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Rasmussen Deems Lowe Likely Democratic Challenger; What About Wismer?

Democrats trailing Republicans in South Dakota? That's not news. Rounds over Weiland, says Rasmussen Reports, and Daugaard over Lowe? No sh...

Wait a minute. Daugaard over Lowe? What about Wismer?

Rasmussen doesn't mention Wismer, but its gubernatorial report includes one word that is news: likely.

Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard holds a three-to-one lead over his likely Democratic challenger in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the 2014 gubernatorial race in South Dakota [emphasis mine; "Election 2014: South Dakota Governor," Rasmussen Reports, 2014.02.28].

Joe Lowe is the likely Democratic challenger? Rasmussen couldn't be making that call on the basis of the latest Madville Times poll; they composed their poll questions before my poll came out. Rasmussen chose to ask only about Lowe, not Wismer.

I suppose it's entirely possible that an out-of-state polling firm might not know who all is running for governor in South Dakota. Heck, there are probably a lot of South Dakotans who couldn't name any of the candidates (quick, don't look: name all six announced candidates!).

It seems unlikely that Rasmussen would have any intelligence on this race that isn't obvious to South Dakotans. Lowe has the current advantage of working the state and firing up crowds while Legislature- and tax-bound Wismer is stuck sending surrogates to stump, but Lowe appears to have some favor with the party.

It's the weekend, friends: speculate at will! What's Rasmussen thinking?

8 Comments

  1. Anne Beal 2014.02.28

    I read Wismer's whole thing about how underfunded everything is here : infrastructure, education, nothing is getting enough money. I'm waiting for the bumper stickers about a state income tax. Or maybe a higher sales tax. I did hear something about charging agricultural vehicles for the damage they do to the roads. And of course we should expand Medicaid. The farmers and ranchers can pay for all of that,

  2. Winston 2014.03.01

    Most likely Rasmussen, I mean the GOP, fears Lowe more than Wismer and that is why they did the poll the way they did it. Or it was the result of sloppy pre-poll research by Rasmussen in their presumptuous attempt to release a gubernatorial poll which they felt confidently would show a GOP strength.

    The fact that they left Pressler out of the Senate poll proves that Rasmussen is more interested in conducting a poll to guide a political narrative than to establish the facts as to what is really going on in a given political race.

  3. Poliglut 2014.03.01

    Winston nailed it. Rasmussen is a Republican schill. More to do with managing discourse than illumination. If they can discount all other comers, for the Pubs, the better.

  4. larry kurtz 2014.03.01

    Rasmussen has nothing to do with anything.

    Nearly 21% of bridges in the state are structurally deficient, incarceration rates especially of American Indians are at discriminatory levels, utilities are bilking customers with PUC blessings, the legislature is such a laughing stock that lawmakers are fleeing, crime rates have doubled under Rounds/Daugaard, the attorney general takes campaign donations from companies against whom he litigates, human trafficking is part of the culture and Pierre is breaking down from the inside out.

  5. larry kurtz 2014.03.01

    Susan Wismer's cat or Joe Lowe's hunting dog could beat DD right now.

  6. John Tsitrian 2014.03.01

    Anne Beal, there are sales tax exemptions to entire industries in this state that total, per the RCJ last week, nearly $600 million/year. We don't need higher sales taxes or an income tax. I have no doubt that simply getting some of these freeloaders to cough up some sales would produce a windfall of revenues to SD.

  7. BOHICA 2014.03.01

    Any ideas on who the Lt. Gov. choice will be on the Rep. Gov. ticket? Michels has been very quiet within State Govt. policy making for a while...which begs the question...who is driving the boat...and who is being groomed as the chief mechanic?

  8. John 2014.03.02

    Spot on, John T. Big hat tip.
    In other matters here are 2 more ways the SD legislature is failing us:
    failuring, after the glowing example of 95 years of success in the state bank in ND, to establish a state bank for SD:
    http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/02/vermont-citizens-push-form-state-bank-will-ratings-agencies-kill-idea.html

    And to establish an industry in the "heartland" while reducing the exploding costs of the prosecutorial, prison industrial complex:
    http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/54515172#54515172

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