If you read the website Drinking Liberally Sioux Falls, you might get the impression that the Democrats aren’t exactly excited about the choices they have who are running for state Democratic Party chair this afternoon:
In South Dakota, Democrats wait with a yawn and a stretch to pick their Chairperson for the next four years. The current Chair, Ann Tornberg, has not been able to reverse the Democratic Party’s continued decline into irrelevancy. (Its percentage of the electorate has declined from 35% to 29% during Ann’s tenure.) Ann seeks reelection anyway. Five others, Allison Renville, Tom Cool, John Kennedy Claussen, John Cunningham and Paula Hawks have announced their candidacy for the Chair position. All have their strengths and weaknesses. Starting with Ann I will briefly describe how their opponents characterize each of the current candidates. Ann, “we need a change”; Allison: “too young, but she would make a great staff person”; Tom: “too institutional”; Claussen: “too historical”; Cunningham, “too Pro-life”; and Paula, “too opportunistic” (In 2012, Paula betrayed her fellow Democratic House candidate and teamed up with her Republican opponent. As a wit told me, we don’t need a Republican running the Democratic Party.)
and..
But then, hey, this is only the Democratic Party. It is more important to get home early then to pick a leader who can reform the Party, give it direction, and infuse Democrats with the energy and organization they need to become relevant again in South Dakota.
it isn’t just the leadership progression that has had the state democratic party decline to 29 percent. since the clinton years, and especially since the electoral loss of john kerry in 2004, there has been a quiet surrender of the more conservative south dakota attitude which should also reside in the democratic party, giving way to the national bolsheviks scorched-earth insanity against the republican party. even harry reid gave frequent hints he’d rather have had south dakota stayed close to the political center to hold their ground in a conservative state.
I’m hearing right now it’s down to Ann Tornberg & Hawks, so there’s a 50% chance Democrats are going to stay the course.
indeed. i just speak theoretically about an alternate universe where the south dakota democrats actually are worried about serving voters better, and not worried about bludgeoning everyone into submission.