Knudson fundraising letter. You provide the critique.
Dave Knudson had a campaign letter going out on his behalf this past month.
Since I’m involved with one of the campaigns, I’ll forego the critiquing, and leave it up to you all.
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Comments
Well, if we can just get similar big-city Dem endorsement for Munsterman, Daugaard (or Knuppe!) should have a lock on the primary.
Maybe with all of the higher education institutions in Sioux Falls Ted could take a writing class.
Too bad Dave doesn’t have better control of his campaign.
ouch — may just be an over-zealous volunteer doing it on their own? Cory, you don’t have any dems left to write checks for your people – maybe you better (I know this will challenge your sensibilities)nominate a conservative, resaonable, middle of the roader — ok , I was just kidding 
It doesn’t appear to be a corporate letterhead. It says company on it which would indicate that it is not a corporation but is owned by one person, or more persons in a partnership perhaps.
Using that letterhead would, I believe, be legal. The same thing as if someone used their own letterhead to raise funds for a candidate.
From the Secretary of state’s corporate registration page:
Detail by Entity Name
THOMS COMPANY
Filing Information
Corporate ID DB020115
Incorporation/Qualification Date 10/27/1980
Home State SD
Status Good Standing
Last Annual Report 10/17/2008
Registered Agent Name & Address
THOMS, TED J.
612 E TAN TARA CIRCLE STE 300
SIOUX FALLS , SD
57108-6428
Hmm, the tone of this message reminds me of someone…
“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me”.
Well, I guess it worked well enough for another Democratic candidate.
(Who’s this Republican Dave referred to in the letter)??
A democrat raising money for a “republican” this should raise every red flag there is. NN I don’t think your fellow dem was asking for corporate money.
Yup, its the end of the world. Heaven forbid that any democrat should support a republican. Next thing you know pigs will fly.
Thank you anon 12:19 for looking it up. As I had said, from the letterhead which just had company on it, not INC. or CORP, it appeared legal. Thanks again, now it seems illegal.
This campaign fundraising letter sets me at awe. The things that catch my attention in this letter are the fallowing sentences and phrases.
The first one I noticed was “Early Money in political races is the most appreciated as the Candidate gets his campaign off the ground.” The thing that gets me here is that as a candidate once myself and knowing other candidates, any campaign donation at any time is greatly appreciated and we don’t prioritize our campaign donations. So does this mean if I donate $2000 dollars and send it to Ted Thoms, that it will mean I get special treatment by one Dave Knudson if he is elected governor, since my campaign donation is one of his most appreciated donations? Wait I just read that it is no longer the most appreciated donations anymore they are needed and will be very much appreciated.
Now to “Why Dave”. So he knows the world of business huh? Will for one he must not, because as Nick said last time I checked corporate donations are illegal in South Dakota. Next it sounds to me like we will be turning over South Dakota’s health care system to Dr. Don Knudson, sounds like another Obama/Daschle healthcare system. One guy will dictate how or state health care systems are run. We have already seen in 2006 what his brother told him to do in 2006 with HB1215 when he voted Nay, http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2006/rollcall1746.htm.
To be smart one must attend such universities as Harvard, NYU Law School, and USD? This is an impressive list but we must think of who has also come from these universities Harvard: Barrack Obama, George W. Bush, Franklin D Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, Ralph Nader, Al Gore, Lou Dobbs, Conan O’Brien and Eliot Spitzer. Also we must look at USD granted they did give us John Thune, but they also gave us Tim Johnson and Tom Brokaw. NYU Law School brought us Rudy Giuliani, and John F. Kennedy Jr. Is this the type percentage of party affiliation Republicans can be proud of?
I guess I must not be successful, because I haven’t found the girl God created for me, and haven’t married her and got her pregnant, and I am surely not one of the areas’ top attorney’s, but I congratulate Dave on getting a women pregnant and being a good husband and father. I guess this means all Pat Powers has to do to become successful is become an attorney, and then one of the areas’ top.
Accomplished, just look at this year’s legislative record. Will we take a look at HB 1240 (smoking ban) he voted for South Dakota to strip the rights of business owners. Other then this he played it safe and co sponsored a whole slug of bills honoring different groups. Don’t forget about the controversial move to create research parks in Sioux Falls, good for Knudson but bad for State Universities. Another one is SB 82(guns on campus) which Dave voted nay to kill the bill.SB 134 (providing health insurance coverage for contraceptives and devices) shows some huge moves on leadership…. Not.
I also find it interesting that instead of sending the donations to Dave Knudson, or his campaign mail box, you’re sending them to Ted Thoms. This could be shaking on the financial reporting process if money comes in the form of cash and not checks.
This is just my perspective on this letter.
I would not want nor encourage this “business man” on my team. When he ran for city counsel a few years back he put a endorsement page in the Argus with alot of peoples names whom he never got there verbal/written permission for. I would stay very clear of him if it were me.
Yup, its the end of the world. Heaven forbid that any democrat should support a republican. Next thing you know pigs will fly.
I seem to remember a big doofus of a republican Sioux Falls mayor endorsing Tim Johnson for senate.
To be smart one must attend such universities as Harvard, NYU Law School, and USD? This is an impressive list but we must think of who has also come from these universities Harvard: Barrack Obama, George W. Bush, Franklin D Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, Ralph Nader, Al Gore, Lou Dobbs, Conan O’Brien and Eliot Spitzer. Also we must look at USD granted they did give us John Thune, but they also gave us Tim Johnson and Tom Brokaw. NYU Law School brought us Rudy Giuliani, and John F. Kennedy Jr. Is this the type percentage of party affiliation Republicans can be proud of?
You conveniently left off a pretty good chunk of other famous graduates of those institutions, but I suppose your argument sounds better with an incomplete list.
Don’t forget about the controversial move to create research parks in Sioux Falls, good for Knudson but bad for State Universities.
How so? Remember, universities don’t exist to support small towns like most of the state thinks they do.
SB 134 (providing health insurance coverage for contraceptives and devices) shows some huge moves on leadership…. Not.
Something wrong with contraception being paid for by insurance? Sure is cheaper than delivering a baby.
Does anyone think it is funny that the phrase in this letter “one of the areas’ top Attorney’s” contains not one but TWO misplaced apostrophes?
omg– anon 6:14– my comment exactly. Too bad Word doesn’t catch those errors! An English teacher’s justification for one more grammar exercise.
“Republican Dave”
“He’s good enough, He’s smart enough, and dog-gone it, Democrats like him”
Sounds to me like his brother will be appointed the health czar! Actually, I didn’t get what that line about his brother even meant. And if contributions are being collected, don’t they have to go into a named account of some kind for a political candidate, not just sent to a person who can then direct them as he sees fit, not the candidaet necessarily. And the grammar – really?! If you are asking for that kind of money, it would be prudent to get a proofreader!
Maybe they are taking a page from the Gary Hanson shake down your supporters or we will regulate you out of business.
Or taking a page out of Daugaard’s book shaking down contract holders and selling Governor’s Hunt tickets.
He is “smart”. He is endorsed by Democrats. He is a Janklow crony. Where do I send the check to any of his opponents?
Redstone,
You can always send checks to me =|;)
If I get enough contributions, I’ll start printing out “Republican Dave – The Democrats Choice” bumper stickers as soon as I can find a local printing source – lol
So, is this a campaign fund raising letter without a disclaimer, or is the mailing considered a corporate donation to a political campaign?