Tim Giago must have something against the South Dakota Democratic Party and logical consistency. The Oglala Lakota gadfly attempts to stir the electoral pot by endorsing Independent Larry Pressler over Democrat Rick Weiland for the U.S. Senate.
Giago seems to want his endorsement to sound like a call to selflessness. He claims Pressler shows real humility:
The other night at the debate Larry Pressler said, "I am ashamed of myself and I am ashamed of Washington and I am ashamed of South Dakota for allowing this situation to exist." He added, "And I am even more ashamed that I didn't do more about it when I was in the senate." In the Lakota language Pressler is "onsika" or humble. That is why I support him [Tim Giago, "An Independent Can Awaken 'Party' Zombies," Huffington Post, 2014.09.21].
A few lines up, Giago pastes this paragraph on selflessness and wishful analogy into his text:
I looked up the word "selflessness" and the interpretation of the word appears to mean Chad Taylor, a Topeka Democratic who announced he was quitting the senate race in Kansas and giving his support to Greg Orman, an Independent. In so doing he has given the Independent Orman the opportunity to defeat a sitting Republican Senator named Pat Roberts. In fact, the last poll I saw showed Orman with a lead over the incumbent [Giago, 2014.09.21].
So if Pressler is the humble one, why doesn't his selflessness move him to quit so Weiland can win? Either Giago's call to selflessness cuts both ways or it cuts none.
Giago endorsed Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in 2010, then turned and endorsed Kristi Noem in 2012. Giago offered no substantive or consistent reasons for that switch. But his pro-GOP endorsement appeared to have little impact on the race. Varilek slipped no more than seven points from the totals Herseth Sandlin posted in Indian counties in her loss to Kristi Noem (see general election results from 2010 and 2012). If we spot Noem a modest boost for incumbency, Giago's rejection of Democrats appears to have had no discernible impact on the 2012 Indian vote.
I suspect that Giago's ongoing, crotchety, and inconsisten Democrat-jamming will have similar impact in the 2014 Senate race.
I don't know why anyone bothers with Giago. He will go down in history for his place in tribal newspapers, but his work of late leaves much to be desired, including not hiring tribal journalists for his 'tribal' newspapers. (And no, I've never applied for any of his papers, either. I just have met quite enough of his current and former non-tribal employees.)
And I agree...if Pressler really believed all the stuff he says to people who might like Weiland, I'm hard pressed to understand why he is running in the first place.
Fact is, he says what people want to hear, instead of what he thinks. Some of that is okay, but not the huge flip-flopping as with Keystone XL.
http://sustainabledakota.com/2014/09/19/pressler-wants-numerous-pipelines/
Giago was a washed out has been 20 years ago. Pressler's only been a washed out has been for 18 years. He's been a Republican shill in Indian Country and his endorsements mean nothing except to himself. Lives his life looking through the rearview mirror.
Mr. Giago also compared Rapid City to Ferguson, Missouri: a notion that Monty brushed aside today on 100eyes.
Truth to tell, with a surname like Giago, do you think he has ever held a strong influence on how the Lakota vote?
Tim has always pissed off Indians, for most he is a joke.
Giago's support of Pressler probably lends to the pipe dream of a holocaust museum in Wounded Knee, if that happens, it will be in spite of Giago and Pressler.
Tim Giago needs to be reminded of Pressler's and Reagan's economic war on Indians when he was in office. Pressler supported every cut to tribal funding that Reagan and the republicans wanted, and got.
Larry Pressler is a Republican now and will continue to be, having an I after his name on the ballot changes nothing.
I think the endorsements of the actual tribes will over ride Tim's thoughts.
Tim is a comic genius that made a lot of moolah, but always looked kind of kooky in his BMW, with his stand up routine. We should just ignore him much like our right wing uncle at mealtime. Pressler sold us out, all of us out, in 1996 with the Telecommunications Act. He can be bought and that is why the FBI tried to pinch him.
Jerry;" He can be bought and that is why the FBI tried to pinch him" I can't stand Pressler and I too think he should drop out but please explain the above statement with some facts...