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Political Drumsticks for the South Dakota Blogosphere

[cross-posted in South Dakota Magazine]

Turkey Day is here! In a political year filled with turkeys, I can still find aspects of South Dakota politics for which to be thankful. If you're game, here are some political items I'll happily toast at the table with you this year.

1. I'm thankful fellow Madison HS debate alumnus Rick Weiland is signaling a desire to stick around and stay involved in South Dakota politics. Sure, he got beat in the Senate election, but he mounted an ambitious statewide campaign that can open the door to conversations and useful campaign connections for 2016. We Dems should resist the impulse to throw losers overboard and instead learn from failure. If Weiland is willing to help, let him help!

2. Ditto for Larry Pressler. He proved himself an intelligent policy wonk throughout the campaign, and now he sounds like he wants to lead more conversations with South Dakotans about policy and practical political problem-solving. In that noble and neglected cause, we can use all the help we can get.

3. I'm thankful Mike Rounds is headed to Washington... solely because it will give us a chance to test the Pressler hypothesis that national media will now be motivated to look into the corruption and illegal activity that took place under Rounds's watch in South Dakota's EB-5 program. I don't cheer a wounded senator, but I do cheer the pursuit of truth.

4. I'm thankful my party's poor performance in the midterm election has motivated some grassroots activists to mount their own effort to build resources for Democrats in 2016.

5. I'm thankful that, once again, South Dakota voters demonstrated that Democrats can win on policy.

6. I'm thankful that political fakers Annette Bosworth and Chad Haber disappeared from the general election scene. Now if only South Dakota's schemiest political couple would use their ongoing fundraising to pay the employees and contractors they've stiffed.

7. I'm thankful Marty Jackley has not taken his status as the most popular Republican in South Dakota as a mandate to impose martial law on bloggers critical of the Attorney General's office.

8. I'm thankful Dennis Daugaard says this year was his last election. A governor who doesn't have his eye on the next election and the millions need to win it may be a little more focused on solving problems for all of us in Pierre.

9. While I lament low voter turnout, I'm thankful that the 40,000-voter decline in participation from the 2010 midterm means that we'll need 2,000 fewer signatures to put laws on the ballot in 2016 and 2018. Sometimes less democracy means more democracy!

10. I'm thankful that, no matter the outcome of the election, I still find plenty of fellow South Dakotans who want to read, discuss, and debate South Dakota politics.

Thank you, friends! Now please pass the green-bean casserole.

28 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2014.11.27

    Priorities-I'm grateful that the Eagles will kick Ca-boy Girls butts in football today. The other two games aren't worth watching,unless South Dakota native/iowa Hawkeye tackle plays for Detroit,which is unlikely.Anyway,chicken works as a sub for turkey when Dullass plays girlieman football. Somehow or another,I expect we'll get politiciazed messages from our pols taking advantage of captive audiences,again.

  2. Tim 2014.11.27

    Cory, one thing about #8, Thune runs for president, Daugaard changes his mind and runs for Thunes job. One question, does Thune have to give up his senate seat to run for prez? Something tells me this next 4 years won't be the end of Daugaard for us, after all, when was the last time a republican kept their word on such things?

  3. Jaka 2014.11.27

    Well, Cory, to follow along, I'm thankful for this and other blogs that give us all a really good forum for absorbing and passing along info on many topics. Mainstream profit-minded media give us "canned" sterile info. Thanks to all bloggers and those who pose hope for the future.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.11.27

    Tim, in South Dakota, yes, Thune would have to forgo a Senate bid to run for President. See SDCL 12-6-3.

    Of course, if Thune ran for President and did not win the GOP nomination, the GOP could have their Senate nominee withdraw, and the State Party Central Committee could nominate Thune for the vacant ballot slot. That would be a "good soldier" test for whoever the GOP placeholder would be.

  5. Nick Nemec 2014.11.27

    Interestingly when there was talk of Tom Daschle running for President the SD dominated legislature passed a law and Mike Rounds signed it that a person's name couldn't appear on two places on the same ballot. In effect Daschle had to pick, no fall back to the Senate after a failed Presidential bid. Thune will have to make the same choice, unless the legislature repeals that law.

  6. Troy 2014.11.27

    I am thankful for people who are willing to lose political bets to me. Free steaks and beer for me. Thanks Bill and Lee.

  7. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.11.27

    Jaka, you're in my #10! Thanks for reading and sharing! Be sure to hand this article around to your relatives at dinner... or maybe during halftime! :-)

  8. mike from iowa 2014.11.27

    Tim-wingnuts in the SoDak lege passed a Tom Daschle specific bill in 04(don't hold me that date) that said Daschle had to resign his Senate leadership in order to run for Potus. Of course,that meant wingnuts would have replaced Daschle with one of their own.

  9. Tim 2014.11.27

    mike, I suspect we will see legislation this year or next to reverse that law, along with the minimum wage law.

  10. Tim 2014.11.27

    "Of course, if Thune ran for President and did not win the GOP nomination, the GOP could have their Senate nominee withdraw, and the State Party Central Committee could nominate Thune for the vacant ballot slot. That would be a "good soldier" test for whoever the GOP placeholder would be."
    Cory, would an act like this be the ultimate "screw the voters, we will do as we please" moment?

  11. Mike Henriksen 2014.11.27

    So are you saying that Rick built a foundation? :-)

    I am thankful for the work you do! Be well my friend!

  12. grudznick 2014.11.27

    I am thankful for Mr. H's #7 and also that Mr. H puts his bloggings here for all to read. And for gravy taters and green bean casserole.

  13. mike from iowa 2014.11.27

    Tim-Kaintuck has a similar law on the books and Rand Paul wants it changed so he can run for Potus and remain senator, just in case

  14. oldguy 2014.11.27

    I am thankful CAH is so thoughtful as well as thorough always providing thought provoking useful thinking regardless if you agree or disagree.

  15. Bill Fleming 2014.11.27

    And I am thankful for Troy's liberal debt payment terms. Here's hoping his family is more attentive to his culinary needs today than I have been to date. :-)

  16. larry kurtz 2014.11.27

    i am thankful to live in a place where robins winter.

  17. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.11.27

    Oldguy, agree or disagree, I thank you and welcome you to my table. :-)

  18. John 2014.11.27

    I am thankful the New York Times detailed the 2013 sexual assault at Ellsworth, the bases culture of cover-up, victim blaming, and the military command culture willfully ignoring criminal sexual assault. Instead of "saving" Ellsworth the local media and politicians (oft one in the same) may thankfully focus on saving airwo/men from the base, and saving us from the base.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/magazine/the-militarys-rough-justice-on-sexual-assault.html

  19. Les 2014.11.27

    I believe, regardless of party, 90% of what most of us wish for, we could come together on and will when the right times come. I'm thankful for that reach in my imagination and for Cory, Mercer and Ross without whose efforts SD would be clueless.

  20. Jenny 2014.11.27

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have good food, friends, family (the ones you get along with anyway) all around. Enjoy the day, and Peace everyone!

  21. Roger Cornelius 2014.11.27

    Democrats may have lost the election, but we weren't wrong.
    I'm thankful that through Cory's efforts and the regulars on Madville Times that we remain on the side of truth.
    Happy Thanksgiving to my Madville family.

  22. Jenny 2014.11.27

    Happy Thanksgiving to you also, Mr Cornelius, and keep up the good fight, West River!

  23. mike from iowa 2014.11.27

    5-10 years from now wingnuts will be saying that korporations are people and money = free speech has always been the law of the land.

  24. Wayne Pauli 2014.11.27

    Happy Thanksgiving to all. I had a great day will a room full of Democrat relatives...and two in-law Republicans (some people just marry wrong

  25. grudznick 2014.11.27

    My granddaughter was out of town at a Thanksgiving gathering with her in-laws but a very nice family had me picked up and brought to their house to share dinner with them. It was superb, and I still have the meat sweats from all the mashed taters and gravy on top of slabs of turkey. I was grateful indeed.

  26. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.11.28

    I wish you all a wonderfully happy Thanksgiving. (Okay, I'm too late. Technically it's no longer T-Day.)

    I am thankful to Cory for the Times and I'm grateful for each of you Madizens, ornery and obnoxious as some may be. [Insert "Grudz" here.] I'm grateful for every single one of the people and other entities who are on the side of those in need. I'm am thankful that the Notorious RBG keeps bringing human decency to the SCOTUS. I am grateful for passionate candidates like Rick Weiland and others too numerous to mention. I am glad I live in the United States of America, even though I'm often disappointed in what goes on here.

    I am so grateful for those I love and who love me.

    Okay, I may have started late, but I tried to go on long.

  27. Joe K 2014.11.28

    Well said Cory. I am thankful for all you do, and all the madville commenters do for the state of SD. All in all, there is a good bunch of people here.

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