A minor advertising note: as I wade through the various forms of substanceless dreck coughed up by various campaigns this year, a politically sensible observer points me toward one of Kristie Fiegen's video ads. To tout her Service & Experience, the Public Utilities Commission appointee includes this collage in her ad:
Oh, what's that little white and green logo in the second photo? That's the Junior Achievement logo. Fiegen did good work as JA South Dakota's president from 1994 to 2011. Her ad doesn't have time to say that explicitly, so Fiegen just tosses that logo up there and assumes she's reminding us of her résumé.
But casual observers who don't know the employment history of their Public Utilities Commissioner might glance up from their Swanson Dinners and think, "Oh, Junior Achievement endorses Kristie Fiegen."
Hmmm.... Junior Achievement is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Junior Achievement's logo probably isn't supposed to be used for partisan purposes.
Hmmm... one would think the former president of Junior Achievement South Dakota would remember that. But I get a feeling she's about to get a phone call reminding her of that.
I have a couple questions.
How did you know I was having a Swanson turkey pot pie?
What is Junior Achievement and why aren't they thrilled that an elected official is touting her involvement with their group?
Does Mr. Sibby feast on hungry man dinners every night when I only get them on Sunday?
And what did young Matt McGroovin do to win his new title Corey?
he's not tainted with the shit smearing pierre, les.
smouldering remains of the janklow era rot in hell....
The only South Dakota taint on Matt is the name he stole from Gramps.
Isn't this young Matt fellow's father's last name "Rowen" or something? Did he take his wife's last name?
Matt McGovern had got by both his fathers last name and McGovern and then dropped it to just McGovern years ago. I guess I don't have a huge problem with this as some do. If he would have done this 6 months before the election then I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I've known him for a few years now and have his business card and it says Matt McGovern. So I think its a bs argument.
Anyone see Kristi Noem's new attack ad that doesn't cite a single attack she makes against Varilek?
Grud and Les...you two take the cake!
Just step back, forget your own partisan fervor and think about what you just said. Is that the standard you want to set in evaluating your candidates?
Oh...sorry...I forgot. Party over state and country, my bad. Carry on boys.
Just guessing that JA is smart enough to respond that they are not a partisan group and disavow Kristi's unpaid and unauthorized use of their logo.
Of course...the could charge her a fee for her use of that logo. I'm guessing that her former board is not really happy with being used as a political shill.
I would have had a problem if it would have been 6 months before.... sorry for the typo
"stole," Les? I think not. Matt McGovern's name is what he says it is, just like that nice man named Willard who's running for President. He has as much claim to the name of either family; you and Grudz just expect him to go by Rowen because you are old unreformed patriarchalists.
Fiegen has changed her last name, too, hasn't she?
I didn't realize Matt married his mother Corey. Would that be a Kristie comparison? I don't expect Matt to do anything other than what he has done and you object to me stating my opinion which is no different than Matt's opinion that a public life will be easier with the McGivern name.
I like the Matt Rowen-McGovern-Obama-Repower-America name the best.
However, I'm not sure America is quite ready for a Re-Power Matt.
Matt can actually win this race. I questioned it for a long time, but now I think it's possible.
Grudznick & Les getting upset with Matt changing his last name is just more GOP hypocrisy. They try to change EVERY Democrat's name to Pelosi-Obama.
Les, can you think of anyone else in SD politics that has traded on their family name...or actually blatantly used their family name to get a position in Pierre? Hmmm...let me think.
So let's say that you have a grandfather who you are extremely proud of for his contribution to not just South Dakota or America, but the whole world. Do you think that he/she should just keep that a secret?
Bonus if you can think of anyone named Rounds, Mickelson or Daugaard who is drawing a paycheck from the state or seeking higher office with a little boost from the family heritage because it happens to be from the paternal side.
Oh wait...in your eyes, if it comes from the maternal side it doesn't count. I gotcha.
Please be a sexist d*ck and say it matters.
Thanks for agreeing with me Jana. Trading on a family name. What I was saying all along. I don't really care what Matt does as long as all those uninformed voters understand he's "trading on a family name".
Thanks Jana, Luv u too.
Btw Roarsback, you know I'm not on board with its all about Pelosi BS, or you haven't been reading my posts for the last two years. Nuff said.
McGovern or someone near him is an excellent strategist Les. And unfortunately our party (assuming you're Republican too) is apparently run by blind rampaging monkeys. Look on the bright side, Fiegen might still win, putting a stop to McGovern's star - and Nelson will make up for her lack. You know a liberal at the PUC might not be too terrible, maybe he'll do something about my yellow-green steaming water. After all, regulation is what liberals excel at, and the only place that really makes any economic sense is with utilities.
If Fiegen loses this one will hang around the neck of the new SD GOP staff. Pathetic. Who are busy corn dogging it!
Les, I'll defer to you on naming the people who are trading on their name and whether they deserve that position on their own merits.
Which of the GOP progeny do you want to start with?
Love you too Les. So you are saying it's OK for Republicans and not so much for Dems?
Tell you what Les, why don't you give us a list of Republican names that are on the state payroll and a list of Dems that are on the state payroll.
I do like Bree's description of the SD GOP as "apparently run by blind rampaging monkeys."
I couldn't agree more.
It's true Jana. They're either idiots or they're complicit. The one thing helping us is the idealism of the Democratic base, which refuses to run moderate Democrats.
Oh please Bree.
Not to change the subject...but can Bree or Les or whoever tell us which Romney we are voting for?
I kind of liked the guy that was for banning guns, gay marriage, free cars for the needy, and pro-choice etc.
Oh wait...that's the guy that was severely conservative...or moderate...or what ever he needs to be.
Sorry I'm confused, but shouldn't that matter to the severely conservative in good old South Dakota.
Oops, sorry, was that a sensitive subject?
Ya'all just stay true to your core beliefs...right?
This is probably worth its own topic (hint, hint Cory) but doesn't it have to be a little disconcerting that John Thune hasn't made an effort to support Kristi...I work when I want to on your dime...Noem?
So I was a little upset with the national establishment push for Romney at first because I was afraid it would deflate the base, but I didn't know about his debating skills. I think their play for independents and auto-vote by conservatives gamble has paid off, and not only that but based on the time spent in PA, MN, and MI the blue collar union vote has gone soft for Obama. So that's pretty exciting but the likely Romney win will probably cost Republicans the Senate, but at least Romney knows how to work across the aisle.
Bree what numbers or data have you seen indicating that a Romney win will cause a Republican loss in the US Senate? Just wondering how you come up with some of the stuff blathering out of your hand and pen here. Your writing skills are rudimentary at best.
Well its based on my understanding of people and how they think - which is what politics really is right? The anticipation of the masses and group psychology and its a lot easier than financial markets if you ask me. Well it seems pretty obvious to me that if the independents vote for Romney they'll be more likely to vote for the Democratic candidate for Senate because they don't like the idea of Republicans controlling everything. Of course, I've only bothered to develop an interest in politics deeper than the average voter in the last two years - so maybe I'm just an idiot too. See you in two years Charlie.
Fiegen might lose this race. If she wins it will be because of the anti Obama wave not because she's a good candidate.
Hersth, Rounds, McGovern, Mickleson, Kennedy, Bush, Hussein to name just a few Jana.
Unfortunately Jana, I'd say the guy you like in Romney is the one we will get. Same as with O, the change we got isn't the change we were promised and Lord help me but I'd take Hillary over Obama any day.
The same racist earth haters running the Fiegen and Noem campaigns are being exposed in Montana: now, they have turned their sights on Nate Silver's math and science.
Boy Larry, when I try to picture Gaia an image of a white woman carrying a pitchfork and a bottle of chemical fertilizer comes to mind. But maybe the earth haters are racist because Gaia isn't white! I never thought of that.
If I had to pick a runner, Kristie Fiegen would be a great choice. She knows the issues, understands the numbers, speaks well to the voters and works her butt off on the trail.
Fiegen is a stooge for power companies making news out of state: from shell company NorthWestern Energy in Montana spewing heavy metals oxides downwind onto the chemical toilet where it is dodging taxes to Big Stone polluting the Mississippi Basin.
Flush the GOP!