Now that would add an interesting dimension to the contest.
Sounds like Stephanie Herseth is talking more “governor-ish” than congress in a recent speech….
Between 2006 and 2008, there were 13,500 new registered Democrats in South Dakota, an increase of 7 percent, she said. That’s compared to an increase of 1,400 new Republicans, an increase of a half a percent, she said. About 6,500 new independent voters registered in South Dakota during the two-year span, she said. That’s a 9 percent bump.
Those numbers show that many young people in South Dakota tired of George Bush during his eight years president, Herseth Sandlin said. The increase in the number of Democrats is also a sign that people are weary of Republican control in South Dakota, she said.
“They’ve (Republicans) been in charge a long time in Pierre, and that’s going to change,” she said.
At the end of the day, I still think she plays it safe, and anticipates getting handed Johnson’s seat on a silver platter in 5 years.
But you never know. With Chris Nelson possibly in the race, it could be a whole new dynamic, and she’s feeling the heat.
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Comments
I think she should still run for Governor! As her feeling “any heat,” as PP puts it, I doubt it. She’s earned alot of support from South Dakotans for her no-nonsense approach to looking out for our interests. She will win either seat based on support from Independents and Republicans who like her.
I would love having Nancy Pelosi as our governor…er, I mean, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (their voting records are practically identical it’s hard to tell ‘em apart).
She was giving a talk to a group of Democrats. The more interesting question would be why there was no labor representation at the event. Maybe it was because the event was “McGovern Days”.
That would be great having Stephanie as governor. Then we could have our own state stimulus package. Spending much more than what we have coming in. If you think the current deficit spending in SD is bad just wait for her to be Gov.
Of course the SF Stockyards could be bailed out too and any other business needing help. Her votes for the Obama/Pelosi
bailout gives it pretty good odds of that happening .
Stephanie had better not assume that all those newly registered Independents will vote like new Democrats.
I think the first thing she should do if she is elected Governor is to focus on reforming the state’s economic planning and stir it in a more progressive direction. We need to attract more business to the state and encourage more development, in fact, as much as possible because we have plenty of room here.
Mac: As someone who worked in economic DEVELOPMENT for 6+ years, businesses will not move here if they are part of “economic planning” or coming to a state more “progressive.” The states with the highest unemployment right now are those states deemed most “progressive.” I wouldn’t trade places with any of those states.
She’d have to live in SoDak if she was governor. Cant see her doing that since she has lived in Washington DC longer than she has lived here and she is relativley young. Hard to be a two-faced politician when you are the chief executive and what you say and do actually has consequences.
Was this speech at McGovern Days.? Of course she’ll talk tough about things changing.
Reality check – the Dems have registered a lot of voters but it was just one year ago when they were given the ‘gift’ of a hot primary between Clinton and Obama. How many visits did Obama, Hilary, and Bill make to SD? Of course a primary like that will drive voters to register. R’s need to do a lot of work but it will come.
South Dakota, particularly the Black Hills, is slowly going the way of places like Jackson Hole and Missoula…becoming refuges for California liberals. South Dakota will not be a Red State for much longer. In fact, I don’t think it is now. It’s more like pink.
Well, Troy, my mother also worked in economic development for 6+ years out in Montana and I can tell you that they have same mindset there as here in South Dakota and don’t get me started on “why don’t the young people choose to stay here,” because deep down I think you know the answer to that one. LOL
Besides, on a positive note…it’s worth a shot to have some new minds in the Governorship. What do we have to lose? Since you have “6+ years in economic development” as you claim Troy, maybe you can help advise Stephanie on these matters when she is elected instead of being a partisan hack on a political blog. You know, put your really good experience to great use.
Mac – he is – in an increasingly rare and foreign concept/area — the private sector!
Mac your picking a fight with someone you couldnt touuch in a debate or on experience in politics and business. Troy gets it and he is NOT a political hack. Your mother being in economic developement is not first hand experience. I know firefighters and police people but it doesnt qualify me for that career. My mommy told me, come on?
LOL…I hear you Lee. Oh, well ymous (aka PP, of course), all I am saying is that if he has “all this experience as he and you claim…he should use it to help his fellow men or women instead of using it to hammer points in a “blog fight” as you call it. By the way, I don’t view this as a fight, just stating the obvious…
Mac: I sign my own name and it can easily be verified that I was a Division Director in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for over six year during the Mickelson administration.
I like to think that I served the State well and know that I gave my best effort to better the job opportunities for our citizens during that time. And, I think that my experience gives me some knowledge and perspective that is helpful. However, I am at a stage of my life where working for state government no longer serves my personal aspirations and goals (vocationally or avocationally). More importantly, I don’t think I’d be as good as I once was to the state. My job was a “young person’s” job requiring a certain amount of youthful enthusiasm and vigor that I no longer have. Additionally, many state government positions (at least mine was) are such that they have a limited amount of daily diversity in activity that wouldn’t motivate me any longer. Both me, my family, and the citizens are better served that I’m not there anymore. But thanks for the vote of confidence.
Finally, PP is one person, ymous is another person, and I’m a third.
Ymous: Thanks for the comment. Aren’t I the poster boy for the non-hack? Republicans consider me a gadfly (your kind words notwithstanding), Democrats consider me dopey (at least Bill does sometimes). I’m a guy who loves being in the business world where I can say whatever is on my mind with no care of repercussion to 
Troy Jones, that is all fine and dandy and I do not disregard what you have done in the past. What I do object to is that you seem to have the attitude that since you’ve done it, then you can somehow sit in judgement of others who come after you or think of running for office in the future and ridicule them if they do not seem to go along with your line of thinking or agree with your partisan leanings. You take cheap shots at them from this blogsite and I’ve read many of them. If you ask me to provide evidence…I challenge everyone to go through the SDWC archives. Yes, thank you for your service, but, please refrain from the lectures because although you served under Mickelson years ago, things change…times change…and other people have other perspectives and govern in other ways that do not always follow your world view on things.
Also, if you do not like how they run things…then maybe you need to get back some of that youthful energy and run again or offer to volunteer your time to those who are in power or will be in power. It would be a better use of your time than ranting everyday on this site. You would actually get results.
She said this at the McGovern Day dinner, which had a theme of “retaking Pierre” or something like that. So her statements are consistent with a Democratic cheerleading speech; they’re not necessarily a signal as to her intentions.