The push to get out the Indian vote continues:
Rock the Lakota Vote comes to Sinte Gleska University in Mission next Saturday afternoon, November 1, Little Wound School in Kyle next Saturday evening, and United Tribes Technical College in Rapid City next Sunday afternoon, November 2.
The program features the 1491s, the comedy troupe who appeared in the famous September Daily Show segment on the racially offensive football team from our nation's capital. Also appearing is Frank Waln, Sicangu Lakota hip-hop artist from Rosebud.
No word yet on whether Shannon County Sheriff Jim Daggett will be joining his constituents for the Kyle performance. Sheriff Daggett was called twice to the Shannon County early voting station in Pine Ridge this month when supervising auditor Sue Ganje got antsy about how many politically active Indians were showing up at the tiny office to exercise their Constitutional rights. Perhaps the sheriff should come to Kyle for some good music and a good laugh... not to mention his constituents' healthy and legal exercise of their First Amendment rights.
A few back, the tea baggers were protesting in front of the Rapid Journal's office because they perceived the Journal as a liberal arm of the Democratic Party.
Today the Journal endorsed Kristi Noem, Dennis Daugaard and Marty Jackley. Their reason for this endorsement wasn't based on our state political issues, they were based on the usual "Republican Values and Common Sense" the liar Mike Rounds has been peddling.
Rock the Vote is turning out to be a great asset for Democrats and it sounds like they are doing an excellent job of registering voters and getting people to polling stations.
Wopia to all Lakotas working diligently on this project.
Roger, as I've said before, I think you and the other tribal brothers and sisters are in a position to do the Democratic party, the State of SD, and the USA an immense service with your votes this year. My hope is that when you do, it will not go unnoticed or unrewarded. Thank you in advance!
Bill, I'm sure it will be noticed by the republican ruling party, in the way they continue to treat Native Americans here, at least until the feds force them to follow law.
http://interested-party.blogspot.com/2013/01/lee-ceo-compensated-for-supporting.html
Lee stock is up nearly threefold:
https://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ALEE&ei=g15NVLjJGca9qQH0qIG4Aw
The harder it is made to vote, the more important it is to vote. Get out and vote to get the respect of your friends and enemies for that matter. The right to vote is the one point of inequality for all. The GOP voter ID laws, etc. are all designed to make it harder to vote. The harder they make it to vote, it is exponentially more important that we do vote.
Should have been "one point of equality for all".
Bill,
Since 1968 when I first got involved in registering votes and hauling people to the polls in the Robert Kennedy Campaign, I have consistently and sometimes relentless advocated both voter registration and voting for all elections held on the reservation.
My advocacy continues even while I live in Rapid City, with computer I stay in contact with those that can organize and deliver votes on and off the reservation.
I hereby nominate Roger C. for head of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
Aww schucks Bill, you know that would cause Wiken to have a major hissy fit.
No problem for me Roger. I don't think it could be made more ineffective by you than it already is.
whoooo, that is a nasty insult. I hope that Cory will delete it.
JeniW.
I hope Cory keeps it up. Wiken not speaks for himself, he speaks for this racist state that he helped create.
Mr. C, I don't think Wiken helped create anything as wonderful as South Dakota. I am not sure he has even created a decent sandwich in his short time on this earth.
How about Cornelius as SDDP chair, Wiken as exec?
Roger, are there any tribal activists involved in this GOTV push, the Keystone XL protests, etc., who would be interested in serving on the SDDP executive board?
Absolutely Cory, I can longer fit the bill for what is required in these positions, but I would be happy to advise where I could.
There are a number of Native Americans that would be happy to be included in SDDP and their mission, it would be great for them to reach out for that kind of support.
It would also help at election time with an ongoing voter registration drive.
I would strongly advocate for a Democratic Party headquarters on each South Dakota reservation.
As far as Cornelius being chair of SDDP and Wiken as exec., as I like to say about things that I find distasteful, I'd rather have my butt rubbed with a pineapple than be in the same room as Wiken.
Mr. Wiken, what is your profession, sir? Are you a politician or a lawyer?
I understand the sentiment, Roger. I could probably find some Democrats I'd rather not be in the room with, too. But do we need a Lincolnesque team of rivals?
Cory,
One of the things I have always liked about our party is the diversity of opinions and the ability to come together when it matters. Republicans in this country operate by one play book, everything stays the same with them, only the faces change.
Diversity in our party's leadership is essential for any hopeful success, how quickly would it be found out by Republicans of Wiken's blatant racial overtones? Republicans would be on that like ugly on a ...............
grudz,
Wiken's profession is an angry old white man.
Mr. C, you know darn well that is my profession too, yet he and I are vastly different. And I don't mean the part about him being prettier than I.
grudz,
I have never detected the angry in your persona, that is the distinction between you and the bigot.
Thank you, Mr. C. I bury it deep, and my scowls and grimaces are mostly just to keep the children and older ladies away.
Should you and Mr. Wiken ever decide to get together I would be happy to host you both on my granddaughter's deck. We'll make him sit in the chair with the uncomfortable cushion and I'll be sure to have beverages he disapproves of.
Sounds like a plan grudz, but only if he sits in the uncomfortable chair wearing a dunce cap.
I wonder, Roger, if the GOP would be able to make hay of that issue. Remember, we're talking about simply hiring Wiken to be exec, not run for office. The general public wouldn't pay attention. You'd be in charge to make sure that racism doesn't manifest itself in action. Plus, I think we could get Douglas to put aside certain disagreeable opinions for the good of the party. Douglas, if we can win a Senate seat and a House seat in 2016 by turning out 10,000 more Indian voters, you'll give that GOTV your all, won't you?
The rez defines success far differently than mainstream America does:
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/pub_display.cfm?id=5404
Your request timed out. Please retry the request.
Cory, you know as well as I do that Republicans read your blog, they know about Wiken's racist past and yes they would make hay of it.
We have been blessed today, Wiken's comment request has been timed out.
Roger can toss around his bigot and racist charges as much as he wants, but that is not an argument against discussing the reality of the whining demands for special privileges and his claims of racial specialness for a cultural specialness he refuses to define. General assertions from him are no more meaningful than Rounds and Daugaard presenting themselves as representing some really special South Dakota "values" and their claims we need to return to some better time in the past by undoing "big government".
Accept Roger's mythology if you wish, but don't expect it to ever lead to anything that actually improves life for most Native Americans.
I came across this on Facebook today:
Lakota Vote Rapid City
Free Early Voter Taxi
(605)430-4495
Actually Wiken, I have never expressed to you or anybody else whether I believe in Lakota myth, religion, spirituality or anything related to the culture. Never!
What I do support is the right of the Lakota people to practice and believe in their rights and customs just as any other American.
The same goes for the Lakota's right to vote and if there are funds available for lighten the load for the Native voters why should they not use it? Is there something criminal about that or are you like the Republicans and want the Native vote suppressed for some perverted reason?
Wiken calls me a racist and a bigot, I presume because of my attacks on him. If anybody here can point out where I have judged and condemned an entire group of people because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, please point it out to me.
I have never blamed white people as a race for anything, what I have done is cited specific issues of racism and bigotry and I don't give a tinkers damn if Wiken believes me or not. Wiken cannot take my life experiences from me.
Wiken continues to rant and whine on nearly every thread about Indian special rights or specialness, or whatever. Yet, Wiken ignores some basic facts about his own specialness, the first being that of white privilege.
Wiken also fits in that special group of farmers, this country recognizes farmer's specialness the same way it rewards the 1 or 2%.
Wiken has special tax breaks, Noem gave him a special Farm Bill to help subsidize his socialist farm in any way it can, whether it be by cash, rebates for insurance and special breaks than his Lakota neighbors will ever know.
Wiken will say he has "never" received a farm subsidy, has he ever in his farming career received one?
Wiken is special, there is no denying that.
Roger, I did not call you a racist and a bigot. I wrote you use the libelous terms for attack when your facts and logic are nonsense.
I don't care if Native Americans want to howl at the moon, pray to a rock, or whatever. That is their problem. What I do object to is forcing others to tolerate that clanging nonsense in schools, etc. It also does not help Native American children live in the modern world, just as my demanding that Norse Viking legend be celebrated by all would do me no good (or them any good) in the modern world.
Your nonsense is destructive humbug.
And, I will never claim that I never received agricultural subsidies, but what I have gotten is a pittance compared to the large corporate farms in this area and the rest of South Dakota. This is another of Roger's strawman arguments which is his real specialty.
Mr. Wiken, we all receive funding both directly and indirectly from the federal government. Without it, we would not have a state little along drinking water for ourselves and our livestock. That stuff did not just materialize due to good governance from the state, it came from good governance at the federal level to do its job. Job one there should be to do what is the best for its people, all of its people. As we all benefit from the federal government, can't we try to at least agree that we do? I listen to many speak as if they can make it on their own without any consideration whatsoever from the federal government and that is a big lie. So to both of you, be thankful you have the federal government to step in to assist.
What are you referring to Jerry? I have never said we don't get aid and subsidies from the federal government in South Dakota. Without it, we would have no Missouri River power, no rural electrics, no rural telephone, no internet, etc. Much of our improved medical knowledge results from federally funded research. We all benefit no matter what our color or religion or lack thereof.
Wiken has a memory problem, he comments here that he doesn't care if Native's "howl at the moon" or "pray to a rock", yet Native American mythology and folklore are at the core of every tirade about Natives.
Wiken whines that he only gets a pittance in farm subsidies compared to corporate farms, just how much is in a pittance? I know street people that would consider $5 a windfall and that wouldn't be a pittance at all. Or is that Wiken's farm operation is actually incorporated?
Wiken doesn't acknowledge his being special because of the farm welfare and other programs take care of him.
I don't know about any group that howls at moons or prays at rocks but I, for one, might start. It sounds rather soothing, Mr. Wiken.
There are huge numbers on Native Americans that are able to function in white society, that is an insult to every Native child that often times has to work overtime to compete in this society.
Most Native children are bi-racial and are able to take the best of both worlds they live in, all too often they pick up the filthy habits that white spreads in the for of alcohol and drugs.
And, you're damn right Wiken, Native American children are special.
grud, you smell more like pp every day.
Lar, have you seen that picture he put on the top of his blog site? A bunch of people staring at their shoes. It disturbs me.
so, write some checks, grud.
What I am very happy to support is the Rock the Vote process that is bringing Native voters into the system. It does this old heart good to see that along with the hope that it continues. We must show all that their vote is worthwhile and that the Native vote means something to the big picture of how government works. Maybe it will encourage move involvement in local politics both Native and local as well. Look out Jackson County, things may change for the better. Look out Buffalo County, maybe your county seat may need to be relocated to where people actually live. It would be good to see politicians from all walks to actually campaign for the Native votes with same enthusiasm as Rick Weiland has done.
I am glad to hear what you say Mr. Wiken and hope that what you say about religion, all religion and beliefs including indigenous religion and beliefs, you mean.
Jerry,
You pretty said it all.
What I would really like to see on all reservations are full time Democratic Party headquarters where people can register vote and learn about issues.
It would eliminate that last minute voter registration push so that at election time we can concentrate on getting people to the polls, regardless of how South Dakota Republicans try to suppress our vote.
The South Dakota Democratic Party needs to spend some money on these type of ideas so we aren't always in a rush at election time.
Why should reservations have full-time Democratic offices when as far as I know no counties anyplace in South Dakota have such? Is this another Roger admission that reservation residents aren't capable of even registering to vote without special dispensation?
Native Americans can start their own reservation Democratic offices. Give them some credit for their own abilities. They will find that for most of the year nothing happens in such offices. Most normal people, red or white or any other color, don't much care about politics any other time than right before elections when it is too late to get enough information to vote intelligently. That is reality.
My wife voted today and was asked by co-workers what she thought of the minimum wage increase. Her co-workers went ballistic when they heard she had voted for the increase. These are people whose own wages are set very low because the minimum wage is so low.
Figure out how to get some sense into the political wilds during the two years between elections and maybe the elections might change.
When I worked for the Democratic Party that was part of my campaign to change things. Unfortunately that takes real work and real research and it is hard to find people who want to do that. They would mostly rather write "Please send us money." than actually work to give people a real reason they deserve money to keep things going.
Sorry about this diversion, but just plumping people into an office will not solve anything and that is not just true for the reservations.
The point of this thread is to get the much needed Native American vote out in good numbers that could tip this election like the Johnson/Thune election in 2002.
And what do we get, a special privilege white piece of trash trashing Indians, if Indians ever have a reason to vote for Republicans it will because of the ever prominent myth buster.
The South Dakota Democratic Party has a lot of work in Indian country and I suggest that they use every means necessary to get the vote out, not just in this election, but in every election.
If Wiken takes exception, well that's too damn bad. Instead of whining like Wiken does, I have offered a workable solution to Rock the Vote for every election, but because an Indian suggested it, it is a bad thing.
Well no wonder the South Dakota Democratic Party has pretty much been in the dumper for so long, Wiken helped put it there.
In my opinion, having satellite offices on a reservation would show the unique relationship between tribes and the federal government. Most all the issues that seem to be prevalent in Indian country stem from those relationships with the federal government. While it may seem very one sided to some, it would actually show activity to grievances both old and new. This is really nothing new, but it would be if it were with federal office holders. There would be nothing to prevent republican outreach there either, the Native vote is not and should not be taken for granted by any party.
Actually, when I worked for the SD Democratic Party, the party and the government pushed for getting translators on the reservations for the election. We responded to the demands. After the election was over, we found out that one older Native American woman requested a translator.
At about that time, the GOP got really serious about gerrymandering and produced some weird districts.
The recent ridiculous ID demands for voting are the real threat to voting.
The Native Americans will not get the respect they deserve until their professional whiners instead assume that Native Americans can get things done by themselves. As far as I know, there is nothing that prevents them from setting up offices to aid voters vote early or absentee. I am not sure what the SD Democratic Party currently would do about giving tribes a similar position as county Democratic Parties have in conventions. I see no problem with that if measures are taken to prevent those votes counting both for the county party organizations and the tribal party organizations.
The parties will work with any group or area of the state if the voters who claim to support them actually turn out to vote. And, as I have said, the harder the GOP makes it for anybody to vote, the more important it is for them to get out and vote. Voting is about the only action or right we have left where we are all equal. The Native American vote will be important when they themselves decide it is important...even if they have to spend a buck getting and returning a mail ballot.
The satellite offices would not just register voters, it would be an actual satellite office that would be operated as an official site for necessary business to be conducted. These offices could serve as a notary for business that would be in addition to voter registration as well. What a concept, to actually serve constituents. As far as voting by mail and that sort of thing, I would support that for everyone. It seems to be working in Colorado, so why not try it here.
Remind me to never hire Wiken to help our agency put together any customer prospect incentives or customer loyalty programs. Especially if it involves the Lakota Nations LOL.
Earth to Doug, if you want people to vote for your candidates, you have to go out there and make the sale.
Although, there might be some exceptions.
I remember a shoemaker up around Freeport Maine who had some posters that had a crotchety old guy and a nice picture of his classic leather shoes and a headline that said "If you don't buy my shoes, to hell with ya."
Now, I think that sold pretty well. So maybe we make a poster with a crabby picture of Wiken on it and a headline that says "Hey you Indians. Go vote, because this guy don't care if you do or not. And for sure his neighbors don't want you to."
Think it'll work Doug?
Jerry and Bill
Since Wiken's time in helping put the Democratic Party in the dumper, nothing much has changed and little progress has been made,it makes me wonder if Wiken's intentions all the time were to suppress Native votes.
Jerry, I threw out the Democratic Party headquarters on each of the reservation idea to insure awareness, primarily of state government, it was just that, an idea. Naturally with his perverted thinking Wiken finds a way to make it racial.
In national elections Indians generally have a good turn out and vote Democrat, admittedly those numbers should and could be greater.
There has always been a disconnect between reservation voters and state government, the mindset is often that the state doesn't represent them.
What I'm suggesting is a mechanism supported by the Democratic Party to inform voters and get them to vote, not just when there is rush for votes in national elections, but in state elections.
I do see anything wrong with that concept, only an anti-Indian voter would object to such an idea.
On absentee ballots, the vote by mail, that signature needs to be notarized in South Dakota, as I read the rules. To me then, a satellite office on the reservations makes sense to serve the community. In this particular case, it is a very poor community. That stamp and having to go to find a notary to give their approval, would be a bridge to far for Native voters young and old. On top of that, there are whites that live within the boundaries of the reservations as well and these satellite offices could help to serve their needs also. Of course these offices could inform voters of the different initiatives as well as information about the candidates to those folks. We here are fully aware of all things political, but yet we are having trouble trying to figure this Initiative 17 as an example. Think of how that is with folks that utilize the IHS for the most part but also utilize private healthcare through the ACA. Very confusing.
This has been done with the VA regarding outreach programs so this does not seem to be such an outlandish way to serve these needs.
Doug- would you write a letter supporting a name change of Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak? Please send FEDEX overnight and don't forget that $5.00 notary seal.
Leslie, No. I think name changes of geographic areas and sites are stupid wastes of time and money that remove historical sense of what was good, terrible, irrelevant, or whatever. I would support an historical plaque there that describes what Harney did and the Native American perspective on that.
I will probably vote tomorrow and will try to talk to the local auditor to get an idea of how many mail ballot requests they get from the reservation areas. She is Republican, so I may not get much information. If 49 cents is an intolerable burden for voters, I will support making the ballot return envelopes postage paid. I doubt that will be a very significant amount and it removes the "poll tax" aspect of it.
On the other end, paying for the mailing request, etc. might run afoul of regulations against paying for a vote. Some voting places used to serve pie and coffee and even that has been ruled illegal. I suspect most voters standing in line would appreciate a cup of coffee and a cookie no matter what their color or party and I seriously doubt anybody would change their vote or go vote for a cup of coffee and a cookie or two.
I organized a couple of good fund-raising operations and found out that calling during a blizzard was a good time to get people and request contributions. Almost everybody was home and bored...they would talk to anybody including a party fund-raiser. My wife and I cleaned up all the old file-folders filled with contributor names going back to the days of McGovern and Herb Teske in Mitchell. We called all such numbers to check addresses and phone numbers and to clean out duplicates. That was the first computer mailing list put together for the Democratic Party that wasn't loaded with worthless data. We paid a firm with computer systems available to do the mailing, but it cost ten cents per name to add or remove so it made sense to get the data correct before we dumped in the names. I also worked out a somewhat more reasonable "quota" system for county contributions that took into account the distance to county seats and populations.
I also got an old offset press working again, so we could print our own mailings. That turned out to be a waste of time because the Kneip Administration wanted control of content in all mailings. The Democratic Party at that time had a few old Democrats on the board who detested FDR and McGovern. That often also complicated things.
I can reassure Roger's deep concern that my work (mostly unpaid as it turned out unfortunately) helped the Democratic Party significantly. As a result of not being paid, I have not contributed much of anything to the party since then however. I do make small contributions to candidates who demonstrate they will actually work to get elected however.
Mr. Wiken, I actually had no idea you were such a devout libbie before the other day. At some point in my confused old mind I thought you were more of the tea flavor. My apologies, and your story about your computer prowess back in the days is very interesting. You may be the man who could be most credited with bringing the SD Democratic Party into the computer age.
Grudznick, I did not make the initial contacts to the firm with the computers. The Kneip team had used it before. The address data was very poor however. We did get it to the point that it was very useful however. That was before desktop computers. Having access to one of those in those days would have been really, really nice. Typewriters and white correction fluid were all that was available to us and also all that was available in many state offices. I hope things are much more efficient now both at the party headquarters and in state government, but I really don't know. Small changes in procedure can save a lot of money and time. That was one of the few lessons I learned.
Since my first efforts working elections in 1968 to the present, I have never asked for or receivedfinancial compensation and in fact have donated to the candidates I worked for and with. In most cases the campaigns were mostly comprised of volunteers, we often did pay for much needed clerical help.
My view has always been that campaigns always need money and taking from them was just not the right thing to do.
leslie,
With Wiken's over the top ego and know it all attitude, the only name change he would agree to is Mount Wiken.
http://dakotatoday.typepad.com/dakotatoday/2014/10/an-idea-for-our-us-senators-our-president-and-representatives.html
Great idea Mr. Wiken, why not? I think that the post office could do that without a problem and the good news would be their validation of the receipt of the ballot letter. Good thinking.
Attaboy Doug! See Roger, Wiken really is a Democrat. ;-)
Except it really wasn't my idea, but I thought it was worth serious consideration and the guy who came up with it is partially paralyzed and can't slap his ideas into blogs by himself.
Well then, Mr. Wiken, that makes it even more of a splendid idea as you have acknowledged someone else's foresight and did not claim it for yourself. Tell your friend that his idea could become real if there was enough push behind it. Something on the line of the ADA may help to swing that.
Jerry, idea to get organizations behind this is good. Those interested in handicap accessibility and basic democracy (with a small "d") ought to be interested in this. It would also get past any problems with a private or partisan organization doing the paying which could be construed as literally buying votes. I initially thought county commissioners, etc could pay for the pre-paid mailer, but when my friend heard that he almost immediately thought the Post Office should provide it as a free service and I almost immediately thought, that is a good idea, and why had I not thought about it. I'm sure there may be problems with the idea that I have not thought of yet, but it seems like an idea that should appeal to many who would also help solve any problems or make it better.