South Dakotans just came off of a tremendous wave of elections.
We had the June Primary Elections. A number of municipal elections, including a historic election in Sioux Falls where Christine Erickson was the first woman elected to the office of Mayor of our State’s largest city (despite Liz May’s opposition to women being acknowledged in the South Dakota Constitution). This was quickly followed by the Democrat and Republican State Conventions, where constitutional office candidates were chosen.
And finally we had hard-fought July 28 Republican Primary runoff election for Governor – another first in South Dakota state history. Even this week, we had a sort-of National Republican convention, which was more of a campaign rally than an actual convention where people voted.
Since then, one thing I’ve noticed with a number of candidates – at least on my side of the aisle – is that for many there is a bit of disengagement at the moment. Even though early voting is only a week away. Seriously. We start voting on September 18th.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. A number of them are fired up and organized and ready to rock. But at the same time, I think some people are weary of politics. There does not seem to be the same sense of motivation that we’ve seen when candidates had 2 ½ months off with their families to recharge their batteries.
What do you think? Are people suffering campaign fatigue and disengagement from politics?
Or are they ready to press forward because they just want to get it all over with?
Yes… I think many are tired and getting impatient with the Trump Administration. Insofar as disengaged is concerned, overall I don’t “get” a lot of “vision.” Too little TMI (Touched-Moved-Inspired) by most candidates. Vociferousness ain’t the same as TMI…
Why would we be impatient with $4 a gallon gas?
Diesel is $6
The world runs on diesel. 😬. At 6 bucks, well….
I think some political disengagement would do the country a lot of good, actually. Focus on what matters rather than trying to oppose or appease the troll in chief.
Republicans have the luxury of taking their foot off the gas, cruising in neutral, spinning donuts in the parking lot. Democrats and their supporters only feel a constant pressure and focus on VOTING because nothing matters more than opposing the “troll in chief” (your words sir.) Nothing benefits what you call “the important things” in life like ending the Republican enablers of the worst corruption this nation has ever endured.
exactly, the democrats running for Congress have nothing to run on but grandstanding about how they’re going to impeach Trump, they will make a lot of noise and accomplish nothing and Trump will remain in office until his term expires.
If the congress swings blue, they might as well be issued coloring books and crayons for all they will accomplish.
It would be much more honest if they would just be honest and make campaign promises to the effect “we’re not going to do anything.”
Bengs’ Senate campaign consists of “I am going to fight corruption.” Oh yeah, sure.
Exactly, and there isn’t a single great accomplishment Republicans can point to, only the lies you all spout about the big Trump wealth train rolling in right after the election. What have we got to look forward to? If the GOP holds Congress, more inaction and Trump theft. If Democrats win and straighten out the country, you’ll all scream and yell “THANKS TRUMP” when dems put money back in your pocket. OR if we stay broken by Trump’s GOP, you’ll all blame the poverty on the Dem win. Lies can’t last forever. Payback day is coming.
The democrats are not going to “straighten out the country”
Under Trump many of us have paid lower taxes, enjoyed the higher standard deduction (which was the first time I can remember the middle class, the people with household incomes around $80k) actually getting a tax break)
Illegal immigration is getting taken care of, crime is being reduced, that sort of thing.
We have societal problems what with young people complaining because they have to pay for their own college educations, weddings, and vacations, women who want to kill their own children up to the age of 18, and this Woke idiocy of people losing their shit if we don’t affirm their delusions. But if anybody is to blame for that, it’s the liberals, who tell people they should have everything they want and somebody else should pay for it, nobody is responsible for anything they do, and everybody is entitled to “their own truth,” and everybody else should buy into it.
Friends don’t let friends watch FOX NEWS CHANNEL. You’re obviously friendless.
You’re shoving out the lies you take in.
I’m tired of listening to the libturd insanity…No? Define a woman.
I’m tired of conservatives defekt state owned ownership of private companies. Define socialism.
I can define socialism… giving a $5,000 check to every adult in America. IF you vote for Republicans.
Or maybe that’s just bribery? I will have to think it over.
It’s inflationary
OMG, get off the “define a woman” nonsense. Everyone knows that transexuals and biological women retain some differences. The question is whether or not making that choice is their right in a free country.
Are you for real freedom… or are you more interested in advancing a particular religious view?
Religious view? In what religion is it stated that gender is determined by the presence of absence of a Y chromosome?
Science is behind that belief.
It is a religious belief that surgery and drugs can magically change your gender. Expecting other people to participate in your delusion is absurd.
Why are the MAGA responses always so low IQ?
A friend and I were talking about that earlier today. He commented he’s seeing Ahler’s signs around SF more than any other. In my part of town I’m seeing only Dem signs. Other parts I’ve seen Kolbeck as well as Barranco.
I feel like I know the Dem candidates better than the Republican ones.
In due time. No one likes to see signs for 9 months in a row. Signs don’t vote. For the record, I’ve not seen one Ahlers sign in Sioux Falls.
Politics have obviously changed over the past 30 years and much of this change is more recent in South Dakota. The campsign season should be s time for ideas to be discussed, concerns to be shared, and qualifications to be assessed. And the day after the campaign should be a time to shake hands and move forward.
But ideological and social warfare has now replaced that norm. We are being told to fear and loathe the other side of the aisle as the enemy. Partisanship has creeped into our nonpartisan elections. The legislature demonstrates outright disdain for the will of the people as expressed thru ballot initiatives and voting. Thr GOP is both pretending to be a gorce for good and at war with itself. Holding on to power, rather than solving problems has become the goal of our campaigns and many of our politicians. I make these observations not as s disgruntled citizen, but as a former office holder who has been in the center of political activity.
So, yes, citizens are weary of politics and they long for true leadership tgat is selfless, effective, and conciliatory.
That has been an effective trick to rob the people of their own political power. The PEOPLE really only have their say through the House and Senate – and the two major parties WIELD POWER when they negotiate and reach agreeable compromises and enact laws and programs that BOTH parties agree with. The vicious partisan divide, the demonization of the other – it’s a great trick by the non-partisan wealth class to destroy the power we would wield over them for the nation’s benefit.
This is truly what Lincoln meant about the “house divided against itself” collapsing.
I find it very entertaining!
Funniest thing to me is that liberals think they have a chance to be elected in South Dakota.
They say that gas prices are the highest in four years, hmm who was the President four years ago.
The Whole liberal led, fake china flu shutdowns is what caused prices to sky rocket. We never recovered from that
Iran will never be your friend unless you give them Billions. They should’ve never aborted the mission in 1979.
To the poster who wants us to get over the whole transgender thing. Nah mental illness is real.
What liberals should be seriously asking themselves is why they couldn’t come up with a better candidate than Harris, Biden, and Hillary.
Seriously can a person born with a penis give birth to a child?
RLTW
Gas prices are higher now than 4 years ago. Please tell me who is in charge now. Please tell me who was in charge when the Covid shutdowns occurred? Trump wanted to give them billions and they said no?
An XY cariotype (man in your view) gave birth. https://www.iflscience.com/the-woman-who-gave-birth-despite-most-of-her-cells-having-xy-chromosomes-61747 You must agree a man can give birth through IVF.
Steve’s generation came home from war and spent the next 50 years destroying our country because they believed in trickle down economics. 40 trillion in debt, failing infrastructure, failing economic outlook, and they have nothing to show for all the prosperity that was handed to them. Congrats, Steve. Tell us what that has to do with anything you said.
Seek help for your LDS.
Steve,
You’re proof mental illness is real.
The MAGA crowd lives in a reality distortion field.
You claim to defend women while Mad King Donnie lunges at women who dare ask him a question.
What’s the price of hamburger, gas and diesel? Why is inflation out of control? Why are the bond market yields spiking? Why is mad king Donnie offering $5000 bribes to vote for the party of economic failure?
So yes, only mental illness can explain the MAGA world view.
Trump., Not weary of him. Exhausted.
No Steve,
A person born with a penis cannot give birth to a child.
But everyone that reads your crap is pretty sure you’re trying.
Steve is a perfect example of why the GOP will die. A bunch of old, angry losers who blame a bunch of people who dont look or act like them for all of their problems. Trump is a disaster and they will never take accountability for that, just like they never have their entire lives.
Someday, after Trump flies us full speed into a mountainside and finishes us off, Steve’s kids and grandkids will be left to clean up the wreckage and start over from scratch. They’ll look at the ruined families, the destroyed dollar, the badly squandered power and exhausted resources of the USA caused by Steve’s favorite political party. While they honor his service to his country, they will wonder what it was Steve thought he was actually fighting for.