look forward to Dusty and Larry standing on stage together debating real differences in how they would govern South Dakota. But for now, on the marketing side, Dusty’s showing a superior grasp of how to promote his image.
I guess that aw, shucks, Opie Taylor, persona that Dusty wants us to buy is working for him here in SD. I just see him as a converted MAGA that will do anything to further his political career. I don’t even remember the issue at the time, but I wrote an email to disagree with his stance and basically told him to quit hiding under his desk, speak up. Next time I tried to write an email, it was rejected and a message to “contact his office” popped up. Confused, I put in a different address, with my name and the email form popped right up. What I gather from that is that Dusty only wants to hear from you if you support his 100% MAGA record. Do we really want to bring Project 2025 to SD in the form of a smiling wanna be? Remember him chasing Mike Johnson around the chamber floor like a lost puppy dog trying to be relevant during the Speaker’s vote? Pathetic! SD can do better.
Dusty
He alway sounds like the Class Nerd that’s running for Class President.
He’s great at giving a response which generally is not an answer to the question.
He just doesn’t seem to be the sort of stand alone kinda guy. He’s chosen as a MAGA guy as one of the last on that side cause it’s better to be on a team as opposed to not get chosen at all.
Unfortunately, both of these guys not only support, but seem to worship, a pedophile who is hell bent on destroying democracy. South Dakota deserves a governor who will work for the people. Their support of his cruel policies help him to consistently undermine those ideals which make America a great nation. This isn’t putting America first. Instead it’s puts his pathetic ego above our country’s best interests, including our economy, our global reputation, moral leadership and democratic foundation. It will take years to reverse the damage being done. The only way to stop the eroding of democracy, is to vote for people who support our foundation. We don’t need a MAGA yes man as governor! Help us all by not casting a vote for either of these two pathetic followers
Support for either of these clowns might be difficult even in South Dakota. Ag and tourism seem kinda down. Larry looks like he is in the bag in both photo’s and Dirty, well he just looks compromised as we all know from his maga.
Fascism comes with wrapping around the flag, while desecrating it as you can see by the flag mirror in his spectacle. I don’t see either of them doing anything for South Dakota, just their masters.