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As I poke at the Democrats for having absolutely nothing in 2016, because yhey offer the real possibility of no  contested statewide races; I keep hearing more and more on a couple of the players in 2018 as they attempt to move the chess pieces around on the table to try to start the game in their own favor.

From the reports I’m getting, Marty Jackley and Mark Mickelson are the most active, as they’re going around talking to people & asking for their support.  I had the second or third recent report of them making the rounds.

And as I’m told in a case or two they’re also trying to draw people away from the other guy.

While they’re doing this, Kristi Noem has her nose to the grindstone, and is worrying about her upcoming 2016 Congressional race.

With all this early jockeying, what I think would be really interesting is to find out where people are today on their commitments.  Are they a firm yes, and they’re willing to put their name on the dotted line and say “yes, I’m on team ____.” Or is the support of those elected officials that the candidates seem to covet far more elusive at this point?

Anyone care to make their declaration?

My spies are telling me that ‘the widespread buzz’ over South Dakota’s presidential visit is that President Obama could to be coming to Watertown in May to address the commencement at LATI.

At least, that’s what my spies tell me. 

Update – (And it looks like we all heard at once, now that I’m seeing it confirmed)

Remember last month how South Dakota Democrats announced that DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) will be their speaker at this year’s McGovern Day Dinner this weekend? Announced it as in “sort of.” Because they were pretty quiet about it.

Why would they be quiet about it?

Well….  This is the same Debbie Wasserman Schultz who was reported to have prepared to attack President Obama as anti-woman and anti-semitic if she ousted her as DNC chair.

And, this is the same Debbie Wasserman Schultz who was recently caught wheeling and dealing with a mega-donor in return for a switch in her position on medical marijuana.

Let’s not forget that this is the same Debbie Wasserman Schultz who went way over the line in attacking Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on women’s issues, saying the Republican “has given women the back of his hand.”

So, what are your thoughts? With those qualifications, is she an all-too-appropriate spokesperson to help South Dakota Democrats?

As I’m trying to catch up with the pile of papers, and clear out the tissues and other detritus from my bout with the flu, I need to give a shout out to several friends of the SDWC who are having birthdays –

Former US Senate (and perhaps upcoming Atty General) candidate Jason Ravnsborg is celebrating his birthday today. So is US Senate Mike Rounds staffer Justin Rollins, former Democrat State Senator Mitch Fargen, current children’s Author, former State Treasurer & past GOP congressional candidate Dave Volk, and former State Senator Todd Schlekeway.

Go give them some SDWC love for another trip around the sun. (And make sure you remind Rollins how much better SDSU is than USD.)

I think I’m finally getting the flu bug to move on after 3-4 days.

After binge watching Daredevil on Netflix, and loading myself up with cold medicines, I think I’m finally shaking off Influenza B.

Of course, that means by now that my wife and assorted kids are down for the count and miserably ill in my place.  So, I get to make the runs to HyVee for soup & ginger ale. (and do laundry, dishes, etc.)

Jon Ellis spends some time today documenting the Democrat party in Minnehaha County as they take another lap around the commode on the way down:

You’d think an influx of newcomers would be a welcome sight for the Minnehaha County Democratic Party. After all, the party statewide has been hemorrhaging voters. The old McGovern Democrats are dying off. Others have moved on or given up. The party desperately needs a shot of fresh blood.

But to the regular members, something is amiss.

“Why are you all here?” asks Judy Meek, who is standing at the microphone in the Minnehaha County Commission room.

And…

Until Tuesday’s election, Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth had been chairman of the county party. Barth presided over Tuesday’s meeting in his congenial manner, but he said afterward that he’s happy to be moving on.

“I don’t need this pain in the ass anymore,” he said.

Read it all here.

I’m hearing that big fundraising news will be coming by Monday from the Noem campaign. 

In comparison, the sounds of crickets chirping at the SDDP’s candidate recruitment office are expected to continue. (Maybe they should install a toll free line for continued out of state recruiting?)

Nothing will cause me to get up from a rotten bout of the flu to hop on my computer than Democrats beating each other up.

And today, we have a hilarious example with the mouthpiece for the liberal wing of the Democrat party savaging on the only person left on the dem’s bench:

Some of my Democratic friends wonder why I’m not enthusiastic about putting up Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether as a statewide candidate for our party.

and…

The shady contracting and secrecy surrounding Mayor Huether’s jobs marketing program seems to be equal parts dumb and arrogant. Dumb and arrogant are not on my checklist for Democratic candidates or for any kind of candidate who wants to run my community or my state.

Read it here.

Of course, there were other choice words in the comment section that dems had for Mayor Mike Huether.

“Bottom line, Mike Huether strikes me as creepy. Having nobody on a statewide Democratic Party ballot position would be slightly better than enduring Huether’s manic, self-conceited braying from Rowena to Rochford.”

and…

“I still won’t brook an empty ballot. But if Huether dares, we’d better have a primary.”

I can almost hear the rallying cry screeched from on high from the liberal wing of the Democrat Party – “Is there another Weiland out there?”