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Robin Page Advertising Among GOP Leaders; Phil Jensen Not!

Here's one sign that Democrat Robin Page may beat Phil Jensen out of his District 33 Senate seat:

Campaign signs, one block west of Pennington County GOP HQ, West Main St., Rapid City, SD, 2014.10.22.
Campaign signs, one block west of Pennington County GOP HQ, West Main St., Rapid City, SD, 2014.10.22.

This photo comes from one block west of Pennington County Republican headquarters on West Main Street in Rapid City. We see the expected Republican signs for Daugaard, Rounds, Krebs, and Gosch. But we see no sign from the GOP incumbent Senator Jensen. Representing District 33 is Democratic challenger Page.

Remember that Senator Jensen drew disdain from his own party last spring for his hangup on social issues and his awkward commenters on racism. Senator Jensen only narrowly survived a primary challenge. Page is now working hard with direct mail and door-knocking to put Jensen out of a part-time job.

This vacant green hosts a couple other non-Republicans amidst the usual conservative suspects. District 34's GOP Rep. Dan Dryden has his sign up, but instead of fellow Republican Jeff Partridge, we find Democratic candidate Steve Stenson advertised. And from District 35, we get the strange mix of Tea-flavored spokesmodel Lynne Hix-DiSanto and Democrat Dave Freytag, with no visible sign from incumbent GOP Rep. Blaine "Chip" Campbell.

One would think every Republican in the neighborhood would want to get his or her name up next to the party leaders on that street and crowd out those pesky Democratic interlopers. But it could be that the Republican sign-minders down the street are sending a message to Jensen in tolerating Page's challenge.

38 Comments

  1. larry kurtz 2014.10.24

    That's all Adelstein property, right?

  2. larry kurtz 2014.10.24

    Bill: didn't Stan buy all that up after the flood?

  3. grudznick 2014.10.24

    Indeed, lar, Mr. Stan owns much and often leans away from the insaner wing of the Republican party especially if they are Howites.

  4. Bill Fleming 2014.10.24

    Not sure where all of Stan's boundary lines are in that area, Larry (none of my business) but yes his office used to be just beyond all those signs. It's not any more.

  5. grudznick 2014.10.24

    Now his office is at the base of Cowboy Hill, isn't it Bill? So he can hike to the top every morning before breakfasting in his private dining room at the bottom.

  6. larry kurtz 2014.10.24

    grudznick does sound kinda yiddish, init?

  7. Bill Fleming 2014.10.24

    I drive by that group of signs every day, and Robins is the first one to catch my eye. I hope it works for her. Jenson is bad news. But the buzz I hear (wouldn't you know it) is that as much as most of the (reasonable) R's can't stomach him, they're having a real hard time mustering the gumption to actually vote for a Democrat. And Winston thinks I'M being a hard-liner. LOL

  8. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.24

    Bill, I know there's no changing some minds, but could they be convinced to give Jensen his just desserts by recognizing that sending one Democrat to Pierre from District 33 won't be the end of their conservative world? Tell them to think of it as a necessary throat-clearing, and a chance to make way for David Johnson to run in 2016?

  9. Douglas Wiken 2014.10.24

    Robin Page has the best looking campaign signs I have seen this year.

  10. lesliengland 2014.10.25

    the gap. shoulda seen it mornin' after. cold, fog. loaves of bread as far as eye could see.

    two dem signs represent the war we have lost. texas disenfranchises 600k voters. welcome to the rev, stan. :(

  11. Charlie Hoffman 2014.10.25

    Pages sign has a touch of Confederate design to it. Very catchy. Grud if Stan hikes up to the top he can't be having breakfast at the bottom. Unless of course he is hiking back down too. I'm also missing my friend Sly's poster.

  12. lesliengland 2014.10.25

    it is the only sign with design, but don't kno about the kkk

  13. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Leave it to Charlie to recognize that. I suppose that is how the confederate flag on his ceiling looks after he's downed a fifth of scotch and given himself a case of the twirly-beds. LOL

  14. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.25

    Charlie, Stars and Bars? That seems like a design stretch... unless you're willing to posit that the Confederate emblem is being shoved off the sign by Robin Page, symbolizing her desire to have a new Democratic star sweep away regressive racism.

    And if we're going to go crazy on design hypotheses, let's talk fonts! Page goes for the serif font, like Daugaard and Rounds, while everyone else in this photo sticks with sans-serif. Is there a suggestion that Page would legislate like a RINO centrist/moderate? Bill, do you advise serifs on road signs? I lean toward the simpler sans-serif, but does it matter from the highway?

    By the way, Page's slogan and district lines appear to be invisible from the road. Should they be bigger?

  15. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Kicker should be bigger, yes. In her case it's really important and will resonate if read. Fonts are really subjective. Almost every sign you see is Helvetica, so there's not a lot of brand personality projected with sans serifs, but they sure are more legible, especially at a distance. The advantage to Robin's design is that you only have to read it once. After that, you can't miss it. And her name is plenty legible. I hope she has them up all over her district to drive her name home. They give off a very positive, all-American vibe.

  16. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    The best sign strategy for Robin is to get as many known GOP influentials who support her to put as many of her signs in their yards as possible.

    Robin says, 'okay, if you really really support me, and really really don't want Jenson going back to Pierre! let me put 5 signs in your yard! That way, if your neighbors decide they agree with you, they can borrow some of your signs.'

  17. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.25

    Multiple signs in one yard as a chance to share with neighbors—I hadn't thought of that!

  18. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.25

    Charlie Hoffman sounds like Glenn Beck.

  19. larry kurtz 2014.10.25

    Funny, Roger: Charlie truly is the catholic Glenn Beck.

  20. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Just an FYI, I talked with Mr. A this morning and asked him if he decides whose signs get to be displayed in this particular little field. His answer was, "Damn right. And did you notice whose signs are NOT in there?"

  21. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.25

    Holy cow! Mr. A is making pretty clear where he stands! Thank you, Stan, for one vote for sanity in District 33!

  22. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.25

    Bill,
    I wished you had asked Stan why he supports South Dakota corruption.

  23. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Roger, he doesn't. Stan is a very honest person in my experience. And a good friend.

  24. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Here's the long and short of it on voter registration in District 33 and why Robin is going to need all hands on deck.

    Democratic: 4,051
    Independent: 2,428
    Libertarian: 63
    Republican: 8,166

    Message to District 33 Repubs, if you can't bring yourselves to vote for a woman or a Democrat, just leave the box blank. Phil Jensen is an embarrassment to your party and an insult to society at large. You know he doesn't represent your values. It's time to drop him. Seriously.

  25. Tim 2014.10.25

    Bill, the sad thing is, Jensen does represent a lot of their values. They won't admit it in public, but in the privacy of a voting booth...well.

  26. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.25

    Bill,
    I know Stan and he is a pretty good guy.

    My reference to corruption should have been more specific, I should have said his endorsement of the corrupt Mike Rounds.

  27. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.25

    Those are hard numbers, Bill! I admire Robin for looking at at those numbers and shouting, "Yes, we can!"

    Now, can we get Stan to take down that Rounds sign?

  28. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Tim, you might be right. Hopefully, it's a minority.

  29. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Cory, LOL. ...um... No. ;-)

  30. Bill Fleming 2014.10.25

    Probably too late to organize this, but one technique would be to do a little creative vote swapping with people from neighboring districts. Or even with people farther around the state... Especially in those rare counties where the ratio between Rs & Ds are more evenly matched. Surely there has to be some races somewhere in SD the R's are worried about, right?

  31. W R Old Guy 2014.10.25

    I doubt that Stan will withdraw support of Rounds. I heard a radio ad yesterday by Stan in which he states that the EB-5 scandal has no truth to it and most of it is made up. Mike Rounds is the best choice for South Dakota. He states that he paid for the ad himself and did not consult with any candidate.

    Does this qualify him as a PAC and if so is he registered as such?

  32. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.25

    Stan is disappointing, it seems like he would be one the most vocal against the Mike Rounds corruption.
    For him to say that the theft of millions of dollars is made up just doesn't sound like the Stan I know.

  33. grudznick 2014.10.25

    Mr. C, for you to suggest, if you are and I might be wrong, that Mr. Stan has mentally sifted his grains down to the bottom of the pile, I would point out, often, and regularly, that 9 tines out of 8 Mr. Stan is the smartest fellow in the room.

  34. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.26

    grudz,
    Stan never does anything without a goal in mind. His taking Rounds to the old country had a purpose and so does Stan wanting Rounds in the senate, warts and all.

  35. Robin Page 2014.10.26

    Thank you Cory for posting this! I am happy that my signs are having such a great impact. When I designed them my goal was to show my willingness to work with both Republicans and Democrats. America is for ALL OF US! There are two women who have been coming in the night to take down this sign. They have also been cutting the zip ties on 3 other large signs. But, we keep fixing the signs and putting them back up. On voting day remember: No one will know if you cross the line and vote for a Democrat! Together we will take South Dakota forward! VOTE - ROBIN PAGE FOR SD SENATE - District 33! Thank You!

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