So I rolled into the SDGOP convention this afternoon.
Actually had a nice experience at check in, as the people at the desk were very helpful. And ran into many friends – some I’ve seen recently, some I haven’t seen in more than a year.
But then I went into the voting hall. Where the friendliness evaporated somewhat, and a number of Sergeant of Arms were wandering around. Which left me wondering why do they have all this security pacing back and forth like they’re monitoring the yard at the state prison yard? With this crowd, I think it’s more likely that someone would fall and break a hip then break out into a riot.
One accosted me after I sat and was quietly chatting in the back with a long time friend and colleague, as he slapped his hand on my shoulder, chastising me because I was having a conversation. I pointed out that I was a delegate. Immediately triggering him to question me why was I not sitting with my county? ….Because I just got there?
Why am I being questioned at the convention by the equivalent of a dollar store security guard? What is this version of the convention I walked into?
From there they moved into resolutions. Some completely stupid, and as evidenced by the reaction, at least one unthinkable.
Setting the stage; There was a resolution proposed to attack Senator Thune this week, despite his attempts to bring the SAVE act to a vote. After the convention organizers were done with social media influencer Scott Presler yesterday, some of his followers took what ended up being an unproductive way to express their displeasure:
That kind of message went out to most of the people – if not all of them – on the State Republican Party executive board. Which had the exact opposite effect of what the Presler minions wanted.
Because they served to make a lot of people mad.
And when the anti-Thune resolution came to a vote, it went down hard. It was a welcome flash of unity at a convention where the party has generally been divided.
Divided to the point where the convention organizers feel they need have Sergeants of Arms circling the crowd like deputies circling the beer garden at a street dance.
We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
how many people are in attendance?
400-something
When the resolution fails and the threats start…. It’s fairly obvious it’s all a grift.
What is this threat about Sturgis? They will all go to Sturgis and do what?
Presler himself has posted on social media that he was identified as press. He has posted a picture of his lanyard pass to prove it.
Eschenbaum has admitted that he barred ALL press from the event.
Why aren’t they blaming Eschenbaum for this?
Total delegates was little over 800
Big message sent by Thune. Still a formidable team. Still huge support in the party despite the best efforts of the weirdos. When you come for the king …
We have no kings.
yes we do, and He is the King of Kings
Too dense to understand metaphors, eh?
More like “when you come for the capo di tutti capi” you better make sure you bring all the boys and the toys
Looking at the executive board, you’d almost think the security detail was recruited from Landmark Church’s parking lot. The same church where Toby apparently interpreted acid reflux as a gubernatorial calling from the pulpit. Sometimes Tums really are the more responsible choice. At any rate, they are semi-tactical and maybe just a bit overzealous, although most haven’t spent any time down range and probably would shoot themselves in the foot trying to get a round off. Be safe!
The Republican Party in our state, the party I grew up loving, the party I have been a member of for over thirty years, is an absolute embarrassment. There are still a good number of traditional conservatives bit they are being outshouted and overrun by a collection of lunatic radicals (every bit as radical as AOC, just on the other end of the spectrum) who are no more true Republican than Joe Biden is. From Eachenbaum to Doeden to Ismay to Pischke to Hansen to Bialota—criminally insane, all of them. If this is what the Republican Party is becoming, let it fall apart…please.
The party isn’t an embarrassment. The party is whatever you get if you mix a crusade with a jihad, and whatever you call the thing where Tony Soprano took over Davey Scatino’s hardware store and looted it. THAT’s what the party is now, both nationally and locally. A shiny tough-looking empty eggshell.
What a joke! When will the grown ups take charge?
perhaps they have. They voted down the idiots’ resolution after all
I think bringing Presler in and the death threats against the normies may really backfire on the Eschenbaum/Mullaly/fringe candidates today.
The Scott Presler invite was supposed to be a flex. Instead, it turned into the political equivalent of pulling the fire alarm at your own convention. P
The idiots invited him, gave him a press pass, then barred all press, and blamed Thune. Can’t wait to see how things go today.
What have we heard from the fraudulently filed precinct committee peeps from Minnehaha County?
if they are credentialed and seated, we’ll know if the clown show is still on
Eschenbaum.
Is that French for Sh!t Show?
If I saw Pat sitting at my convention I would definitely have my armed goons give him the boot. He’s a ne’er-do-well scallywag whippersnapper.
Presler calling they/themselves “grassroots” in yhey/them’s social media rant is a tough sell when you’ve got million-dollar support from Elon Musk helping fuel the operation. That’s not exactly passing the hat at the local VFW.
They often tout registering 50,000 new voters in Pennsylvania as proof of success. Fine—but it’s interesting to compare that with support for the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote. Since those requirements were not in effect at the time of those registration drives, those documents wouldn’t have been checked because the law didn’t require it.
That raises a fair political question: if you believe those documentation standards are essential to election integrity, should organizations voluntarily apply them when conducting registration drives, or only advocate for them after the fact?
Looks like the Elon Musk backed “grassroots” Presler bot army is flooding the former Sergeant of Arms facebook page. Bruner?