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Weiland Wins Iona with New Music Video

Like his chances of beating Mike Rounds, Rick Weiland's music videos keep getting better. The following video will air on KELO tonight at 6 p.m.:

"Big Wheel" is the best entry yet in Rick's musicopolitical œuvre. It squeezes all of the big policy issues into the lyrics, even EB-5. It makes hilarious fun of Nick the GOP tracker. It revisits the fast-flipping montage of towns Rick has visited all over the state, reminding us of his basic door-to-every-dang-door strategy. It works in imagery from Rickstock East, held just three days ago, showing his video crew is both professional and fast. And it shows Rick looking more authentic, caring, and down-home South Dakotan than wheezy fake-smile insurance salesman Mike Rounds ever will. It's a toe-tappin', South Dakota-lovin' thing of beauty

Let me focus on one image from this well-produced, well-themed, downright fun campaign song:

Rick in Iona

This shot, at the lyric opening, comes from Iona, South Dakota, population 1, near the River, north and east of Winner. The imagery is perhaps the perfect checklist of South Dakota iconography:

  • Blue shirt, blue jeans, blue sky.
  • Gravel road, stretching straight to infinity.
  • One man, one car.
  • Utility pole.
  • Trees sheltering a house amidst open prairie.
  • Corn field.

Rick wins Iona with this shot. As he and his crew set up this shot, Iona's lone citizen, a Democrat, came out and asked what was going on. She thought maybe Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson was out making a movie. Rick said no, it was just him, running for Senate.

Oh good! said the lone Ionian. Can I help?

Well, said the candidate, you could contribute nine dollars to my campaign.

Iona invited Rick to drop by the house when he was done so she could do just that. After the video shoot, Rick went over, and Iona handed him ten dollars. He offered to make change, but she told him to keep it and go win the election.

As goes iconic Iona, so goes South Dakota?

* * *

While Rick wins Iona, the GOP spin machine screams, "You own a BMW!!!" Ah, class warfare is always funnier when Republicans wage it.

But really, Pat? You want to whine about cars? Mike Rounds owns an airplane.

23 Comments

  1. Lynn 2014.10.07

    Who is this "Nick the GOP tracker"? Does he follow Rick everywhere trying to catch a mistake that can be used on a Rounds commercial? Is this common practice these days for national office? I'll bet poor nick can't wait till the election is over trying to keep up with Rick.

  2. 96Tears 2014.10.07

    Rounds is plummeting to defeat because of his own greed, paranoid secretiveness and arrogance. Weiland is rising because his fun and his inclusiveness are inviting. Rounds simply does not personally connect with regular folks. The difference couldn't be more stark between these two men.

  3. Nick Nemec 2014.10.07

    Boy, "Nick the Tracker"® truly fits the stereotype of smarmy political type who can't be trusted.

    You can't make this stuff up.

    This is a great ad.

  4. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.07

    One town, one vote, they all add up.

  5. Mary Perpich 2014.10.07

    I thought that was Nick the tracker in the video and thought it clever of Weiland to use him in the video. He showed up when Rick spoke at the Brookings Dems picnic in August and made a nuisance of himself.

  6. Sam 2 2014.10.07

    Just seen KSFY poll. Rounds 35 Pressler 32 Weiland 29 percent. If Rick drops out Pressler is ahead by 15 percent. Tim to say good by to Rick

  7. JeniW 2014.10.07

    Sam, you are 100% wrong, it is not time for Rick to drop out, it is time for you to stop working against the process of democracy.

  8. Bill Fleming 2014.10.07

    Sam2, Good numbers :-) Wrong advice :-(.
    I hope that's exactly where the polls are right now.
    Let the good times roll!

  9. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.07

    Hang on, Sam2: where's that poll? Got a link? I want to see dates and margin of error before going to town.

  10. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.07

    If anyone should drop out, it needs to be Mike Rounds.

    What were Mike Rounds percentages when he started his campaign? They were high enough that nearly everybody wrote this election off and handed it to Rounds.

    Rounds is the only candidate that has suffered such a drastic slide in polling numbers.

  11. Jana 2014.10.07

    Wow. Only 35%!

    So 65% of South Dakotans want someone else other than Mike, Michael or Marion to be the Senator representing all of the people of South Dakota.

    Go Weiland!

  12. grudznick 2014.10.07

    Rhoden laughing. Rhoden laughing.

  13. Bill Fleming 2014.10.07

    That's the second poll that has him at 35.

  14. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.10.07

    That's a good commercial. He's got my vote, except that I don't live in SD any more. Maybe if Rick won and the Republican corruption in Pierre was broken, I'd come back. Maybe the brain drain that has been devastating SD would reverse. There's a good chance of that.

  15. Jane Smith 2014.10.07

    Rounds = EB-5. Weiland does not. Simple.
    Great video.

  16. JoeBoo 2014.10.07

    I wish I had the cross tabs of this poll.

    I still don't buy that Pressler's support is strong. Weiland I feel is pretty strong at 25%, I feel Pressler's support is strong at 18%- maybe lower. Rounds I feel is in the 33%-35% range. He won't drop too much, unless his campaign keeps imploding to the point that they have to send Wadhams to the argus and scream for 15 minutes straight.

    I think the soft support of Pressler is why this Mayday PAC went pro Weiland with its first ad, rather then anti Rounds. To try to gain the soft support from Pressler.

    In being completely honest I don't really trust the % points of any of them. I think Rounds is low, Weiland is a little low and Pressler is high. The thing is, if 1 million plus goes on the air supporting Weiland and attacking Rounds, what will the numbers look like then?

  17. Jana 2014.10.07

    Just thinking we should help Mike out and discuss the issues.

    Let's start with a conservative favorite:

    Mike, you are a father of Common Core education...tell us again why you think big government should educate our kids.

    Mike, you are backing the Keystone XL Pipeline. Would you back it if it went through your FEMA/Army Corp of Engineers/Taxpayer protected river front mansion's back yard?

    Mike, many of the accomplishments you boast about seem to be like the rooster bragging that his crowing made the sun come up...are we wrong in thinking this? Or are you that rooster?

    Mike, Balanced budget...true or false. Did you rely on Federal tax money to make this happen? Tell the truth here Mike...you have enough on your plate for confession.

    Mike, would we be wrong to think that your economic development efforts were more to carve out your legacy than being good for all of South Dakota?

    Mike, an entire town's water supply was infected with a dangerous chemical...tell us again why you want to eliminate the EPA.

    Mike, my brother was helping me with who to start at running back in fantasy football...do you really expect us to believe that one of your many relatives in government jobs didn't tell you about the GOED/Northern Beef/ EB-5 lawsuit?

    Mike, will you answer these questions while sitting next to your priest and not flashing a less than genuine smile?

  18. Sam 2 2014.10.08

    JoeBoo. It shows what weak field and said state our senate race is. Pressler is he wins I belive will be given credit for his 18 years of service in the which will be a large advantage for South Dakota. I was hoping Rick would win, however I feel Pressler is gaining fast from the republic cans dumping Roounds. They will not vote democratic for any reason. This will make it difficult for Rick to win

  19. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.08

    Sam 2, you make an interesting point about Pressler having the edge in "what if so-and-so dropped out" hypotheticals because of Republican refusal to vote Democrat. Your thesis assumes that Pressler is drawing more Rounds voters than Weiland voters, which fits what I originally assumed but which past polls cast into doubt.

    But consider this: is Professor Lessig that wrong? He says Mayday PAC polled the race, too, before throwing in with Weiland. If he had seen Pressler having such an edge, would he not have thrown his million to Pressler? Mayday PAC money would have an even greater impact for Pressler and offer an arguably better test case for the power of Mayday's money. Did Lessig get different poll results? Does he view the Pressler surge as an aberration doomed to fade as Election Day and reality approach? Or is he thinking, "Weiland has stayed flat while Pressler is surging; let's invest in Weiland and show that we can redirect both curves"?

  20. Lynn 2014.10.08

    This is such a great video and song! If there are any local DJs left they should play this song "Hey No One Bought Me" by Rick Weiland. Top 40 hits.

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