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Dems Crazy for Wismer or Lowe? Find out Saturday in Brookings!

John Tsitrian suggests that the South Dakota Democratic Party is crazy. That charge is dog-bites-man... but Tsitrian provokes a lively conversation by diagnosing craziness specifically in the party's apparent endorsement of Susan Wismer over Joe Lowe for governor. Tsitrian contends that Wismer lacks the Clintonesque/Warrenesque "muscular persona" necessary to persuade South Dakota voters to overturn decades of GOP dominance in Pierre. Tsitrian says Lowe has a better shot in this prize fight:

Re-locating to South Dakota back in the 1990s, Lowe honed his political skills in Southern California, taking over in the early '90s as Mayor of Mission Viejo in Orange County, where the politics are vicious and no prisoners are taken--I lived there myself until I was in my thirties and can still remember it as the land of dirty political tricks ("Tricky Dick" Nixon was a product of that tradition--you get the idea). If Lowe has retained the toughness that it took to be a winner a couple of decades ago, he'll match up just fine with Daugaard on any stage [John Tsitrian, "Memo to the SD Democratic Party: Are You Crazy?" The Constant Commoner, 2014.03.17].

Rep. Bernie Hunhoff, who introduced Rep. Wismer at her Capitol campaign kickoff, says Tsitrian is way off the mark in perceiving a "frosty reception" from the state Dems to Lowe:

...on the two occasions when he came to Pierre he was received very warmly by everyone, including Susan Wismer who speaks highly of him. I think all this is way off the mark. If Joe had chosen to announce in the capitol building during session by hunch is that a number of local Dems and legislators would have attended as they did for Susan [Bernie Hunhoff, comment, The Constant Commoner, 2014.03.18].

Note to candidates: do three announcements! Stop in Pierre for your Capitol photo op between your Sioux Falls and Rapid City launches!

The state Dems have apparently rectified their initial silence on Lowe, adding a laudatory post about Lowe to their website on February 18, three weeks after SDDP chair Deb Knecht made sweet press-release love to Wismer upon her well-coordinated announcement.

East River Dems will have a chance this weekend to see who's crazy and whom they're crazy for: Joe Lowe and Susan Wismer will both appear Saturday, March 22, at the Brookings County Democrats' big St. Patrick's fundraising dinner at the American Legion Hall (contact Lawrence Novotny, 605-692-6026, for tickets and time). That dinner and side-by-side comparison will be worth the price of admission.

25 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2014.03.19

    Orange Co,California is/was the wingnut stronghold of California and filed for bankruptcy in 1994. I'll bet Lowe has some interesting stories from around that time.

  2. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    Lowe was a credible, announced candidate for months before the high-profile Wismer send-up was released. Dems are making all kinds of excuses for this gaffe, but the initial reaction--as your 1/29 post reflects--made the party look like it was pushing Wismer and giving Lowe short-shrift. The pro forma profile posted by the party 3 weeks after the Wismer announcement mistake was way too long in coming and did not, imo, "rectify" the initial blunder. If anything, its lateness only aggravated an already uncomfortable situation. Bernie's frustrations come through pretty clearly in my blog's comments section, essentially blaming Lowe for not asking for the same red carpet rollout that Wismer got. Ignorant as I am of inner-circle decision making among Dems, I won't comment on that aspect, but I'm pretty confident about saying that Dems made a sizable public relations gaffe and there's no explaining that away in a political culture where "perception is reality." I stand by my conclusion that they were crazy to handle the Wismer announcement the way they did.

  3. Tara Volesky 2014.03.19

    The Democrat party didn't know Joe Lowe, and Mr. Lowe did not inform the party he was running for Governor. They were caught off guard. Maybe they question the authenticity of Mr. Lowe which could be why Susan Wismer decided to reconsider the Governor's race. Maybe her party talked her into running.

  4. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    Tara, here's a December 1, 2013, KELO-TV story on Lowe's announcement. I really don't know about any interactions within the Democratic Party, so I can't speak to whether he informed the party or not--but it can't possibly have escaped the party's attention that Lowe was running, and I can't imagine that they were caught off guard by the end of January when they made the big splash for Wismer. http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/joe-lowe-announces-run-for-sd-governor/?id=156851

  5. Lynn G. 2014.03.19

    Besides the poor handling of promoting Lowe's campaign it does not send a very good message to those considering running for public office as a Democrat here in South Dakota.

  6. Curt 2014.03.19

    MFI:
    As a matter of fact, Mr. Lowe does have some interesting war stories from those trying days in Orange County. He inherited serious problems and managed to salvage the vast majority of his city's assets through shrewd management. Solving problems, sound management of public resources, honest and above-board relations with citizens at all levels - it's not been tried recently in this state, so I'm ready to give him a shot.

  7. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.03.19

    The Dems screwed it up.

  8. Angie Buhl O'Donnell 2014.03.19

    I've said this before and I'll say it again, because it apparently needs it: I don't and can't speak for Deb Knecht or the SDDP itself, but I and every other legislator who was there at Susan's announcement and who have continued to support her do so simply because we've worked with her and know what an incredibly talented and dedicated public servant she's been. Prior to her announcing, I had never met nor heard from Joe Lowe, but I didn't necessarily think a primary was a bad thing in this case; frankly, the more people and press pointing out the policy failures of the current administration, the better. It's been tough and frustrating to be a Democratic legislator in Pierre, and throughout my time in Pierre, Susan has been a bright spot, doing a great job of making our case. The sooner the press starts covering Daugaard's opposition, the better -- which is definitely facilitated by a primary.

    I'm tired of the idea that there was some big orchestrated campaign cooked up in a smoky back room somewhere. This is as simple as that Susan decided she was the best person for the job, and her friends and colleagues were (and continue to be) excited. I look forward to Susan and Joe campaigning across South Dakota in the coming months, and I hope that's about issues and who's best suited to take on Daugaard, not discounting someone who has support because of the idea that "they've been anointed." We're better than that, Democrats.

  9. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    Ms. O'Donnell, I've asked it before and I'll ask it again, because apparently it needs it: Why did the SD Democratic leadership choose to give Susan Wismer a red carpet rollout on January 29 that included, at most, an offhanded reference to Joe Lowe, who'd announced two months prior that he was a candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination?

  10. owen reitzel 2014.03.19

    I guess I don't see the problem here. The Democrats have two good people runing for Governor and I'm going to look at each one and then make my choice. Regardless of what the state party says.
    My goodness what's going on in the Republican race for U.S. Senate makes the Democrat Governors race look like a lovefest.

  11. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    It might be easier to see the problem if you looked at it from Joe Lowe's and his supporters' perspective, Owen.

  12. owen reitzel 2014.03.19

    I see your point John and I understand. But that's nothing compared to the Republicans.

  13. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    Gotcha, Owen. What passes for a "race" in the GOP Senate primary is such a foregone conclusion that I just haven't paid much attention to it. I think its takeover by Rounds was more a coup by him than an anointment of him, though, unlike the appearance given by the shoddy handling of the Wismer announcement by SDDP.

  14. tara volesky 2014.03.19

    John, I think it is a trust issue. Mr. Lowe was a Republican for several years and was a Republican councilman and mayor in a very Republican community in CA and served under 3 Republican administrations in SD. Susan Wismer is a life long SD Democrat who is very intelligent and qualified and has many Democratic connections and friends that support her. Home girl verses outsider.

  15. John Tsitrian 2014.03.19

    I could buy that rationale if somebody from the party advanced it, Tara.

  16. owen reitzel 2014.03.19

    Maybe the rollout for Wismer could have been handled better but I haven't heard Wismer call Lowe a DINO (Democrat In Name Only)

  17. Rorschach 2014.03.19

    You make me laugh Tara. Ron served several terms as a Republican legislator and even ran for congress as a Republican - before he switched to Democrat. Just 4 years ago the Democratic Party ran a former Republican for governor. You're talking up Susan Wismer and talking down Joe Lowe, but you're pushing Mike Myers for governor - a former Democrat running as an independent. Why should Democrats trust you when you are going away from them rather than toward them?

  18. Rorschach 2014.03.19

    John Tsitrian is right. The Deb Knecht press release for Susan Wismer read more like an endorsement than an announcement, and it was made on state party letterhead. A lot of people were upset about that, and had every right to be.

  19. larry kurtz 2014.03.20

    If 'independents' can vote in the Dem primary but not in the earth hater one how is that constitutional?

  20. Tara Volesky 2014.03.20

    Mike Myers has been an Independent all of his life. I guess we are free to vote for anybody we want to. Just my opinion. I don't know either one of the Democratic candidates. It should be an interesting primary both for the Democrats and the Republicans.

  21. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.03.21

    (Larry, primaries are party affairs, so the Constitution doesn't apply in the same way... unless we make an argument that primaries are a central part of the election process and that denying anyone the opportunity to participate unfairly limits their right to vote... although the parties can respond that anybody who wants to vote in a closed primary can, simply by registering as a party member. The parties probably get to counter with free association.)

  22. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.03.23

    True statement from Wismer; how now does a candidate break through those priorities and get those low-income people to come to the polls and not fall for the "rhetoric of fear and extremism" she says the GOP peddles? And can either Democratic candidate do that better than the other?

  23. larry kurtz 2014.03.23

    She could adopt the same advice you've given Rick Weiland and the GOP primary field: remind voters that the Rounds/Daugaard involvement in Bendagate is no accident.

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