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No Excuse: Noem Dodges State Fair Debate

Last updated on 2012.08.17

As eager commenter Matt Groce mentioned this morning, Congresswoman Kristi Noem has declined to face Democratic challenger Matt Varilek in a debate at the State Fair hosted by the South Dakota Farmers Union.

Matt Varilek can hardly believe Noem's dodge. Tom Lawrence finds Noem's decision "stunning." So do I.

I yield the floor to the Farmers Union, which issues the following press release on its disappointment with Noem and its hope that she'll reconsider. Check out Noem spokesman Tom Erickson's one-sentence rejection note, which offers no excuse at all for our Congresswoman's failure to appear before her constituents in a fair debate:

Rep. Kristi Noem Declines State Fair Debate Invite

HURON — Rep. Kristi Noem has declined an invitation to participate in a debate with her Democratic challenger Matt Varilek which was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1, during the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. The scheduled debate was organized and sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union, a family farm organization based in Huron. Matt Varilek last month confirmed his attendance at the State Fair debate.

"I'm disappointed to learn that the congresswoman won't be attending the debate," said South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke. "Farmers Union members and the public are anxious to see the two candidates side-by-side. We plan to move forward with a program at the State Fair featuring Mr. Varilek on the Freedom Stage at 1 p.m. We will still have an open invitation to Rep. Noem if she reconsiders. Voters will still have a chance to hear Varilek's views on the agriculture issues facing our state and our country. Unfortunately they won't hear from Rep. Noem."

Farmers Union invited Rep. Noem on May 22, before her challenger was known, to participate in the State Fair debate this September. In an email received this week Noem's campaign manager Tom Erickson wrote, "Thank you for the invitation to the Farmers Union debate at the State Fair, but unfortunately Rep. Noem will not be able to attend. Tom.

"Family farmers and ranchers are anxiously awaiting passage of the 2012 farm bill which has been held up by House Republican leadership after the U.S. Senate passed the farm bill with bipartisan support," said Sombke. "This is the worst drought in 50 years, and we need to be able to have an open discussion and an opportunity for family farmers to ask their leaders questions about what's being done to help producers during this tough time. And we need answers on why a farm bill hasn't been passed."

The debate was scheduled during Farmers Union Day at the State Fair, which is traditionally held the Saturday of the fair. Farmers Union has hosted several debates in the past. The latest State Fair debate featured then-gubernatorial candidates Republican Dennis Daugaard and Democrat Scott Heidepriem in 2010. It had the largest attendance of any gubernatorial debate in the state that year.

Farmers Union is set to host another debate Saturday, Sept. 1, featuring candidates for the Public Utilities Commission on the Dakotaland Stage at the State Fairgrounds. That debate begins at 3:15 p.m. All five candidates for the PUC, Matt McGovern, Kristie Fiegen, Russell Clarke, Chris Nelson and Nick Nemec, have confirmed their attendance [emphasis mine; press release, South Dakota Farmers Union, August 16, 2012].

Earlier today, Noem offered KELO this vague excuse that does not make explicit why she said no to the State Fair debate:

"We're still considering debates and looking at them but we're going to make sure we do debates in front of fair and non-partisan groups and so that's what we're looking for is we want to have fair, open and honest debates," Noem said.

The South Dakota Farmers Union says the group is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that has been hosting debates between Republicans and Democrats since the 1950's, including one planned for this year at the State Fair with all the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission candidates [Ben Dunsmoor, "Noem Will Not Debate Varilek at SD State Fair," KELOLand.com, August 16, 2012].

Hmm... Kristi Noem thought the Farmers Union-hosted* State Fair debate fit her criteria back in 2010, when she showed up to have her clock cleaned by Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. And Noem's appearance at the Rapid City Tea Party Forum on February 4, 2012, shows she has no real objection to appearing in front of a clearly partisan group.

For two years in a row, Kristi, you hold no public town hall meetings with your constituents. And now you dodge the State Fair debate... and give us a disingenuous reason for doing so. This behavior is inexcusable from our Congresswoman.

*Update and Correction! [August 17, 2012, 07:02 MDT]: A correspondent tells me the 2010 State Fair debate in which Noem participated was hosted by East River Coop and the American Council for Ethanol. Farmers Union hosted the State Fair gubernatorial debate that year between Scott Heidepriem and Dennis Daugaard.

Farmers Union president Doug Sombke cannot recall any candidate other than Noem ever rejecting an invitation to participate in a Farmers Union State Fair debate.

Noem has also turned down an invitation from East River Electric Power Cooperative to participate in a forum at its annual meeting in Sioux Falls September 5. In this case, she cites schedule conflicts. The U.S. House is not in session until September 10.

17 Comments

  1. Taunia 2012.08.16

    "...but we’re going to make sure we do debates in front of fair and non-partisan groups and so that’s what we’re looking for is we want to have fair, open and honest debates."

    Did she just trash Farmer's Union as much as I think she did? Wouldn't this be a pretty safe forum for her? Dang!

  2. Taunia 2012.08.16

    Maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there's a scheduling conflict.

    Does anywhere in SD hold Saturday traffic court?

    Is there a fundraiser in California that day?

    Do farm subsidy checks by mail need signatures on Saturdays?

    Is there an Ayn Rand movie marathon scheduled that Saturday?

    Perhaps her campaign realizes farmers are finding out she raised their ag assessments and taxes?

    There's a running marathon scheduled at the same time and she's practicing running from Boehner and Cantor?

    Noem has a letter writing party to evict Veterans from the "Socialist" VA hospitals scheduled at the same time.

    Noem has the movie "Animal Farm" rented for that Saturday to try to figure out her position on the Farm Bill.

    Wall Drug is giving away free ice water that day and she promised Teddy she'd help pump the well.

    Someone told Noem there's a critical 34th vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act in the House that Saturday.

    Weather forecasters predict the wind will blow in SD that day and Noem intends to make sure no one regulates the dust.

    There are lots of reasons she could have for not being able to debate that day. Free tanning package for the first one who finds out where she's going to be.

  3. Jana 2012.08.16

    "...in front of fair and non-partisan groups..."

    So the people at the fair and especially the farmers are not a non-partisan group of people? Boy, I would love to see her list of non-partisan groups in South Dakota.

    Her failure to lead on the Farm Bill must be bigger than we thought. I'm guessing she knows more about the future of the Farm Bill than she is letting on and doesn't want to get into that discussion in front of the people that her inaction will hurt the most.

  4. Jana 2012.08.16

    How much fun would it be to have posters, flyers, buttons, fans, water bottles with Kristi featured like a lost dog flyer...or maybe dressed like 'Where's Waldo'...

    Kristi's failure to talk issues at the State Fair of South Dakota is as big of display of lack of courage that you could ask for.

    Kristi, if you can't face up to your challenger and the voters at the State's Fair...how can you face down the GOP leaders in Washington that want to gut the Farm Bill? Hmmm...that would look good on a flyer.

    Taunia - nice list! Maybe that could be a guessing game at the fair.

  5. larry kurtz 2012.08.17

    Had the Farm Bureau paid for her visit rather than the Farmers Union hosting her show maybe it would have been different.

  6. Smitty 2012.08.17

    Are they so dense that because the word "union" is in the groups name they assume they are an organized association? Do you think she banks at a credit union?

  7. larry kurtz 2012.08.17

    She allegedly wallowed in ag chemicals after the death of her father: she is more likely scheduled to have biopsies on most of her organs.

  8. Mark 2012.08.17

    Kristi Noem would be better served with a new campaign manager. This strategy is not only lame, but will help more independents, and maybe a few Republicans, realize that South Dakota will be better served by a new Representative.

  9. caheidelberger Post author | 2012.08.17

    Larry, that was farm subsidies she wallowed in, not chemicals. Same effects.

  10. MJL 2012.08.17

    The thing that has been bothering me is that even if Farmers Union is a democrat leaning group, that wouldn't make a the debates unfair. Both sides would establish ground rules and the basic topics that would be debated would be the same. The questions would not be a big surprise. Is she worried that the audience would be partisan?

  11. caheidelberger Post author | 2012.08.17

    Exactly, MJL. I would love for someone to give me an example of how any candidates' debate in South Dakota has been rigged to favor one candidate with a biased moderator, loaded questions, or any other such monkeyshines that Noem thinks SDFU would try to pull. Of course, in Kristi's mind, asking hard questions is probably bias enough against her.

  12. Jeff Barth 2012.08.17

    I expected her to dodge debate or even discussion but... the State Fair!

    I was thinking of her on the back of a horse but now I am again thinking of the back end of a horse.

  13. Mark 2012.08.17

    Political campaigns are not for the timid. Undecided voters often make decisions on whether candidates are really willing to engage in a give-and-take and not just rely on proxies and platitudes. In a lopsided race, avoiding debates might be good politics but it's not good policy. But I doubt this is such a race. I imagine it's getting more competitive everyday she's avoiding appearances. Perhaps she's cramming for DakotaFest. If that's the case, she's raising expectations. Were I advising Noem, I tell her she's clearly making a mistake. What's more she's insulting the intelligence of more than a few people and causing some of her supporters to wonder if she has the courage of her convictions. This is almost comical that a candidate for statewide office in South Dakota is not appearing at this venue.
    If she's afraid the crowd might be too partisan, she can bus in supporters to attend for moral support. A dozen or so supporters in Noem tee shirts should do the trick.

  14. caheidelberger Post author | 2012.08.17

    No doubt, Mark! That was the game we played at the 2010 State Fair debate. Noem and SHS both made sure the hall was filled with their backers to cheer and fly the campaign colors.

    Noem has nothing to fear but fear... and herself. If Governor Daugaard and Pearson Education, Inc. invited me to a debate Referred Law 16/HB 1234 at the State Fair, I'd accept in an instant. Walk into that lion's den, take the mic, and rock the house!

  15. Carrie Ackerman-Rice 2012.08.17

    “…but we’re going to make sure we do debates in front of fair and non-partisan groups and so that’s what we’re looking for is we want to have fair, open and honest debates.” She can't even speak in complete sentences...This would be a great sentence to have students study run-ons... On another note....I was in Mitchell the other night, and I asked someone about the Dakota Fest debate. They said I needed to buy a "ticket" to attend the event...Then they backtracked and said no that the ticket was for a reception to meet Noem....It seems strange to me that a candidate would charge admission to meet her.

  16. Jeff Barth 2012.08.17

    Running for office is expensive.

Comments are closed.