Last night Dakota War College noted my publication of Congresswoman Kristi Noem's ill-advised and ineffectual primary endorsement of Rep. Val Rausch, who lost to Sen. Tim Begalka in District 4 by a larger margin than anti-Masonic madman Steve Sibson lost to Sen. Mike Vehle in District 20. The ever-pseudonymous "Bill Clay" wondered why Rep. Noem felt "the need to inject herself" into the District 4 "mess." He/she also insinuated that Rep. Noem's Rausch endorsement showed a lack of political savvy:
There is a reason we don't see John Thune wade into these primary races in South Dakota politics. Nothing good comes from it ["Bill Clay," "What Was Kristi Thinking?" Dakota War College, 2012.06.10].
Attentive readers are thinking, "Hey, Cor, where's the link?" Alas, the link is broken. The post is gone. It was replaced within an hour by this sycophantic, quoteless, linkless blurb thanking party bosses Tim Rave and Tony Post for their hard work on the upcoming convention.
DWC has occasionally slipped criticism of Noem (for continuing corporate welfare for farmers and for avoiding public meetings) into its anemic pages. But apparently once we're past the primary, the South Dakota Republican Party censors will have no truck with criticism from within their ranks.
Whoever writes DWC nowadays accused me back in February of blogging against Rep. Noem to "get back in the good graces of the South Dakota Democratic Party." Last night's sequence of publication, deletion, and brown-nosing at Dakota War College suggests it's an erratic conservative blogger who seeks the approval of the SDGOP.
Thune "endorsed" me and his statement is on a couple of my mailers and my website. I got one from Daugaard too. But the Noem statement for Rausch and what Thune and Daugaard wrote for me are a little different than a typical timely endorsement of one candidate over another. These things come about when we know these people and we ask them to say something nice about us to use in upcoming fundraising or campaign literature. They aren't statements picking winners or interfering in a heated race. They are for general use.
Baloney, Steve. Your face and your signature on a candidate's campaign flyers are an endorsement. They say, "I like this guy; vote for him." For your thesis to hold water, you'd have to show me the same language from the same endorser appearing on the opponent's flyers.
...and then we have the el cheapo implied endorsements that have to be denied, like the recent Glenn Brenner post card dustup where Brenner runs a picture of himself and Mart Jackley yukking it up, and Jackley has to deny being supportive. I wonder how many people Reagan, JFK and Lincoln would have to similarly renounce if they could come back from the dead. LOL.
Good point, Bill! Jackley's distancing further disproves Steve's denial of the obvious.
Cory, thanks for providing us with what the SDGOP bosses wanted scrubbed.
Cory, I'm starting to think that may be the fundamental underpinning of the GOP political mindset. Group denial of the obvious. A peculiar sort of group neuosis. LOL.
One of the reasons everyone used to like the SDWC was that they would rip Repubulicans once in a while. Just like Madville will rip the Dems once in a while. We have to hold people accountable.
I have seen Thune endorse a few legislators on postcards. NOT in a primary.
Kristi endorsing Rausch was absolutely stupid because she was likely supported by Begalka and ALL of his supporters. Now the most ardent will likely be less enthusiastic about Kristi. And that is an across the state thing.
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/mcgrath-enters-district-senate-race-as-independent/article_d1e5a285-a22d-572e-99a7-f954ca10921e.html
Val Rausch. ALEC task force. Begalka. (insert choice for next entry here): ________________