If you read Todd Epp’s story about the voter intimidation accusations coming from Gordon Howie and Annette Bosworth, and likening it to yelling “SQUIRREL” at your dog, you’re likely wondering what anyone is talking about.
What am I hearing? It’s more about unrealized expectations than any sort of intimidation, whatsoever.
If you recall in her petition foibles, which have ended up with an involuntary trip to the Hughes County Courthouse this week, there were some signatures that she (or someone) collected among the Hutterite colonies.
As I’m told, supposedly Bosworth had been providing medical services to at least one Hutterite colony, and she felt she had a close association with them. Emphasis on “she felt,” because the feeling may not have been mutual.
Why did she target Hutterites? Because they provided a solid block of Republican votes. And apparently, Bosworth may have somehow believed that she had a lock on those votes because she’d worked them as a Doctor.
But, alas, there’s always that troubling reality.
A very traditional and religious group, Hutterite leadership is quite conservative, and quite male.
If Annette thought showing up a few times and doing vaccinations was going to earn her their votes, she might be a bigger fool than anyone thinks.
But, there’s evidence that’s exactly what she thinks. In an April facebook post, her one-time paid PR person, former S&M Pornographer Lee Stranahan claimed he was had a story coming on just that:
Coming this weekend: the untold story of the voter suppression of the Hutterites by team Mike Rounds & Mary Jackley in last year’s election.
I’ll be publishing new details on how (and why) Jackley stopped the Hutterite vote and how the South Dakota media–most notably KELOland–has continued to shill for Jackley to this day.
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Lee “Pornahan” Stranahan – Facebook, April 25, 2015
Somehow this “untold story of voter suppression” that was promised nearly a month ago never materialized. I suspect because it only existed in “imaginary land,” and there are some stories so crazy that even ‘Pornahan’ won’t write them.
….And that’s when we cue up Gordon Howie. Howie is claiming that the baton of crazy has been handed off to the robocalling Peter Waldron, whom Howie claims is conducting his own investigations. (I’m sure that’s going to be the epitome of objectivity.)
The truth is that Bosworth was not only fatally misreading the patriarchy, but among the residents of the Hutterite coloniess, she was also working against a 2-term Governor who had been very sympathetic to Hutterite’s needs, and over the course of eight years in office, was a good partner for these communities, and implemented initiatives that helped the colonies in terms of distance education, economic development, and more.
The colonies have a tendency to block vote, based on the opinions of community elders. And that fact isn’t lost on many candidates at any level. I’ve heard of it at least a couple of other times, and those that live in colony areas can probably relate several more.
Annette Bosworth wouldn’t be the first person who thought she had it all locked up, only to find out she didn’t, and she won’t be the last.
Most people don’t claim that it’s the result of voter intimidation and suppression. But then again, most people don’t falsely attest they witnessed signatures that took place while they were pictured half-ways across the planet.
Jury selection begins today in Pierre for Annette Bosworth’s criminal trial. Stay tuned for updates on the circus as they progress.