Dusty Johnson campaign at Dairyfest in Brookings today

Pat Powers

The summer campaign season is out in earnest today with campaigns appearing at the periphery of public events.

Team Dusty is at Dairy Fest today in Brookings, and I should have a report from the Ribfest in Sioux Falls later today. I’m hearing there are other public events in Huron and Sisseton today, so I’m sure we will see politicians out and about.

Campaign 2018 is upon us. Stay tuned!

13 thoughts on “Dusty Johnson campaign at Dairyfest in Brookings today”

  1. I could be wrong but I think this is a total waste of time. It’s not even 2018 yet and no one will remember this stuff when the election comes around next summer.

    It’s like a lot of nervous energy.

    People don’t want to be inundated with politics a year out. If the candidate was there then I think it is good (like the Jackley gathering in Lemmon is good) but orange t-shirt kids promoting a candidate most regular people don’t know anything about doesn’t seem like a good use of time.

    1. I disagree. It is the competitive nature of the political market today. His team is planting seeds, face time with conversations. The exposure is good. I wonder if SDDP or any of their candidates were there? One must take advantage of everything out there.

    2. NAME ID.

      For me personally, it would be easy to look at this as a waste of time, but I am an engaged member of the GOP and am very aware of who Dusty and Shantel are. The average voter probably doesn’t know Dusty all that well. Get his name out there at events like this makes sense because it is free and easy. If he has volunteers willing to stand out there and handout campaign lit to let voters know who Dusty is and simply make them aware that he is running for Congress, why would his campaign not take that opportunity?

  2. Curious if SDDP candidate Chris Martian was there cussing up a storm or if he just intends to have a twitter campaign.

  3. Reminds me of when John Thune beat Carole Hillard.

    While Carole was courting big-money opinion leaders, John Thune and his team were working it hard from the grassroots just like Dusty is doing this year.

      1. Not at all. Yea Thune worked hard but Hillard was past her prime as a candidate. Thune was young and resonated with voters. I see a lot of similarities with Johnson and Hillard. Both propped up heavily by those in the governor’s office.

        Kristi didn’t beat Chris Nelson by out working him. She beat him because she resonated with people. People were hesitant to send a 25 year state employee to DC and that was long before Trump.

        If you resonate you will likely win.

  4. Any opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential constituents should not be missed. People generally will not forget a candidate who took time to meet them. Dusty seems to have a winning strategy, plus who would want to miss out on Dairyfest?

  5. Dusty is scrappy. Shantel has a name id advantage, but Dusty will outwork everybody.

  6. South Dakotans are funny about candidates. In most of America this line, which is the norm here, wouldn’t make sense: “I haven’t decided who I’m voting for, I haven’t met them both yet”. In SD, people expect you to try and meet them, or to have a friend that’s looked the candidate in the eye and is willing to vouch for them as a “good person”. Retail matters

    1. I don’t think anyone is doubting retail politics in SD. It’s just that its a year away.

      I’m reminded of the time my family from Colorado went to the SD state fair with me.

      They didn’t know anything about SD politics but they met Stace Nelson. He had a dozen people running around with his shirts on helping. They were convinced Stace had a lot of support because Rounds had only a couple paid staff passing out his stickers.

      Stace got 3rd. Rounds got over 50% and he didn’t have many volunteers. Stace had a vastly better volunteer base than Rounds.

      A lot of campaigning is show and a waste of time.

  8. There are three ways to get known and get one’s message out:

    1) Free Media- Unless you are going to be obnoxious and on the fringe, you can only get so much of this. And, you can’t control how it plays.
    2) Paid Media. Takes money. Lot’s of it.
    3) Grass roots activity. Takes both volunteers and hard work.

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