More convention action from the GOP’s red headed stepchild.

You categorized this comment in exactly the correct place- junk. I hate to get too ‘for the love of our country’ on you all, but we were founded on rebellion and our successful peaceful transfer of power from one person or group to the next was unprecedented.

The fact that you did not agree with the current office holder give you the right, some may say the duty, to try and run against that person. At least you did not just sit there and complain, you actually did something about it. Even though you were unsuccessful in your bid, it does not mean that your being there was not for good cause.

I have often thought that if you believe in the process that has been set forth for us to operate within; you believe that it is okay to lose.

I still give you kudos to have the cajones to put your name on the ballot!

It’s not like you got blown out…

You pick on Stan with your rabbit ears photo. The you complain about Stan picking on Ellie.

You make life difficult for the sitting Senator in your district (which is your right). But, then you complain when the sitting Senator in your district makes life difficult for you (which is his right).

Your skin seems a bit thin for politics.

Welcome to the Club, Pat. The State Office is not open to anyone who doesn’t donate a ton of money either. Just try getting an email response from those yahoos without preceeding it with a big donation. (I know of three people who received nothing in return from emails in the last few months.) If only their last names were Mickelson or Kirby.

There needs to be some house-cleaning in Pierre too. Badly.

Gotta love that “big tent” the GOP has going there don’t ya?

Brookings Co GOP has not been a shining example of a solid, hard working, quota making county party. Hope they don’t kick PP out if he is willing to work, they need the help.

I have never given the ‘big bucks’ to the party in Pierre, however I do help them when they need help. Have always gotten a quick reply from them.

Pat:

Perhaps you should become a Democrat. Seriously. We are a big tent. We are looking for people like you who want to get involved. Your views on abortion, while not the majority in the Democratic Party, would be respected. There are plenty of socially conservative Democrats. You’re views on public education would be well received.

You are a tolerant, thoughtful person. You have skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to give. You would be welcomed, nay, embraced, as a Democrat.

You could be a Blue Dog Democrat like Stephanie. Seriously.

My state party is not perfect. God knows I’ve had my issues. But I’ve never been treated like you have desecribed.

Don’t be like an abused spouse and believe, “I’m nothing without you (the GOP).” Co-dependence doesn’t befit you.

You just went to Oacoma a week early. Come back next week when my tribe meets. It will be a far better and far kinder reception that you would receive at our convention.

Pat, there’s a realignment of the parties going on. You just didn’t figure it would apply to you. It does.

Your Democratic friend (and just plain friend),

Todd Epp

I am a conservative that likes to win but we have to be a party that pays attention to the average folks or we can lose, even in South Dakota. The volunteers who put in hundreds of hours matter as much as the 1000 dollar donors.

I personally know of five or six volunteers in the 2004 Senate campaign who have never heard from him since. (These are 100+ hour volunteers from around the State.) The only thing they get are fundraising appeals. This has got to change. Is a little note, in four years, too much to ask?

The candidates who forget the little guy may be banished by him.

Todd.

Shhh.

PP already is a Democrat.

That’s why he has so many problems with Stan on the one hand and Sibby on the other.

Good Catholic that he is, he belongs in our party.

Always has, always will.

Shhh.

PP, you spent too much time making signs and not enough on practice kissing GOP rearends.

Actually, SD Democratic Party may not be quite as vindictive, but it really responds only to money as well.

Public funding and mandatory spending limits, full disclosure of campaign and other groups advocating for or against anything or anyone are required and might somewhat help reduce the arrogance of party and elected officials.

More disclosure of all advocacy groups is needed. A Winner swimming pool project campaign appears to have been primarily supported by a ready-mix concrete seller.

Contracts are being let to demolish something between $100,000 and $200,000 of concrete raw cost in the existing pool. Design appears to just rotate by 90 or 180 degrees the current plan.

What is actually required is above ground piping with all the existing drains plugged. That would not require spending $2 million however.

More disclosure on funding of all kinds of campaigns and projects is necessary.

PP is the new blood of the GOP. He will push on in the face of adversity and stick it to all who oppose him. It may take a little while, he will eventually rise to power.

You can make sharp sticks and arrows and a horde of useful weapons out of burned bridges.

Man, grudz, you are one good writer. I didn’t know you guys had penmen that good. (… assuming you’re male of course…)

Kudos either gender.

Q4U: Do you have any aboriginal blowguns at your house, mon?

Not all blowguns are aboriginal.

Welcome to the club Pat. The Party doesn’t always appreciate those of us who dissent. We sh** disturbers sometimes face retributions….but it’s usually worth it! It’s not always easy being right.

The GOP, in general and not just in the state, really do need to remember that conservatives are essential if they want to win elections.

Todd: With her voting record and endorsements of the most liberal Senators, Steffi can no longer call herself a Blue Dog Democrat and be telling the truth. PP would make a better BBD than Steffi.

And I bet grudznick and BF are one in the same. Guess he got tired of betty76 and TGR.

10:49 I’ll take that bet. How much?

Todd,
Prolife views are NOT respected among Dems. Prolife candidates are “beat up” on your blogs and made to feel unwelcome at your convention.

There is almost NO tolerence for conservative views among Democrats–look at some of the nasty things that BF writes here.

There is certainly no tolerence for the view that the homosexual life style is expensive for taxpayers, difficult for children, and destructive to the one embracing it. (Many of us would be happy to live and let live–but that is NOT what the homosexuals want!)

The is nothing Blue Dog about Stephi any more–she is pretty tight with her friends Nancy and Hillary–since there is power and money there. She says one thing here and votes another in Washington.

Welcome Pat all you want– but don’t call your party tolerant or big tent–because that is either a misconception or a lie–depending on whether you actually believe it or not.

I second Dem friends

In many, many years as an R, the only communications I got from the party’s establishment were requests for money. Some of those requests were even accompanied by insulting ’surveys’ – pretending to solicit my views with questions like “do you think you or the government should decide what to do with your money?” I sent it back after scribbling the words “if somebody calls and tells me they have actually looked at this response, I’ll send money – otherwise never again.” Of course nobody looked at the response.

In the meantime, over the years I’ve received many invitations from D’s to events, and even attended a few. I’ve always felt welcome and that my views, some very contrary to the majority of the party faithful, were respected.

These and other things led me to switch, and I’m glad of it. This wasn’t a decision I made lightly, but reading about PP’s experience at the convention reinforces my opinion – which I initially dismissed as baloney on hearing it – that the R’s are an exclusive club to which I held no birthright.

I’m sure there are those with different stories, but this has been my experience.

Pat, you can’t really expect the entire Brookings Co. GOP to be all warm and fuzzy with you. Orv’s been there a long time and I’m sure forged some strong and loyal ties. The implication by you running is that either: a) he was doing an inadequate job, or b) you could do better. Neither is flattering to Orv. The GOP establishment in your area probably didn’t like it because you weren’t recruited by them and they didn’t really have control over you. Plus, you forced Orv and his supporters to spend some time and money in a primary (not necessarily a bad thing) which I’m sure they would have preferred not to do. The seating thing doesn’t seem like that big of deal, but I would’ve seen red on the “show me your ticket” deal at dinner. I’m not trying to defend you or the Brookings GOP, just trying to point out some of this was maybe foreseeable. In addition to asking yourself can my blog survive an election, did you also ask, how will candidacy affect my standing locally. If Orv & some the locals are behaving is petty, resentful or stand-offish, it’s not all that suprising. Maybe the next cycle will treat you better. Imagine how bad it would have been if you had opposed one of Janklow’s approved incumbants during his reign.

anooner, I don’t think you’ve made a single point that I disagree with, but you can still hope that people will behave better than they turn out to at the end of the day.

At the very least, they might figure out that I have a lot less to write about on the topic of being kicked around if they’re civil.

What would be interesting is a survey by a SD political scientist to assess the political latitude of the Republican Party in SD. In reality, how big is the big tent? Is it just a slogan? To what extent is the party made up of “red” necks, moderates, and those in-between?