Chris Lien and the competition for earned media
Dave Kranz has an article this AM at argusleader.com on how the top ticket races are sucking the oxygen out of the room, leaving precious little media time for the congressional race for Chris Lien:
He might be from West River, but Joyce Bertness of Valley Springs says Lien connects well with people in this community.
“I like the things he stands for. He is pro-life. That’s not the only issue of his that I like, but it is a big part of it,” she said. “He has good ideas on energy, and he believes we should take a look at where government spends our money.”
Bertness says one thing that adds to the difficulty is the media.
“I haven’t seen or heard much about him in the media. You hear about Tim Johnson and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, but you don’t hear about him,” she said. “People should get to know Chris.”
And she’s right- concerned voters should not simply depend on what they’re fed from the Mainstream Media. They should take the time to get to know Chris, who is by far the best candidate Republicans have fielded for Congress since the days of John Thune.
Find out about Chris, and send a letter to the editor about your experience.
McCain RNC Bio Video
This is the video played at convention for McCain’s Bio. I hadn’t seen much of it around the Internet yet, so I thought I’d share.
McCain/Palin gets nice post convention bounce.
According to Zogby’s, the GOP ticket received a nice post-convention bounce. Read it and weep, Dems:
The McCain/Palin ticket wins 49.7% support, compared to 45.9% backing for the Obama/Biden ticket, this latest online survey shows. Another 4.4% either favored someone else or were unsure.
The Ticket Horserace 9-5/6 8-29/30 McCain-Palin
49.7% 47.1% Obama-Biden
45.9% 44.6% Others/Not sure
4.4% 8.3% and…
Pollster John Zogby: “Clearly, Palin is helping the McCain ticket. She has high favorability numbers, and has unified the Republican Party. The striking thing here in this poll is that McCain has pulled ahead among Catholics by double-digits. On the other hand, Palin is not helping with likely voting women who are not aligned with either political party. The undecided independent women voters decreased this week from 15% to 7%, but those women went to Obama. Palin is also helping among men, conservatives, notably with suburban and rural voters, and with frequent Wal-Mart shoppers, who tend to be “values” voters who like a good value for their money.”
McCain’s favorability rating increased from 50% favorable last week to 57% favorable now, a significant jump that indicates the GOP convention was a success. Among independent voters, 61% now have a favorable impression of him, compared to just 49% who said the same a week ago.
Are you failing your students?
Yes. No. Can I buy a vowel?
The no-longer taxpayer funded lawsuit filed by tax-collecting entities against another tax-collecting entity for more taxpayer money has reached a weird point in the testimony where 2 superintendents are falling over themselves to say that their schools don’t provide an adequate education. Or they do. Or they’re not sure.
Whatever the answer is, they agree on one thing - They need more money to do the job (or not do the job) of educating kids:
All schools in South Dakota need more money, a state Board of Education member testified Friday in a trial about the adequacy of state aid to education.
Donald Kirkegaard, who also is superintendent of the Britton-Hecla school, said that his own district hasn’t been forced to make cuts because of a lack of money and that he thinks students there are receiving a good education.
and..
Another school superintendent, Gary Leighton of Florence, said later Friday that he thinks his district is failing to give some students an adequate education. He was the final witness of the first week.
and…
The superintendent also said under questioning from Williams that Florence hasn’t had a graduate in the past five years who required remedial courses at one of the public universities.
and..
Leighton said, “We can only attract people right out of college because of our pay.”
Williams pointed out that the district’s profile, carried on the state Education Department Web site, shows the average teacher in Florence has 12 years of experience. Leighton said a couple of teachers with 30 years of experience skew the average.
Read the entire story story full of backtracking and doublespeak here.
Okay, one Superintendent says that under current conditions, his school provides a good education without cuts. And despite the other’s superintendent’s claims of failing the students of his community, his kids are apparently adequately prepared for college. And in one school, despite the claim of only being able to attract new teachers, the average term of service is 12 years?
The pro-”gimme tax money” forces seem to be taking a pounding, courtesy of themselves, in the opening days of the lawsuit against taxpayers.
Maybe next week they’ll try to convince us that the lawsuit was just a big misunderstanding. At the same time they tell us they want more money anyway.
I missed this while I was conventioning. Hurlbut does the right thing, and resigns
While I was busy conventioning, Rapid City Alderman Bob Hurlbut who is facing his 2nd DUI charge (and his 3rd arrest for it) did the right thing and resigned from office this week, as reported by the Rapid City Weekly News:
“Due to recent circumstances, I believe that it is in the best interest of the city of Rapid City and all involved for me to resign my office as Ward 5 alderman,” he wrote in the letter. “I would like to thank voters in Ward 5 and the citizens for Rapid City for the opportunity they have given me to serve them for the last four years.”
and..
After the meeting Hurlbut, 39, said in a telephone interview that it was time to close this chapter of public service in his life. He said he believes he still has a lot to offer Rapid City and is looking forward to moving up in his employment with NEW. He is currently a customer service representative.
For Hurlbut, this was a critical first step in healing himself and the Rapid City community. Having demonstrated that he can do the right thing, with time he might find himself in such a position that he’s called to public service once again. But that’s going to come a ways down a road he needs to travel as he resolves other personal difficulties.
We wish him the best in his efforts.
Sarah Palin hunting/fishing photos at Field and Stream
photo: Courtesy of the Office of Governor Sarah Palin
Go check out the rest of the photo gallery here at Field and Stream
Palin bringing new volunteers to the SDGOP
Keloland has a story on their website by anchor Don Jorgenson noting how Sarah Palin’s candidacy for the office of Vice president is swelling the ranks of Republican women in the state by energizing people to come out and volunteer for the first time:
“We got dozens of women calling wondering where they can get McCain Palin signs or help and volunteer, coming in off the street, we’ve called in more volunteers just to man the phones,” said Jason Glodt, the political director of the South Dakota Republican Party.
The South Dakota Republican Party says Palin’s conservative credentials and the fact she’s a woman are inspiring lots of armchair quarterbacks to get off the sidelines.
“We have people who have not been involved in Republican politics now who are calling and asking how they can get involved,” said Glodt.
Glodt says at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul this week, Palin tackled some of the biggest issues facing America today and scored big points.
“The women of South Dakota have been waiting for a strong Republican woman to emerge in national politics and that day has come,” said Glodt.
Read it all here at keloland.com.
Any thoughts on the composition of this group of women? Is the Palin candidacy pulling in those women who were voting for HIllary on the basis that she was the first woman candidate? Or is Palin mainly energizing an already existing base of Republican women?
A little GOP affirmation.
Getting through my first convention that I’ve been trying to blog on was an eye-opening experience.
First, it’s tough to blog and be a delegate, when they don’t allow laptops on the convention floor. So, unless I get a blackberry, future posting of this nature if I’m fortunate to be selected 4 years from now is going to continue to be spotty.
Secondly, coming to convention as a blogging delegate was a huge affirmation of the fact that to have a lick of credibility, one needs to “do” as well as to write about things.
There are plenty of people who write about politics, but unless you’re in the thick of it, you can’t understand the pride of going to something like a national convention and the raw emotion surrounding the experience. In fact, I’d call going to an event like this a good gut-check in reminding oneself of the diversity of the GOP on a national basis. We’re black, white, red, and every pigment the skin comes in. We’re Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Evangelical and agnostic. We’re conservative and liberal. At convention, there were even those who were spreading the message that Republicans can be gay or straight as well.
The national convention is the perfect demonstration that the party is a big tent, and that’s what it takes to win elections.
When you see some commentators slinging around terms such as RINO, and they haven’t participated in state or national conventions such as this, or ran for office under the GOP banner, or served as precinct committeeman or woman, or filled one of the many party roles, I can tell you one thing - they speak without authority. All they’ve ever done to further the GOP is register their political affiliation that way, and as fueled by the internet, cast judgment on those who show up.
And at the end of the day, they’re little more than ignorant fools who call themselves cowboys as they ride a mechanical bull. By their inaction towards the party itself, aren’t they the ones who are actually “Republican in Name Only?”
The chairman of the national GOP explained to a group this week that he himself had risen from being a precinct committeeperson. And there’s many in South Dakota who have risen to great heights within the GOP as well. He got involved with the republican party, and make a difference, and continues to make a difference.
Don’t be just another fool riding the mechanical bull. Get involved and make a difference. The GOP is what you make it, and it is who you make it.
Now, THAT was a party! The GOP is awake, refreshed, and ready to go to work.
I’m siting here this morning at my laptop while my roommates rest after the event’s of last night’s convention. I was awoken earlier by a phone call, and there’s no way I could get back to sleep. After the events of this week, especially last night, how could anyone sleep?
Because there wasn’t a long primary process, and our candidate was decided long ago, many in the GOP were somewhat ambivalent towards the McCain effort. But they are lackadaisical no more. With the choice of Sarah Palin, and an energetic performance by the nominee at the convention, the giant that is the GOP has been woken up refreshed with new energy and vigor.
John McCain has boldly set forth his qualifications and his vision, effectively making his case for why the American people should place him in the highest office in the land. And he makes his case well.
Only in our pre-packaged, fast-food, celebrity obsessed world Barack Obama be elevated to the same status of a man such as John McCain. The truth of the matter is that Obama is no more than a watery reflection as to what Americans envision their commander-in-chief should be.
In the arena of the legislative body he serves in, Obama has not distinguished himself as remarkable. Prior to his public service, he has not amassed the experiences that most Americans would identify with leading the planet’s final remaining super-power. In short, when compared to John McCain, Barack Obama just doesn’t measure up.
McCain distinguished himself in his service to our country through the military. He was brutally and repeatedly instructed in the price that many servicemen pay as prisoners of war. More so than any other candidate in the last decade, he understands the cost in human life when our servicemen are forced to be sent to foreign soil. And it is not a light cost.
If there’s any reason that he was not ready as a presidential candidate before now, it’s because as Senator, McCain has had a tendency to be recalcitrant. He has not been afraid to ignore the status quo, and sometimes, political mavericks aren’t exactly the most popular people within the structure of the party’s banner that they run under.
Yet, at this point in history, his party members have demonstrated that they are willing to take the maverick’s path. They are willing to believe that one man can change the culture and the practice of politics in Washington. They’re ready to take the path of integrity over the path of politics-as-usual. The Republican party has demonstrated that they’re ready for John McCain to carry the banner.
Now it is the job of the candidate to convince the voters of the country that they’re ready for John McCain as well.
More shameless convention fanboy photos! I’m rude to our state’s chief executive. And more!
Alright! Tonight’s Convention events were awesome! And it was a great night to do some celebrity harassin… Well, let’s just say it was a great night for some celebrity photo ops.
First up, a got a photo with the late PUC Commissioner Laska Schoenfelder’s grandson who attended the convention. While the political reference might not ring a bell, he does play football, or something like that.
Okay, you probably know him better as Minnesota Viking #52, Chad Greenway. And not only is a physically big guy, he was also a darned nice guy. He put up with delegate’s photo requests, and even signed our state banner.. which someone tried to steal towards the end of convention, but luckily they were thwarted thanks to Larry Rhoden and Lee Schoenbeck. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, here’s a photo of it as taken with delegates Don and Brock Greenfield.
Speaking of the convention state marker, since it has a number of elected officials on it, as well as Chad Greenway, I think the State GOP might try to use it as a fundraiser with all the notable signatures on it. If I hear about it, I’ll provide details. (Otherwise, I did get Chad to sign my delegate’s badge.)
John Thune was on the floor today, and so was Governor Rounds. In fact, the Gov was chatting with several of us, and as I’m told he extended his hand to me to shake mine in greeting… and I completely didn’t see it.
Oops. Okay, now I feel like a schmuck. Sorry about that, Mike.
Aside from my lack of social graces, I did get a few more celebrity photos.
This gal is a network reporter, and for some reason her name utterly escapes me. If anyone can identify her, let me know who we bothered with about 3 or 4 attempts to get a good picture.
Here I’m intruding on NBC Reporter Andrea MItchell’s personal space once again as I go up and over the crowd to snap a photo of Mike Huckabee. Speaking of Andrea, while she probably couldn’t wait to get away from me last night, I had the opposite experience tonight with a Fox News reporter:
I had the pleasure of meeting FOX News Reporter Molly Henneberg, who was just awesome. Aside from enduring me, Molly put up with those from the delegation who wanted to meet her.
And, not only did she oblige on photos, she hung out in our area for most of the convention tonight, right next to me. Her producer, Kimberly Schwandt (who I’ll be doing a story on in the next few days), is a South Dakota girl, and was there with Molly and the rest of their Fox News crew. They were all absolute gems.
I’ll do some more substantive postings on the convention shortly, but I wanted to get this up before I went out to grab a quick bite to eat.
Stay tuned!
Post-Democratic Convention Bounce
Two post-Democratic Convention Polls are in:
Rasmussen Tracking: Before convention, McCain up by 1%. After convention, Obama up by 5%.
Gallup Tracking: Before Convention, Obama up by 1%. After the convention, Obama up by 6%.
Obama’s national bounce appears to be between 5% and 6%. Recent historical Democrat average bounce is 12% vs. just under 11% for Republicans. The size of the bounce should neither scare Dem’s at this point or comfort Republicans. Unlike prior elections, this race has shown a great deal of stability since Spring. Since the race was virtually tied before the conventions, the candidate with the bigger bounce will enter the last two months with the lead.
In the only battleground state (Ohio) with a poll taken in the interim of the two conventions, Obama appears to have gotten virtually no bounce. Since the Palin announcement was in Dayton Ohio, it might indicate early reaction to Palin. Two state polls that will be interesting to me will be Colorado and Minnesota, the sites of the conventions.
Since the polling period included the Palin announcement, did it increase or decrease the bounce? Any predictions on McCain’s bounce?
Convention Bounces, 1968 to 2004*
Dem Bounce Rep Bounce
2004 Kerry +8 G.W. Bush +5
2000 Gore +16 G.W. Bush +9
1996 Clinton +5 Dole +15
1992 Clinton +30 G.H.W. Bush +16
1988 Dukakis +11 G.H.W. Bush +11
1984 Mondale +16 Reagan +8
1980 Carter +17 Reagan +13
1976 Carter +16 Ford +7
1972 McGovern -3 Nixon +8
1968 Humphrey +4 Nixon +14
*ABC/Post polls, 1992-2004; Gallup, 1968-88
Republicans are sensitive people too…
Palin not only knocks it out of the park, she takes the hide off of the ball.
The Democrats are in trouble.
Palin’s speech last night was incredible. Not just for the reaction to it on the day after, but because she effectively drew a line in the sand for the democrats and the media, and told them “don’t tread on me.”
She was not a pick such as Dan Quayle’s ill fated stint many years ago. I think her own comparison to Harry Truman is the closest that you can come. But I don’t know that even that is accurate. She’s that good.
I don’t know that the television monitor could effectively pick up the energy and raw emotion that she invoked in the crowd. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my life. The room was as charged as if she had been the presidential candidate herself.
She was funny. She was direct. And she superseded any expectations that the audience might have had.
Again, the Democrats are in trouble.
Don’t you just hate it when….
Stupid fanboy conventioners sling an arm across your shoulder:
Such as NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell….
And Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough.
Summary of the Arguments by Dem’s against Palin and ultimately McCain
Do these stick? Are they relevant? Are there more?
- She has only been a mayor of a small town and 20 month governor of a small state. Before that she was a “Hockey Mom.”
- Any quantifiable accomplishment is diminished because she is from a small town/state.
- She should be home with her children (one of which has Down’s Syndrome and one is pregnant). One poster here on DWC even said “What kind of mom would inflict this scrutiny on her daughter?”
- She is white trailer trash. Bristol’s pregnancy is a family tradition. (Anonymous here on DWC)
- She has an accent that is a cross between northern Minnesota and Native American. (Anooner here on DWC)
- She has no foreign policy experience.
- She was not vetted by McCain.
- She was taken over more qualified men like Lieberman, Pawlenty, Ridge and Romney.
- Any or taken together speak to why John McCain doesn’t have the judgment to be President.
Did I miss any? We don’t need a litany of policy disagreements as it is natural that Dem’s would not agree much with the GOP’s Presidential or Vice-Presidential nominee. I’m trying to focus on the non-policy issues raised by Palin’s opponents in the practice of “politics of personal destruction.”
What is the effect on the election if Palin performs well on the stump and ultimately matches or beats Biden in the debate? What is the effect if the opposite occurs? Will the VP candidate actually have an effect on the selection of our President?
I do agree with Bill Fleming that her characterization of herself as a pitbull and her willingness to take on Obama at his core will open a floodgate of personal attacks by liberal bloggers, the DNC, and the Obama-Biden ticket. If we get a good list here, Bill can then forward them on to the Obama campaign so they have them handy.
Sidebar: The pitbull line was not in the prepared text. It was an ad lib.
The GOP Convention thus far from my eyes
Even being shortened by a day, the GOP convention was more conventional than the Dem Convention. I think my Dem friend who said the Dem’s were all about unity probably explains the difference.
Did anyone notice that the most common cheer at the GOP convention was “U-S-A, U-S-A” while the Dem’s was “OBAMA, OBAMA”?
Harry Reid is not having a good week. First, Joe Lieberman. Second, Sarah Palin. Harry lost it when asked for a reaction to Palin’s speech, Reid characterized it as ”Shrill”. Campbell Brown’s and Gloria Berger (CNN) reaction to the description: “never heard “shrill” applied to a man” and warned the Democrats to be careful.
Sarah Palin threw some real punches. And, the Obama surrogates looked like “deer in headlights.” Did they expect her to be a demure beauty queen speaking in polite bromides? Note that the Obama had virtually no surrogates clamoring to speak afterwards and they have been noticeably quiet thus far today. I think they are “tweaking” their strategy and Palin has been a game changer at least from a strategy perspective.
Dem’s spin makers seem to be comfortable dissing small town America as a way to diminish Palin. This despite CNN’s John King’s swing state analysisthat the real battle ground is the rural areas where Clinton trounced Obama.
Press seems to be getting sensitive to the attacks on bias. CNN’s Anderson Cooper pointed out to their colleagues that not once did they reference the name of Barack’s or Joe’s speechwriter but they did Palins. CNN’s John King chastised Carl Bernstein for his insult by referring to this convention as being dominated by the “extreme right” when nobody on the panel noted the influence of the “left” at the Dem’s convention.
The Dem’s on Larry King predicts that McCain’s speech will be a heavy attack on the person of Obama and promote fear. They seem to expect McCain to try to be Obama (remember Obama mentioned McCain 21 times and made some of the most pointed attacks personally). I think McCain will be McCain and seldom if at all reference Obama personally. To gain the biggest bounce, I believe that McCain needs to give his vision of his Presidency.
Best new “service” provided by MSNBC at the Republican Convention that wasn’t provided at the Democrat Convention: Keith Olberman raising “fact checks” after each Republican’s speech. This was replaced by his consistently “giddy” responses to the Dem’s speech. A close second was Olberman’s repeated reference to Chris Mathews as “friend” (after the embarrassing catfights they had at the Dem Convention) and Chris’ roll of the eyes before speaking.
Best red meat: Rudy. This speech is getting little coverage because of the magnitude of the Palin speech. Extremely effective frontal attack on Obama.
Worst speech: First half of Romney’s. Gives understanding on why he wasn’t picked.
Most useless speech tonight: Huckabee’s. Too much self-deprecation and too much cute humor. Message was good but the humor to me was a distraction from the seriousness of his message. Desk story was good for another setting. Too long for this setting.
Most serious and least partisan speeches: The combo of Meg and Carly. They did a great job of speaking positively about the GOP vision of lower taxes, lower regulation, smaller government and economic freedom as the answer to economic poverty. The gave a good vision of McCain’s economic policies. Their lack of political speaking experience was obvious (Meg looked nervous) and their delivery was pretty corporate. But the substance was deep and concisely focused. I will admit that I’m a real fan of Carly. I watched her maneuvering of the HP purchase of Compaq like a political junkie.
My highlights from the Palin speech (outside of her promotion of McCain sprinkled throughout):
“A writer observed: “We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity.” I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman. I grew up with those people. They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America … who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars. They love their country, in good times and bad, and they’re always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.”
“I might add that in small towns, we don’t quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren’t listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don’t talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco. ”
“Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.”
“We’ve all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers. And there is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.”
Palin fever is in the air. And November will provide the only cure.
I think it’s safe to say that the country has caught a case of Palin fever.
Conservatives catching it find themselves nuts for this mother of five, who in the midst of a pitched campaign is displaying her human-ness and the fact she’s no different than any of us.
Of course, Liberals and Democrats find that palin-fever causes convulsions and irrationality, as readily demonstrated by the frenzy that is hitting the media.
Tonight will bring a show like none other - and I suspect it will provide the most thunderous and rousing applause yet to be seen.
(I can’t wait!)
Fred was magnificent. (Where was this Fred before)?
I have to echo the statements of Jay Reding - Former US Senator Fred Thompson was awesome last night. Iwish we could have had this fred during the campaign, because this was more of a display of his oratory ability.
I’m not sure what these guys were doing
Twins Fans will get this one more than the rest of us…
I have had no time to blog. But darn, these photos are cool.
My wife was chiding me last night that I haven’t done any blogging of substance. Well, darn it. I don’t have my laptop on the floor. And I’m busy hobnobbing with the media and political elite.
First, I’m having a high level discussion with Judy Woodruff of CNN on the media’s impact on a campaign…
Next, Karl Rove gives me his impression on running for the legislature again in another 2 years..
And finally, another media celebrity gives me a few tips on amping up my game when it comes to keeping things light at the SDWC:
Whew!
