Jonathan Ellis at the Argus repeats some of what I wrote about last week about the final days of the Loetscher campaign in his column which will likely appear in Sunday’s Argus, in his newest column “The week that doomed the Loetscher campaign”
Loetscher fully embraced the Democratic Party, campaigning at the state party’s annual McGovern Day fundraiser and running on a platform of identity politics of racial diversity and gay rights that is unusual for South Dakota.
and…
Loetscher decided to play for all the marbles. She went negative. She mangled it.
and..
Suddenly, she had a trust issue, an issue that only got worse when authorities found no evidence of hacking. Then, too, came scrutiny of her “biotech company.” Prior to her foray into politics, Loetscher had started a dog poop cleaning business. Any small business owner or entrepreneur brings value to politics. But Loetscher overplayed her hand by referring to the venture as a biotech company.
and…
Meanwhile, on policy issues, the police union repudiated her plan to create police precincts.
Everything had gone very badly. Indeed, she likely would have done better if she’d simply taken the final week off and taken a vacation somewhere. Instead, she suffered a historic defeat.
With Loetscher saying she will “grow her biotechnology company” in her concession speech, I’m not sure she ultimately gets it. That her tendency towards exaggeration was ultimately her achilles heel in this election. A point illustrated and underlined several times in a landslide of a complete and total victory for her opponent when he brought home an authoritative 62.7% against her 37.3% vote.
“… using the dark arts of internet sorcery, …” this was the best line in the article. What’s up with the Argus writers these days? I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ellis’s summary so much that I read it twice;)
Jo doesn’t get it and many of her followers are clueless. As we have already had the pleasure of witnessing, she’ll continue denying the truth by creating her own. Her next political move will be prepping other feminists to run in district races. Good times.
SF is ready to push forward providing more opportunities by expanding on our current success. We have been eagerly awaiting the leadership skills, economic expertise and freedom loving qualities TenHaken brings to the table. Let’s get going!
I agree that the “Internet sorcery” line hit the nail on the head.
I think Ellis missed the essence of her problem before the fiasco’s fell apart.
Jo made a strategic decision to insure she got in the run-off- Reach out to the most loyal of the Democrat base by making their agenda central to her campaign.
However, as she said more than once that the Mayor’s office is a non-partisan position, her strategy made it partisan when even average Democrats see the position as “non-partisan” because as I think she said filling pot holes isn’t partisan. Neither are 90% of what the Mayor does. But, elect Jo and you’d get a Mayor focused on partisan issues. Her prospects to be mayor were gone before she won the first election.
On the other hand, Paul never took her bait. He kept the focus on his mayoral ideas on matters that were attractive to people regardless of their partisan affiliation.
One can insure a car, home, sports vehicle, etc.; one can ENSURE one makes careful choices to achieve a goal. Achieving a goal cannot be insured which involves the exchange of money for protection.
Webster’s includes this as a definition of insure: to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions
Hit post accidentally. That said, assure would have been my best choice of word.
Check the Oxford Dictionaries, it will clear up your confusion.
“He kept the focus on his mayoral ideas on matters that were attractive to people regardless of their partisan affiliation.”
I disagree with your assessment. I didn’t receive any campaign material from TenHaken. And I am not a registered Republican. A sampling of my friends who are also not registered Republicans revealed they did not receive Tenhaken material. Or even phone calls. We did get campaign postcards and calls from all of the candidates before the first vote except Paul. Paul and the SDGOP made the mayoral race partisan.
I am a Republican and I received no post cards either from either candidate. But that isn’t the point- Paul’s agenda he talked about were mundane City priorities desired by the citizenry. Jo’s priorities were vapid liberal national priorities that even average Democrats rejected if her subpar performance in Democrat precincts tell us anything.
Wrong. The Democratic Party and its affiliates were openly helping Loetscher months ago. The Democrats made it partisan when the Republicans remained carefully neutral.
The South Dakota State Republican Party and the Minnehaha Republican Party did not get involved until the runoff – long after the Democratic party got involved. The GOP ran Get Out the Vote operations independently of the Tenhaken campaign.
Democrats would simply like opposition to be silenced, that is why they are falsely complaining about the GOP making it partisan.
Wrong. The SDGOP played a big role in making the race all about the party. Take a look at the South Dakota Republican Party Facebook page with its blaring message “To all Sioux Falls Republicans”. And this very blog. Nice try though, Roteman. Oh, PS – cargo shorts and sweaters? Only men with poor fashion sense wear those two articles of clothing.
How long did it take you to know which way the candidates lean? It didn’t take me long, and I certainly didn’t need the SDGOP or SDDP to help me decide who to vote for. Be a free, independent thinker;)
I care about the future of SF. I care if the mayor deems the city a sanctuary for illegal aliens or supports gun grabbing or supports mandates on the private sector or supports banning hate speech (aka: free speech). Did you know out of the top 20 most dangerous cities, 19 are run by a Democrats? Pay attention.
Oh, PS – highlighting that you care about someone’s fashion choices says something about your character and priorities.
PSS – yaaawn 🙂
Apparently, I am being stalked on Facebook by a humorless democrat who can’t spell. Do us both a favor and unfriend me.
You are just upset Democrats went all out Partisan and lost anyway.
Now I am off to my favorite coffee shop. I can be identified by a dark blue sweater and tan shorts. The classics never go out of style.
Oh, we’re not friends on Facebook. You inexplicably showed up in my friend suggestions list on FB. Obviously, you are technologically challenged so here’s a top: find the Privacy settings on YOUR Facebook page. Then update YOUR privacy choices on YOUR Facebook page.
Wrong. I’m not upset at all over who won the mayoral race. Doesn’t matter who is mayor. This city will continue to grow and prosper. That’s what I care about. And only a narcissist would incorrectly conclude that I am sore about said election and believe they were being “stalked”. 😂 You overestimate yourself.
*tip
There there. Its okay. Shhhhhh.
Anonymous 10:22,
At the end of the day, you candidate went backwards after the first election at a speed and level that was unprecedented.
I don’t care if the causes is one or all of the following so you pick:
1). Jo was bad or had bad policy ideas.
2). Paul was good or had better policy ideas.
3). As a party, the Democrats are wholly in effective it cant even convince Democrats to vote for the Democrat.
4). As a party, the GOP is so effective it can convince even Democrats and all the Independents to vote Republican.
TJ, ssshhh. I couldn’t care less.
Well, aren’t you a tolerant one.
I can tell you’re in need of a reminder…
Love Trumps Hate!!
No difference between Democrats an Republicans.
Probably more true Democrats in Pierre using the R label to get elected. Just check out their voting records.
Tweeted from a bathroom stall also used as an office.
Paul will make a great sanctuary city Mayor. He knows all about immigration. Look where he came from.