Wow! There are some Democrats out there who don’t like the way their party is run. And not just a little. They really, really don’t like the way their party is run, and are openly accusing South Dakota Democrat elites of favoritism and self-dealing. They even throw out the word “corrupt.”
But don’t take my word for it. Read it here as described by the Sioux Falls Chapter of the Democrat group “Drinking Liberally,” in a post from Friday attributed to Sheldon Osborn:
Despite the poor showing by the Democratic Party in 2014, its leadership and staff tolerated no self-examination and allocated no time for reflection at its post-election meeting last December. Instead they applauded everyone’s efforts ad nauseam and retreated to executive session to allocate election bonuses, pay raises, and interim consulting contracts to its staff. (Some might describe this as corrupt given the active favoritism the Party leadership and its staff practiced in the election of new Party officers.) It was a classic example of top-down leadership from a group desperate to maintain its grip on the remnants of its power. It is little wonder that Democratic registration continues to decline.
“Instead they applauded everyone’s efforts ad nauseam and retreated to executive session to allocate election bonuses, pay raises, and interim consulting contracts to its staff.”
The South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP) meets next week in Chamberlain to change its Constitution and plan for the future. The new Constitution, after numerous requests, has finally been published for review. It continues the Party’s trend toward top-down leadership. It allows Party officers to exclude the public from all Party meetings except Central Committee meetings, empowers Legislative District organizations at the expense of County Parties, and, by allowing the appointment of Precinct Committee people from anywhere in a County or Legislative District, opens the door for narrow demographic groups or cliques to more easily dominate the ideological and strategic direction of a County Party or Legislative District. As an example of this arbitrariness, in Minnehaha County, where a small group has already imposed this open appointment policy, the current Party Chair arbitrarily cancelled (not postponed, but cancelled) a previously scheduled Central Committee meeting at which, among other things, the proposed constitutional changes were scheduled for local discussion.
Ooo…. So the leadership of the Sioux Falls Drinking Liberally group is telling tales of Dem Party leadership… “Despite the poor showing by the Democratic Party in 2014, its leadership and staff tolerated no self-examination and allocated no time for reflection at its post-election meeting last December. Instead they applauded everyone’s efforts ad nauseam and retreated to executive session to allocate election bonuses, pay raises, and interim consulting contracts to its staff….”
That’s actually great news going into this years’s coming election season, and a good indication that the South Dakota Democrat ‘formula for success’ that they’ve used for the past two cycles will continue to be used.
Of course, that means complete dominance for my party, but I’m not complaining.
But did they actually award election bonuses for the past election? What was the benchmark for these bonuses? Showing up? Sobriety? Not committing suicide in despair? Achieving 20% in elections? Claiming that bonuses were paid last year is pretty remarkable, as in most political elections where bonuses are paid, it’s actually based on winning.
Since in no way did Dems win anything last year, the proposition of anyone receiving a bonus is downright shocking, not to mention the accusations of favoritism and self-dealing! And apparently, even that particular writer in the state Democrat party’s rank and file thought so as well when he added “Some might describe this as corrupt given the active favoritism the Party leadership and its staff practiced in the election of new Party officers.”
Wow. As much as people might complain about Republicans, apparently in South Dakota, the alternative is far, far worse. As noted by the party’s own members.
Why would anyone be surprised by this? The entire Democratic party philosophy is the extremist arrogant paternalism of “we know what’s best for you, so, shut up and do what we say”.
The Portlandia SDDP crazies won’t like this!
Meh. They won’t say anything except but “Republicans are bad, and EB5, and they’re trying to distract,” While the left-wingers in charge perpetuate their own incompetence.
The SDDP Portlandia crazies don’t want to read or hear anything negative nor accept advice or alternatives. They think 2016 will bring about their political revolution that will sweep them into office along with passing all their ballot initiatives and legalizing weed. All or nothing and any practical more centrist Dems that get in their way are called “right-wingers” and have no place in the party.
What a mess!
Oh well some are just slow learners and for others they never learn.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” — Matthew 7:3
That’s a different topic. We’re talking about what’s going on in the Democrat party.
If Democrats want to win office, they simply have to run candidates who are acceptable to South Dakota voters. What are the chances of that happening?
I think the most true statement is “Despite the poor showing by the Democratic Party in 2014, its leadership and staff tolerated no self-examination and allocated no time for reflection at its post-election meeting last December.”
Why do the SDDP have trouble attracting electable candidates for not only state-wide but also local races all the way down to city commission? Why are they getting obliterated even in lean Dem. or toss-up districts in the few cases where they have quality candidate? Why is their party registration disadvantage to the GOP growing?
It’s takes money and power to have corruption in government. The Dems in SD have neither. I’m sure there are political manoeuvres and playing favourites with your philosophical friends but it’s the GOP not the Dems who need to make this Session all about ethics. Go ahead and shame me more for saying ethics when I’ve been accused of signing two petition sheets I supposedly didn’t circulate. (Marty will tell you I volunteered for a lie detector and he said he has nothing to charge me with. I’m confident I’ve lived an ethical life in big and small dealings over a long period of time. Put me, Deelstra and Hubbel in front of a lie detector test and have your readers submit questions and let us submit questions for each other. I’ll do fine.).
Regardless, we have an 18 million dollar lawsuit against the state and some murders and lots of millions of dollars from good Aberdeen area people lost, and taxpayer dollars unaccounted for and conflicts of interest. And we have a series of lawsuits related to our foster care of indian children– accusations and money. I appreciate Lee S. being vocal and saying he’s sick of defending this stuff every few months. The state needs an ethics commission and I supported it last year. We need Republican legislators to not worry about favour in the party and call for action and answers. I’m not saying be accusatory or be a butt about it – that’s where our friend Stace went off the rails. We represent the people not the second floor.
Look back and you’ll see that I stated my interest in pursuing Bosworth wasn’t about a few petitions only. If that is all she did she’d still be a friend of mine. It was the pile up of unscrupulous dealings, grifting, unpaid bills and scandals going back to Utah and only the Democrats piped up. It was because I saw no other GOPrs at that time (except Troy and Lee) willing to call out and cull out our bad apples and clean our own house that I pushed her on the petitions.
It would be a great legacy for DD if he not only fixed the structural deficit but that he put in place systems that deal with these scandals. That means firing some people. That means spending reviews of people, programs and dollars spent beyond simple audits. That means an openness to a bi-partisan ethics commission. The Second Floor does a red-tape review of old obsolete laws every year. We need a chopping block review committee every year to whack contracts and cronies and corruption. I would have loved to show up in Pierre every December and be given a list of what people, programs and contracts that did not pass the Governor’s high standards for transparency and accountability. GOAC isn’t enough, obviously. We need to put in place some watch dogs if for no other reason than to build up public trust again.
If I seem defensive on here it’s because when I drop a comment I have to brace for anonymous haters who are tolerated here. I’m left with the feeling the GOP tent is very small and that it’s more about subtraction here than addition.
I look forward to the budget address Tuesday.
–If I seem defensive on here it’s because when I drop a comment I have to brace for anonymous haters who are tolerated here
Yes that’s right–those who disagree with you are “haters”.
Man up big baby.
–It would be a great legacy for DD
Do you mean GOVERNOR Dennis Daugaard? Have some respect would ya?
Gosh, it almost sounds like you’re hatin’ on him.
— I’m left with the feeling the GOP tent is very small and that it’s more about subtraction here than addition.
Subtracting pus is healthy. Adding disease is unhealthy.
Ready for another math lesson?
Or how did Jesus put it?
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Matt 5:29
You are familiar with the Christian Bible, Mr. Hickey?
Mr. Hickey? Is he not a Pastor?
Steve good to hear from you. Hoping your diagnostics are maintaining. Two things come to mind here. One you being a pastor who eminently has a predisposition to undeniable truth. Second folks who believe in mythology who want nothing to do with the truth.
I suppose third would be folks who know the truth but hide.
–One you being a pastor who eminently has a predisposition to undeniable truth.
That would be news to any congregation he served.
A few months after vouching for the characters of Tim & Brendan Johnson, Charlie publicly vouches for the character of Steve Hickey (“predisposition to undeniable truth”).
Charlie forgot that a week after vouching for the Johnsons, Brendan’s email appeared (repeatedly) on the Ashley Madison list of human traffickers.
If I were the subject of Charlie Hoffman’s public support, I would be very, very worried.
Aren’t you the one saying payday lenders are evil, dishonest, and connected with the mafia? And yet you whine like a little girl over people poking at you?
You can dish it out, but sure can’t take it.
That’s what blind zealots do–they love to preach but cannot tolerate being challenged.
When challenged, they simple call others names like “haters”.
Steve,
What does that have to do with a democrat activist’s complaint that Dem party barons are more interested in back slapping and self dealing than with winning elections?
It appears that Steve just wanted to rant (off-topic), and to remind his long-distance friends to pat him on the back for ranting.
–It’s takes money and power to have corruption in government.
All very insightful Hickeybottom, but the topic is the self-reported corruption in the SD Democrat party and its leadership.
I didn’t read that Sheldon Osborn accused any of the few Dems in STATE gov’t of being corrupt..
So, your screed was 100% off-topic.
“I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.”
Will Rogers
There is really nothing new in the current state of affairs for Democrats in South Dakota. Although, we are currently lacking any statewide office holders for the first time since 1962. The current struggles within the South Dakota Democratic Party with its followers, both those within and outside the loop, has merely become more evident as the state party direction has finally been exposed after years of being covered up do to the successes of our congressional interests in the state.
The absence or the ending of our “Congressional Party” has left us with the realities of a state party left to itself. We have become the “Dunkirk Democrats” in retreat trying to find our footing or place so that we can once again launch a sustainable beachfront in the future.
Our Republican friends may laugh at our dreams or goals or at our current state of affairs, but an unhealthily Democratic Party merely means the GOP is the next one to catch the flu. The refugees from a once Democratic Party would merely show up at the Republican door causing more rancor between the “TeaPartiers” and the “Rhinos.”
But luckily for all, Republican and Democratic a like, there is hope for all in the potential of the Hawks candidacy for the US House and my total confidence that there will be a US Senate candidate or two in the going months to challenge John Randolph Thune.
Chairwoman Tornberg’s call to fill the complete slate for Democrats in 2016 is the right call and another example of hope, and I believe it is doable. The first thing Democrats must do in South Dakota to end the division, the losses, and the pure rancor, is to market a credibility in numbers something which has been lacking in recent years. I believe the numbers are there, but they will only be there if we unite as a party and not divide ourselves internally through protracted struggles.
But as we unite, I must admit I do have issue with one of the potential revisions to our state constitution next Saturday (…and I guess I would not be a Democrat if I did not offer my own subtle rancor, perhaps we are genetically doomed….), which potentially powers county chairs with the objective right to replace precinct committee people with a subjective standard reminiscent of the dubious openness of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court proceeding; but we will have a healthily debate about that issue and move on I am sure with a decision which will keep the Party “Democratic.” The key is that we must be united after Chamberlain, without any lethal friendly fire, and our capabilities must instead be aimed at our political opponents and not our fellow Democrats.
As we meet next weekend in Chamberlain, to discuss politics, cheer on Hawks, meet potential contenders against Thune, and discuss and conclude revisions to our state constitution let us begin a trek together and not as a party divided and let us also heed the words of President Truman as we begin to formulate our message and leadership for 2016 next weekend:
“Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time.”
Just a word of advice for the Dems. My parents were Dems, my husband and I were Dems. However, as the Dem party moved further and further left, we started realized that the Dems goals were no longer ours. If the Dems want to regain some respect in the state, they had better learn from the Dem party of old and reject the ultra liberal leftists that have taken over their party on the national and evidently state level. Sadly, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Sorry, Pat. As we approach the next couple of election cycles, we Repub’s will do well to sweep around our own front door. The rug that Marion left for Dennis and Marty is not large enough to cover all that needs to be swept beneath.