Noem passes on signing Jackley campaign pledge.

From the Argus Leader, it sounds like Kristi Noem is taking a pass on signing the clean campaign pledge requested earlier today by GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Marty Jackley:

Noem said Tuesday that she’s not interested in “campaign PR stunts.” Noem says she’s pledging to residents to take on tough tasks in Pierre to improve South Dakota.

Read the entire story here.

61 thoughts on “Noem passes on signing Jackley campaign pledge.”

  1. Name one campaign that ever won after offering one of these pledges. Voters don’t care about clean campaign pledges. Marty is getting bad advice. If he thinks he’s gained any ground with this he’s mistaken.

    1. Kristi’s poll numbers must be in free fall. Usually only candidates who are behind reject clean campaign pledges. That State Fair straw poll showing Marty way up might be pretty accurate

      1. Bahaha that should read: “Usually only candidates who are behind PROPOSE campaign pledges”

  2. effect on elections I will leave to others, but there is no question that the issues addressed in it our the number one concern of many GOP primary voters, who hope the race doesn’t denigrate into a mud fight between two candidates that most like.

    1. If it is “the number one concern” by so “many” voters, maybe Marty should sign a pledge not contingent on Kristi’s signature…or just lead by example.

      1. I think Marty DID sign the pledge, is it only binding on him if Noem signs too…can’t he just run a clean campaign anyway?

  3. Everyone would like to see these two run clean, issues based campaigns. They are both individuals of the highest character and South Dakota is fortunate to have this quality of candidates willing to serve as Governor. I do however agree that this was nothing more than an ill advised campaign PR stunt. We don’t need a piece of paper talking about running a clean campaign, we need candidates showing us they can and will run a clean campaign.

    1. Well said. I agree. Now when it comes to the general election, l would like to see it signed by the Democrat nominee. That will never happen.

  4. Yeah I had heard Noem’s numbers were falling fast and hard. This certainly confirms it. LOL

  5. Generally it’s the losing candidate that sends out attention seeking pledges.

    Johnson says stuff like this too. It’s confusing because no one has been mudslinging at all. It’s not a thing.

    1. Dusty talks more about his interest in improving the tenor of the discussion nationally. I’m not aware that he’s ever alleged the SoDak House race has gotten dirty.

  6. When people want a clean campaign, it’s character that that asks for a race without name calling. It’s too bad a candidate cannot agree to some playground rules.
    It doesn’t have to get bad to agree to not go there.
    It also strikes me as funny when someone won’t agree to run on accomplishments. Quick, someone list all the bills that Noem has sponsored that have passed?

  7. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Nelson offers one of his infamous and usually failing resolutions calling for politely following the party planks, as interpreted by him. And then challenges people like Ms. Krebs, who was way behind in the polling at the fair too, to join him.

  8. Everyone signed a pledge they’d support the GOP nominee for president.

    Not everyone who signed it did.

  9. Interesting race knowing Stephanie H Sandlin only had to bring up Production Ag Prop Tax proponents in order to win her election. Larry Rhoden and Kristi Noem were powerful supporters of the only income tax on “expected assumed” Ag income ever in South Dakota. Unconstitutional actually.

  10. To be fair though it was Gov. Janklow who dismissed the five year running average of “Market” property tax down to one year and then immediate price averaging which killed the common structure of a flowing land base price used for property tax.

  11. Marty: Kristi, sign this agreement to be nice to me and not bring up any of that Gear Up/EB5 stuff?
    Kristi: No, thanks.
    Marty commenters: Her numbers must be falling hard! LOL! Name one thing she has ever accomplished!

    This is definitely a flopped PR stunt. I like both candidates, but we don’t need to start trying to impose our own rules on each other. Pointing out each others weaknesses is part of campaigning, why would anyone agree to a cheesy promise and take that away? What if one of them did something super shady?…”oh, i can’t say anything because i signed a pledge.”

    Things can be a slippery slope when things get negative, but i believe both candidates are people of integrity who wont resort to lies or personal issues so i’m not too worried about that.

      1. Wasn’t Marsy’s Law Mr. Jackley’s doing? Somebody might fit him for that suit, I would guess.

        1. Where does Marty stand on Mikelson’s proposal to repeal it? Will he pledge to be for its repeal as States Attorneys and law enforcement stood against it, or will he pledge to support keeping it and stand with his campaign manager’s position.

    1. Krisi:. Hey everyone, pay attention to EB-5 and Gear Up!
      Marty:. Please do! Both are federal programs voted for by Noem. Both have federal oversight that did nothing. Both were reviewed by the US Attorney (federal) and no charges were brought.
      Rational Person:. Didn’t Marty bring charges in both cases? I understand that you cannot charge someone criminally for unethical and immoral behaviour if it’s not listed as a crime. But he has a conviction already in EB-5. Also, are there not three people charged in Gear Up? I also understand you cannot criminally charge a dead person, so that cuts out two people who would have also faced charges. So yes, Kristi, we ARE all paying attention to those issues.

  12. It’s too early to offer such a pledge – February would have been a better time when people are paying attention. Kristi Noem is a better campaigner than Marty and has a worse platform because Congress is such a mess. Marty Jackley has a better platform because his office has been successful and he has picked smart people like Dale Bartscher to help him. And Billie Sutton should not be written off – a moderate, kind, passionate advocate for people with disabilities who has taken a major hit in life with his accident and has stayed positive in the face of a major injury and recovery. It’s going to be a fascinating race to watch.

    1. Billie Sutton is not a moderate. You must be new to politics in SD. Billie has been partisan on most every bill that has come through the senate in the past few years, I had hoped he wouldn’t play party lines, but my hope for him was short lived after he married Kelsea. She’s as liberal as they come and has done everything she can to try to stop Farms from growing in her area as a sitting county commissioner. No thanks

    2. Sorry, no sale for the Sutton bandwagon. Sympathy doesn’t play well with me. See what happened with Timmy Johnson; we got stuck with him again in 2008, and the country didn’t really need a socialist from South Dakota helping to screw up the country. The most conservative person is going to get my vote since we can’t continue down the socialist road the Demos want to go down.

  13. The night of the Brookings Lincoln Day Dinner I had a conversation with Kristi over the leftover cupcakes (they were delicious!) and told her I hope she and Marty don’t attack each other and she told me they had already agreed between them that they wouldn’t.
    So as of 6 months ago they already had a “gentlemen’s agreement.”

    Consequently I take a really really dim view of this pledge nonsense. It’s just Marty throwing down the gauntlet.

    Pfft!

  14. It’s apt to be an uglier race than Kirby/Barnett. Those with front row seats will get splattered.

  15. Dakota Wesleyan hosted the first Gubernatorial and Congressional debate last night in Mitchell. Very nice turnout. JP Skelly from KORN radio moderated and broadcasted the forum. All candidates showed with the exception of Noem and Sutton.

    1. Why have a debate during the week?…this does not seem to have been well publicized and Rep. Noem was likely in DC.

      Where was Sutton?

      So Marty shared the stage with Lora and Mr. Lafleur…that must have been a great photo

      1. Noem was having a fundraiser in Dakota Dunes instead of attending the DWU forum last night

          1. But Lora would never sign this pledge…all she ever talks about is negative…which grows old very fast

            1. You’re right, Ms. Hubbel is more (almost all) negative. Who want to vote for some one that is all doom and gloom

  16. I’m looking forward to the primary and voting against Kristi. Not a Jackley fan but to me, he is the lesser of two evils.

  17. I need to explain my post above which certainly was harsh and only happens twice a year in angering me in April and October. I just don’t like Production as it does push values for assessments higher while land values can go down. Many obviously voted for it besides the two legislators mentioned in 2008.

    To follow back into this thread I think we will see one of the most non-attack based Gubernatorial primaries in history. People mostly go to car races to see car crashes. Many like politics when the gloves come off but that isn’t how they vote.

  18. I hope it is a fact based primary where they talk about the problems SD faces and how they are going to solve them instead of just fluff stuff. I hate phony campaigns. Just be real, upfront and honest. The truth can be harsh, but you aren’t going to solve any problems if you don’t acknowledge them.

  19. WR: Good catch on the last line. I almost spit my coffee all over my iPad.

    And in other news, the Packers continued to provide pass blocking despite the loss of Aaron Rodgers.

    My point is campaigns have certain moves which every playbook has. And it appears they draw lots on who gets what move. Next week, Noem will ask for a pledge to not raise taxes (with as wide of holes as this pledge).

    And in both cases, the people who have already made up their mind will express dismay at the action or lack of action of the other. In the meantime, everyone else doesn’t pay attention.

  20. Maybe it is just pledge season…I see on the side twitter feed Bjorkman and Shantel signing the Term limits pledge….but it appears just to cosponsor an amendment not be bound by it themselves…

    I am for the people running that pledge not to take pledges…they either keep their word or break it on issues…I will hold them accountable accordingly, for this I pledge!

    1. Anonymous 3:43,

      With my time with Tim Bjorkman at the Meet and Greet in Aberdeen during the Brown County Fair I just don’t see him breaking a pledge in regards to term limits. If I understood him correctly he sincerely believes someone new should get in there with new ideas and a different approach after a while. He would be able to explain it better than me. Keep in mind he is not someone looking to climb a political ladder at this stage in his life. He did not have to run. He enjoyed being a judge but felt he could do more to help and decided to run but I feel after serving in the US House if elected regardless of term limits or not he would be a great candidate and public servant for any office here in South Dakota or whatever he chooses.

  21. So does all of this mean, that Sutton will end up as the “2002 Rounds” in 2018?… Time will tell… Because if Jackley ends up with the nod, then many rural Noem voters will feel more comfortable with Sutton than Jackley. And if Noem wins, well, many Jackley voters will prefer Sutton over Noem due to competency. Not to mention the bad blood which will continue to exist into the fall of 2018 after a brutal primary fight for whoever the eventual Republican gubernatorial nominee may be… Too bad the Republicans don’t have a credible third choice in their primary for governor to hold on to the Governor’s mansion in 2018, however…. Oh well…. 😉

    1. And I almost forgot, Matt, my dear friend, are you still available? Your Party is beginning to call for you….

    2. EC,

      Billie Sutton is about as South Dakotan as one can get and that is not taking away from the other candidates for Governor. He just strikes me after personally meeting with him as being a Governor for all South Dakotans and has a better ability to unite us to accomplish many common goals to move the state forward. That is pretty is pretty rare these days in such a partisan political environment nationally and here in the state. The legislature will most likely have a Republican super majority. I’d be surprised if it didn’t but I do see them all working together in getting some good things done.

      It would be a good change in Pierre but one that is not threatening regardless of where one is politically.

    3. “Too bad (we) don’t have a credible third choice”?! We have two great choices already! (Although Matt Michels WOULD have been a great 3rd choice) You talk like they are already tearing each other down. The only negative I’ve seen is your attitude.

      1. WR,

        Jackley made the first move. It was not negative, but Noem’s response was very telling, I thought. History will debate someday if Jackley’s move here or Noem’s comment to it was the first shot across the bow. But it is just a matter of time. And what you call a “negative attitude” is actually just a respect for history and what can be learned from it…. “Those who do not know their history are destine to repeat it” and that includes those who ignore the history they should know….. And yes, no doubt, Matt is your best choice…. I have always thought that, especially after Mickelson got out of the race….

        Miranda,

        I would agree that Sutton is a very good candidate and he offers not only hope for the Democrats, but also a safe haven for those Republicans who lose the gubernatorial primary next year….. It will be interesting to see just how hard Marty and Kristi want to fight, in order, to elect Billie…. 😉

  22. Hah! I just read the last line in that stupid pledge. What a joke.
    Marty just slung the first handful of mud in a negative campaign.

    He needs a new team.

    1. Anne is right. Jackley is an extremely intelligent individual BUT his actions are not reflecting his character. It’s time to change his tactics and his management team. Get back to basics Marty.

  23. I must have missed the Term Limits Pledge.

    Was it a Pledge to promise to serve only so many terms? If so, I think that is asinine. Why would I want my Member of Congress to pledge a policy which ensures we are never in House Leadership? This is a cheaper and much stupider pledge than this smug cynical “clean campaign” pledge.

    Was it a Pledge to change the Constitution to limit the terms of Members of Congress because that is the only way it can happen. Talk about tilting at a windmill. This is stupider than either of the two aforementioned pledges.

    Was it a Pledge to have term limits in South Dakota? Well, we have that law making this the stupidest pledge of all.

    Its time we say to politicians who announce these silly meaningless pledges “You must think we are idiots which makes you the idiot. We don’t hire idiots. Go find someone else to hire you. California hires idiots. Go run there.”

    1. Troy,

      If I remember correctly it was brought up by one of the attendees of the Aberdeen Meet and Greet with Tim Bjorkman and the impression I got was that it was something that they could work towards and what would all be involved in regards to Term limits. I believe everyone was aware in the room in how the climb to leadership occurs in Congress and we certainly do not want to lose our voice from a small state population wise like South Dakota.

      Any questions beyond that would be a great opportunity to ask Tim.

  24. Miranda,

    Anyone who says they are going to do anything with regard to Congressional Term limits is at best totally ignorant of reality, probably pandering and at worst deceiving with intent. None of which are attributes I want in my Congressman.

    Of anything I’ve ever heard proposed in 35 years, congressional term limits is the most unlikely to ever occur under any circumstances.

    1. Troy,

      Personally I just don’t see term limits and am against them especially in our state legislature. There is valuable experience and insight that is gained from years of service and it is the voters who ultimately decide anyways whether they are satisfied or not. Less reliance on lobbyists too.

      I have never had the impression of pandering which would annoy the heck out of me. Very thoughtful with backed with him reading a wide range of material including conservative sources. He listed them to us when he had time to read and I was impressed. Pros and cons to everything but he is sincere. Regardless he would need a wide range of support which we all know would be very difficult and there are higher more immediate priorities.

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