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Good Blogging: Sanborn Resists Rumor, Lauds Liberal, Machinates Marxistly!

Last updated on 2015.04.01

Yes, I'm reaching on that last one. :-)

The Rapid City runoffs have Michael Sanborn scratching his blog itch hard. Three posts on The Decorum Forum give me three separate reasons to respect this conservative blogger:

1. We Don't Need No Stinkin' Rumors: Contacted by various individuals with three rumors somehow related to the city council races, Mr. Sanborn declines to discuss them or even chase after them.

I urge Rapid City voters to make their decisions based upon the information you receive from reliable sources. And, the likelihood that something "juicy" you may have heard about one candidate or another from someone with an axe to grind is true, is pretty slim.

Anyone who reads this blog knows who I support and why. Unsubstantiated blather will not be used here to convince you I'm correct [Michael Sanborn, "Rumors," The Decorum Forum, 2011.06.10].

Now there's quality in blogging.

2. Local Politics Is Bigger than Partisanship: The conservative Mr. Sanborn urges Ward 2 residents to vote for liberal Ritchie Nordstrom:

I don't know where Ritchie stands on social issues. I actually don't care much, because he will have little power on the council to address social issues. What I do know is that former councilperson Tom Johnson — in spite of some of his foibles — was a pro-union and profoundly liberal councilperson, except when it came to the city budget. No councilperson in my memory came to a council meeting better prepared than Tom. And, frankly I think his socially liberal voice is missed on the council.

There is no shame in electing a liberal to the council. Ritchie has demonstrated his desire to serve Rapid City with honor. I urge every voter who turned out for him on election day, do so again in the runoff [Michael Sanborn, "The Ward 2 Race," The Decorum Forum, 2011.06.10].

When it comes to local politics, conservatives and liberals drive over the same potholes.

3. Beat the Rich! Sanborn does some original journalism (praiseworthy in itself!) and shows he's not afraid to wage class warfare for his guy Sam Kooiker:

The precinct by precinct results show that incumbent mayor Alan Hanks won just five of the city's 25 precincts — all of them in Ward 3, (Precincts 3-2 through 3-6) and all of them include some of Rapid City's wealthiest citizens.

...More study could reasonably lend credibility to Mr. Kooiker's claim that Mr. Hanks is backed by the good ol' boy network, since many of the good ol' boys live in the very few, but very rich neighborhoods that Mr. Hanks won, including Carriage Hills, Chapel Valley, Whispering Pines, Wildwood, Fairway Hills, Springbrook Acres, Country Club Dr., Parkridge, etc.

...Mr. Hanks won by his biggest percentage in precinct 3-2 with 60 percent of the 268 total voters who live in that very exclusive, albeit chopped up precinct [Michael Sanborn, "Who Is Voting for Whom?" The Decorum Forum, 2011.06.11].

Maybe some other conservatives will call Mr. Sanborn's analysis impotent class warfare whining. Maybe they will criticize Sanborn for punishing those nice rich people for all their hard-earned success.

Or maybe they'll acknowledge Sanborn's point that it is perfectly valid to investigate whether a candidate has more support among the bourgeoisie than among the proletariat. Thank you, Mr. Sanborn!

Tangetially related: The Dalai Lama is a Marxist, too!