If any Senate candidate had cause to throw a fit this week, it was Rep. Stace Nelson. With two months left until the primary, things haven't broken his way. The Senate Conservative Fund and all those other Beltway braggarts who said they were going to pour money into South Dakota to beat the insufficiently conservative Marion Michael Rounds have not given Nelson the endorsement he likely believes he deserves for taking up their call more avidly than any other challenger. Fake Republican Annette Bosworth has distracted the donor pool, denying Nelson online bucks and buzz.
Then his good buddy Gordon Howie declares his own Independent candidacy. Howie says he hopes Nelson wins the primary, but he's running as a back-up plan to guarantee there will be a real conservative on the ballot.
Do how does Candidate Nelson respond to what we could read as a vote of no confidence from someone who ought to be dedicating every ounce of his energy to helping Nelson take down Rounds? Does Nelson pull his ads? Does he call Howie names (poacher! tax-dodger!)?
No. Nelson welcomes Howie to the race:
On Friday, Nelson said his reaction to Howie's independent candidacy was to "celebrate."
"No matter what happens, there will be a conservative Republican on the ticket in the November election," Nelson said [David Montgomery, "Nelson Applauds as Howie Enters Senate Race as Indie," that Sioux Falls paper, 2014.04.04].
That's funny: Nelson catches heck from his own GOP detractors for throwing tantrums. Yet his response to the Howie challenge (and even though Howie insists he will withdraw if Nelson wins the primary, his announcement is a challenge) seems perfectly cool, calm, and congenial.
One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four, five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes - oh, how many Republicans and now an Independent! Rick should be happy for the GOP confusion and division. Mr. Rounds continues to sit back and count his money and laugh at them all. Will the VOTERS be smart enough to pick a candidate with the integrity and dedication to serve the People of South Dakota?
What a great move. Now Rick W. and Stace N are teaming up to talk about Mike Rounds, don't forget DD and corruption. Way to put the people's interests first. The only way you can beat the gang is by working together and forget what party you belong to. The focus should be on nepotism, cronyism, favoritism and corruption not a party affiliation.