Rolling Stone just posted a story going after Governor Kristi Noem starting out with this gem:
At first, the angel of death skipped over South Dakota. This pleased the Snow Queen.
“This pleased the snow queen?” Ugh. That doesn’t exactly seem like this is a story based on unbiased journalism.
And the Governor’s Office has wasted little time in responding to a fairly sexist attack:
Folks – I’m not old enough to remember when Rolling Stone was worth reading, so it came as no surprise when Stephen Rodrick and his editors outlined all the reasons why they don’t like strong women.
Given the deafening silence on Cuomo’s sexual harassment, why wouldn’t Rolling Stone dedicate more than 7500 words attacking the only Governor in America who handled Covid appropriately? The sexist attacks on Governor Noem, either veiled or overt, are all the left has these days.
Would the same be true if Governor Noem was Gretchen Whitmer – a liberal Democrat eager to dictate to her people? Of course not. [At least the New York AG had the courage to investigate Cuomo for his nursing home policies; we can’t say the same about Whitmer and the Michigan AG.] The radical left’s press allies can’t stand by while a thoughtful, principled conservative woman runs her state well… Cue the sexist attacks.
Rolling Stone thinks it’s relevant to comment on Governor Noem’s physical appearance and choices of clothing. Here are a couple of key facts for those of you who aren’t judging her based on her gender or appearance.
South Dakota’s rise in cases coincided with the wave that hit the Midwest. It wasn’t Sturgis; it was geographical – just like every other wave that hit the country. We weren’t unique when it arrived, and it had nothing to do with the media’s beloved mitigation strategies. When are journalists going to look at the connection between a state’s 85+ population and Covid spread?
Notably, Rodrick left out that Governor Noem has overseen one of the finest vaccination rollouts nationwide. To date, 34% of South Dakotans have received at least one shot of the vaccine (the only real way to move us past this pandemic).
Mollie Hemingway outlined why the Trump puppeteer caricature is laughable. The Governor believes in federalism. It works, and other governors should try it.
And it should be noted that left out of “activist” Nick Tilsen’s story is the fact that he is facing 16 and a half years in prison because he assaulted a femaleNational Guard soldier and stole a law enforcement officer’s personal protective gear. That’s a felony – as it should be.
On Monday, Professor Blessinger explained why South Dakotans are so special. It is why my family has chosen to make South Dakota our home, and why we’re being joined by so many others. Rather than attack Governor Noem and the people of the great state of South Dakota, Rodrick – and America – would do well to learn about the policies she advanced this last year.
Empty, dishonest attacks like this grow less meaningful each time they’re made, and eventually, like the boy who cried wolf, Americans are going to learn to ignore those who make them. We can help them along by focusing on what’s true. To borrow a line from Gina Carano, they can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.
Stay well,
Maggie
Maggie Seidel
Senior Advisor & Policy Director
Office of Governor Kristi Noem
And when Gov Noem wins again, he can stick his irrelevant “news” magazine where the sun don’t shine…
I read the whole article before the Governor responded. It reeked of envy and spite.
Makes me wonder what Maggie Seidel’s role in the covid response looked like — did she advise Governor Noem to ignore the health department? lol, someone did, and this kind of erratic response would match well with how Governor Noem responded to Covid.
First…Rolling Stone Magazine has no other useful purpose but to line the bottom of a birdcage.
Second….Your kind of response matches well with those who are suffering from Noem Derangement Syndrome.
Would you rather have Governor Noem sign an executive order forcing nursing homes to accept COVID positive patients/residents?
I read the article.
As analysis, I can’t grasp the underlying facts.
As opinion, it seems as little more than pettiness.
As propaganda, its depth probably wouldn’t convince a 7th grader.
The Rollonng Stone couldn’t have fallen farther.
I don’t belong to the Noem cult but I also don’t suffer from Noem Derangement Syndrome. I am just a South Dakotan who appreciates. Having a Governor better than most,
As they say, “When you’ve lost Rolling Stone magazine” … well, never mind.
This is a direct result of her constant presence in national politics and obvious presidential (or vice presidential) aspirations. If she stuck to governing South Dakota — you know, doing her actual job — she wouldn’t have to deal with stuff like this Rolling Stone hit piece.
Agreed completely. I am a republican and feel all Noem does is campaign and do stuff to get herself in the news. I feel that she is doing very little as a Governor and so do most of my friends. I wish she would focus on being governor instead of what she wants to run for next.
Started the “article” thinking I would quickly glance through. By the 5th paragraph I stopped and began again.
The article writer was all over the place. He trafficked in stereotypes that are offensive. It was painfully obvious that he never intended to write anything more than a hatchet piece.
You may not agree with all policies and comments that come out of Pierre. But I hope that we all as South Dakotans would be angered how this hack portrayed our state and its citizens.
Anybody else sick of these out-of-state mouthpieces speaking for the almost always traveling Governor?