Hmmm... maybe Rick Weiland should contribute....
South Dakota Blogosphere colleague Ken Santema is pounding the drum for Rep. Stace Nelson (R-19/Fulton) to poop or get off the pot (well, poop mostly):
About a week ago it was announced that South Dakota District 19 State Representative Stace Nelson formed an exploratory committee to run for federal office. We still don’t know whether this means he will run for the Senate seat being abandoned by Tim Johnson or the House seat being under-utilized by Kristi Noem. Either way Stace will need support from those of us who believe he can make a difference in DC.
With that in mind an online rally has been setup [sic] to support the Stace Nelson Exploratory Committee to help push him into running [Ken Santema, "Stace supporters, it’s time to rally for Stace Nelson Exploratory Committee to help push him into running," SoDakLiberty, 2013.07.17].
I invite physics teachers to break out the slide rules and calculate just how difficult it would be to push Stace Nelson.
I invite political observers to look closely at Santema's use of the passive voice: an online rally has been set up... by whom? The fundraising site lists one Tim Scott Johnson, from Saginaw, Michigan, now living in Sioux Falls, as a fundraiser. The rally has set a target of $5,000. If they reach that figure, and if they are acting on behalf of the Stace Nelson exploratory committee, they may force Stace to file his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission:
If you are running for the U.S. House, Senate or the Presidency, you must register with the FEC once you (or persons acting on your behalf) receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000. Within 15 days of reaching that $5,000 threshold, you must file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2 [PDF]; Instructions [PDF]) authorizing a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds on your behalf. Within 10 days of that filing, your principal campaign committee must submit a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1 [PDF]; Instructions [PDF]) [FEC FAQ].
As of this writing, the Nelson online rally is nearly 20% of the way to its goal. It has received $960 from five donors: Ken Santema, Lora Hubbel, Amy Renmoe, Richard Hilgeman, and my crazy cousin Aaron Heidelberger (absolutely not to be confused with the much saner and prettier Erin Heidelberger, whose ring I wear and who wears mine).
Whoever's in charge of the push, if you want Stace Nelson staring down either M. Michael Rounds or Kristi Noem, now's your chance to put your money where your wish is. Let's see if all the big "Run Stace Run!" talk I hear can translate to dollars.
Cory, as you said, if they are acting on Nelson's behalf and Stace isn't ready to pull the pin, they are doing him no favors. Lora Hubbel may be a friend of Stace's, but her overt presence sends all the wrong messages to GOP voters seeking a serious candidate. No offense to the organizers, but a serious campaign doesn't start because the candidate got lured into announcing because someone handed her/him $5,000. A far better presentation is for the candidate to hold a public announcement tour in towns with daily newspapers with a bold statement of why he's the one who can stop Obama's agenda.
"Slide rules" in schools now only related to playground safety.
My prediction is that Stace runs for House. He's been really quiet on this and for whatever reason his announcement for federal office makes no sense unless he has started to lean towards congress instead of Senate.
$970 as of now. I don't see a lot of enthusiasm translating into dollars. Stace needs supporters to pick up the phone and ask people for $25-$100.
Are his supporters really that cheap?
Is that the Lora Hubbel who used to work in Child Protection in Lawrence County around 1900?
$1,000 in a day isn't bad for not being announced. I'm sure the $$ will start to roll in after he announces.
As much as I would like for Stace to throw his hat into the ring, I believe the the biggest hurdle would come from his biggest supporters, He should know if he runs for any office, he most likely won't be home much between now and the election.
mike - If Stace runs against incumbent Kristi Noem, doesn't he come off as a spoiler and wouldn't women voters resent him taking a woman out of office? I think he'd do better in a match against a big budget spender like Rounds and 11th hour tax pledger Rhoden because he views that clic of the Republican Party as his nemesis. He has a credible message in the Senate race. In a House primary, not so much.
Having said that, I'm getting the impression he doesn't have the fire in the belly to run for anything other than in his sleepy, rural legislative district. Maybe it's easier and less risk to be the big fish in a very small pond.
That Stace, a life-long federal employee, went to Rapid City to tout small government to a town owned by the Feds, the state, and a medical industry funded by Tricare and Medicare is nothing short of stupefying. Where does South Dakota find these people?