37 thoughts on “Lance Russell thanks supporters for efforts in AG race”
VERY classy post. I voted for another AG candidate but, when I met Lance Russell and his supporters this weekend, I came away very, very impressed. They struck me as terrific, strong, passionate conservatives. Every man and woman with whom I shared a beer (or a plate of chicken at the picnic) was pure South Dakota. Friendly. Pro Life. Pro Gun. Patriotic. Rock-Solid Republican. Great Americans. It was an honor to be among them.
Survey his 34 Senate colleagues who work with him every day all session.
Sir,
Having met the man but once, I do not pretend to understand him as well as do others who’ve strode the same hallways these many years. I readily concede my personal knowledge is quite limited. Nevertheless, Mr. Russell seems a shrewd operator & I very much enjoyed conversing with his many ebullient friends.
“Friend of education” needs an education. The Russell supporters were useful idiots. It doesn’t matter how dedicated they were, they were tools.
None of them seemed to know that under all that charm and intelligence there is a disturbing, and total, lack of ethics.
What Russell did to Fitzgerald was awful. It was just another example of the depth Russell will sink to to get what he wants.
I wouldn’t use the term “useful idiots,” as most of them I met actually share the concerns and goals of the SDGOP. They just aren’t immersed in the details of the political process as most of us that read and post here happen to be.
For that reason, they responded to emotional appeals for support, not because they’re “useful idiots,” but because they “don’t know, what they don’t know.” I agree, they were used.
We need to do a better job as a party in responding to their concerns.
If Anne Beal says I need education, it must be so. Sharp-witted and savvy, she’s probably forgotten more about state & local politics than I’ll ever learn. I admit my ignorance and bow to her greater wisdom. Nevertheless, pleasant conversations last weekend left me feeling that Mr. Russell’s ardent supporters are (mostly) good folks. I quite agree we should “do a better job as a party in responding to their concerns.”
I view William’s and Anne’s statements as a personal attack on not just on myself, but also on those conservatives who I share tons of research with. We are not useful idiots. We represent approximate 20% of the population. We believe the so-called progressives are taking America down a path that is away for our core principles and toward a society that is the anti-thesis to freedom. As Carroll Quigley stated, the same group of controllers have both party establishments under their wings.
I too, believe the so-called progressives are taking America down a path that is away from our core principles and toward a society that is the anti-thesis to freedom.
We make more progress by recognizing the greater enemy, than bickering among ourselves and making them stronger.
Destroying potential allies, ensures a common defeat.
My position is in opposition to allying with progressives, regardless of what party they belong too.
Establishment establishment establishment blah blah blah. Do you have ANY evidence of your constant whining and complaining? Nope just lots of empty rhetoric – only fools believe this garbage.
The voting records reported by the State of SD scream of who is least conservative and who stands with the democratic party on a regular basis => Mr. Bull Elephant himself Stace Nelson.
His pathetic run for Lt Governor, as entertaining and hilarious as it was, hopefully keeps him off the ballot in November.
Nice gesture
Can he run or will he run to get state Senate seat back?
I believe that once one withdraws their candidacy for a specific race, they are ineligible to regain that position on the ballot. “No name so withdrawn shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at such election.”
12-6-55. Withdrawal by nominee–Time and place of filing. Any person nominated to any elective office may cause his name to be withdrawn from nomination by request in writing, subscribed and sworn to by him before any officer qualified to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. The request shall be filed with the officer with whom the nominating petition was filed pursuant to § 12-6-4, not later than the first Tuesday in August at 5:00 p.m. before the ensuing election. No name so withdrawn shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at such election.
I would like to see Fitzgerald and Russell both publicly endorse Ravnsborg in the next week…that would be classiest move..got to be a good loser…I thought Ravnsborg was gracious to them in his acceptance speech..calling for a round of applause for each
I agree; Jason applauding his erstwhile opponents was a confident, gracious gesture. I should mention that some of the good men and women who backed other candidates showed class as well. For example, I was honored to meet John Teupel, who offered a firm handshake. Known as a committed conservative, he strikes me as highly-intelligent and very perceptive. Underestimate him at your peril!
Never gonna happen, as True Conservative have been stabbed in the back too many times by the liberal RINO Republican establishment.
I hope Russell is done from Public office. We don’t need a censored individual that was fired from a public position.
What would Mr. Nelson do without Mr. Russell whispering what to say in his big RINO ears?
Fitzgerald sent out the letter along with Russell attacking Roundsburg. Along with the photo of them meeting with (z)sack L killed Fitz’s chances. There are, not over exaggerating, thousands of people that Stacey and Lance have alienated, lied about and and lied to them.
What Fitz may or may have not know was that as soon as he aligned himself with that group everyone voted for Roundsburg. Smart strategy on Lances part…. maybe. Get rid of Fitz who was leading up until that smear campaign letter. Perhaps Russell deduced that he could beat Roundsburg in a one on one vote.
Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, Anny is spot on!
Russell may have questionable talents and scruples, but he knows politics and campaigns. He knew by the time he got to Pierre that neither he nor John could win. His only possible path to any chance was to dupe Fitzgerald (either John or Mary) to follow Lance and Zach into the sewer…then sneak out and slam the manhole behind them.
Russell miscalculated much like Tapio did running for Congress. You can’t surround yourself with sewer people without tainting your own image. Russell and Tapio palled around with Lautenschlagger, Shad Olson and Jordan Mason and the Gun owners. Bad decisions.
Fitzgerald tainted his own image by getting into bed with these clowns.
The quest for political power brings out the worst in some and the best in others. Unfortunately after watching the 2018 primaries I will say i saw much more bad than good from those on their quest for elected office.
11:53 Anonymous – I think you’re spot on. Fitzgerald could’ve had a good thing going but blew it by a) smear letters (that weren’t even necessary) and b) associating with certain folks in general. A good race would’ve been Ravnsborg and Fitzgerald with no smear letters (bad, bad idea) but in the end, better the truth come out about someone earlier than later…
Russell didn’t miscalculate; his strategy was to make it to the second ballot, and luring Fitz into the Friday night smear stunt was his tactic. It worked, and it was Fitz who got bumped off.
Bingo!
There is starting to seem to be a group of registered Republicans who are repeatedly walking away if they don’t get their way as shown going back to Stace Nelson’s Senate loss as they went so far as to back an Independent candidate.
This year it appears they might do the same thing because Stace Nelson didn’t get the Lt. Governor nomination over Noem’s choice, Stace Nelson’s choice for Congress didn’t win, and Stace Nelson’s choice for AG wasn’t nominated.
Does anyone see anything consistent in these recurrences?
Steve,
Considering all the personal attacks you and your friends do, you sure are sensitive to them. Remember there is no difference between Anne’s “useful idiots” and your constant inferences (direct and indirect) those of us who don’t support your candidates are in essence controlled or manipulated by some organized establishment.
That said, I’m not sure you represent 20% of the population. Your candidates struggle to get above 20% of the vote in Republican primaries which translates to under 10% of the population (GOP registration is 46% of the population).
I told one of my nephews once: To build bridges, it takes effort from both sides of the river. So, remember all bridges you burn requires both sides to be rebuilt and often the ‘burnee” won’t be willing to do there part. So, think twice before you burn a bridge.
In short, if you want us to listen to your significant minority (20% of the GOP and 10% of the population), you might want to:
1) Be the team player you’d expect from us if your person gets the nomination. The regular taking your ball home in defeat is getting really really old. You are in the minority.
2) Not continually assert we are “useful idiots.” Such charges will not change your minority position and makes it more likely you are ignored.
Troy,
I ran as an independent for District 20 State Senate in 2010. I received just over 20% of the vote in the General. I had many Democrats who voted for me. Which means that I build bridges to places where they belong, not to places where there is nothing to see or do.
Marriage counselors say that when a couple view one another with contempt, it’s a top indicator that the relationship is likely to fail. Americans, who used to know how to disagree with one another without being mutually contemptuous, seem to be forgetting this.
Then you loyal establishment types need to stop attacking conservatives. It does not make us feel welcome. And sadly, that causes some to react in a wrong way.
Um, I haven’t been attacking you Steve.
Amen. Instead of keeping the promises made to the voters all the liberal RINO Republicans do is line their own pockets and attack Conservatives. Conservatives have had enough — never again will we support any Republican who is not a True Conservative and keeps his/her promises made to the voters. Good riddance to the RINOs!
Wondering how the least qualified candidate won. Cronyism is alive and well in SD GOP
Amen. Worst possible time in history of state to have a novice at helm of law enforcement. The left is “giddy” with selection of the most P..C. candidate on the ticket for AG
Steve,
There you go again-
1). inferring Bill’s loyalty is to some nebulous “establishment” instead of his personal values. It is insulting and frankly nonsense. If you knew Bill, you wouldn’t say it. If you don’t know Bill, you shouldn’t say it (it is against the 8th commandment). And it is a false generalization against literally 80% of Republicans.
2). Your continued self-coronated assertion you represent all that is conservative is frankly BS. If you don’t feel welcome, read #1 over and over and over. It is 99% of any ostracism that actually occurs. BTW, much of the ostracism you feel is in your head.
Don’t worry we’ll vote against Bill, that’s a promise made and kept. Something RINOs simply don’t understand.
You are sure on an angry tirade the last few minutes. You sound as though your heart is hard and not of the Prince of Peace. And filled with so much hypocrisy to expect us to support your candidate it they hadn’t been so soundly rejected but you don’t do the same. And finally so much unChristian hubris to declare your views the embodiment of Divine Revelation.
Get away from me Satan. You are not of Jesus Christ.
Lance Russell has a brilliant mind, shrewd political instincts, presents himself well, & has all the qualifications we look for in an AG, but he has no ethics.
I Corinthians 13 comes to mind.
He would be an excellent candidate for Governor of Illinois.
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VERY classy post. I voted for another AG candidate but, when I met Lance Russell and his supporters this weekend, I came away very, very impressed. They struck me as terrific, strong, passionate conservatives. Every man and woman with whom I shared a beer (or a plate of chicken at the picnic) was pure South Dakota. Friendly. Pro Life. Pro Gun. Patriotic. Rock-Solid Republican. Great Americans. It was an honor to be among them.
Survey his 34 Senate colleagues who work with him every day all session.
Sir,
Having met the man but once, I do not pretend to understand him as well as do others who’ve strode the same hallways these many years. I readily concede my personal knowledge is quite limited. Nevertheless, Mr. Russell seems a shrewd operator & I very much enjoyed conversing with his many ebullient friends.
“Friend of education” needs an education. The Russell supporters were useful idiots. It doesn’t matter how dedicated they were, they were tools.
None of them seemed to know that under all that charm and intelligence there is a disturbing, and total, lack of ethics.
What Russell did to Fitzgerald was awful. It was just another example of the depth Russell will sink to to get what he wants.
I wouldn’t use the term “useful idiots,” as most of them I met actually share the concerns and goals of the SDGOP. They just aren’t immersed in the details of the political process as most of us that read and post here happen to be.
For that reason, they responded to emotional appeals for support, not because they’re “useful idiots,” but because they “don’t know, what they don’t know.” I agree, they were used.
We need to do a better job as a party in responding to their concerns.
If Anne Beal says I need education, it must be so. Sharp-witted and savvy, she’s probably forgotten more about state & local politics than I’ll ever learn. I admit my ignorance and bow to her greater wisdom. Nevertheless, pleasant conversations last weekend left me feeling that Mr. Russell’s ardent supporters are (mostly) good folks. I quite agree we should “do a better job as a party in responding to their concerns.”
I view William’s and Anne’s statements as a personal attack on not just on myself, but also on those conservatives who I share tons of research with. We are not useful idiots. We represent approximate 20% of the population. We believe the so-called progressives are taking America down a path that is away for our core principles and toward a society that is the anti-thesis to freedom. As Carroll Quigley stated, the same group of controllers have both party establishments under their wings.
I too, believe the so-called progressives are taking America down a path that is away from our core principles and toward a society that is the anti-thesis to freedom.
We make more progress by recognizing the greater enemy, than bickering among ourselves and making them stronger.
Destroying potential allies, ensures a common defeat.
My position is in opposition to allying with progressives, regardless of what party they belong too.
Establishment establishment establishment blah blah blah. Do you have ANY evidence of your constant whining and complaining? Nope just lots of empty rhetoric – only fools believe this garbage.
The voting records reported by the State of SD scream of who is least conservative and who stands with the democratic party on a regular basis => Mr. Bull Elephant himself Stace Nelson.
His pathetic run for Lt Governor, as entertaining and hilarious as it was, hopefully keeps him off the ballot in November.
Nice gesture
Can he run or will he run to get state Senate seat back?
I believe that once one withdraws their candidacy for a specific race, they are ineligible to regain that position on the ballot. “No name so withdrawn shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at such election.”
12-6-55. Withdrawal by nominee–Time and place of filing. Any person nominated to any elective office may cause his name to be withdrawn from nomination by request in writing, subscribed and sworn to by him before any officer qualified to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. The request shall be filed with the officer with whom the nominating petition was filed pursuant to § 12-6-4, not later than the first Tuesday in August at 5:00 p.m. before the ensuing election. No name so withdrawn shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at such election.
I would like to see Fitzgerald and Russell both publicly endorse Ravnsborg in the next week…that would be classiest move..got to be a good loser…I thought Ravnsborg was gracious to them in his acceptance speech..calling for a round of applause for each
I agree; Jason applauding his erstwhile opponents was a confident, gracious gesture. I should mention that some of the good men and women who backed other candidates showed class as well. For example, I was honored to meet John Teupel, who offered a firm handshake. Known as a committed conservative, he strikes me as highly-intelligent and very perceptive. Underestimate him at your peril!
Never gonna happen, as True Conservative have been stabbed in the back too many times by the liberal RINO Republican establishment.
I hope Russell is done from Public office. We don’t need a censored individual that was fired from a public position.
What would Mr. Nelson do without Mr. Russell whispering what to say in his big RINO ears?
Fitzgerald sent out the letter along with Russell attacking Roundsburg. Along with the photo of them meeting with (z)sack L killed Fitz’s chances. There are, not over exaggerating, thousands of people that Stacey and Lance have alienated, lied about and and lied to them.
What Fitz may or may have not know was that as soon as he aligned himself with that group everyone voted for Roundsburg. Smart strategy on Lances part…. maybe. Get rid of Fitz who was leading up until that smear campaign letter. Perhaps Russell deduced that he could beat Roundsburg in a one on one vote.
Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, Anny is spot on!
Russell may have questionable talents and scruples, but he knows politics and campaigns. He knew by the time he got to Pierre that neither he nor John could win. His only possible path to any chance was to dupe Fitzgerald (either John or Mary) to follow Lance and Zach into the sewer…then sneak out and slam the manhole behind them.
Russell miscalculated much like Tapio did running for Congress. You can’t surround yourself with sewer people without tainting your own image. Russell and Tapio palled around with Lautenschlagger, Shad Olson and Jordan Mason and the Gun owners. Bad decisions.
Fitzgerald tainted his own image by getting into bed with these clowns.
The quest for political power brings out the worst in some and the best in others. Unfortunately after watching the 2018 primaries I will say i saw much more bad than good from those on their quest for elected office.
11:53 Anonymous – I think you’re spot on. Fitzgerald could’ve had a good thing going but blew it by a) smear letters (that weren’t even necessary) and b) associating with certain folks in general. A good race would’ve been Ravnsborg and Fitzgerald with no smear letters (bad, bad idea) but in the end, better the truth come out about someone earlier than later…
Russell didn’t miscalculate; his strategy was to make it to the second ballot, and luring Fitz into the Friday night smear stunt was his tactic. It worked, and it was Fitz who got bumped off.
Bingo!
There is starting to seem to be a group of registered Republicans who are repeatedly walking away if they don’t get their way as shown going back to Stace Nelson’s Senate loss as they went so far as to back an Independent candidate.
This year it appears they might do the same thing because Stace Nelson didn’t get the Lt. Governor nomination over Noem’s choice, Stace Nelson’s choice for Congress didn’t win, and Stace Nelson’s choice for AG wasn’t nominated.
Does anyone see anything consistent in these recurrences?
Steve,
Considering all the personal attacks you and your friends do, you sure are sensitive to them. Remember there is no difference between Anne’s “useful idiots” and your constant inferences (direct and indirect) those of us who don’t support your candidates are in essence controlled or manipulated by some organized establishment.
That said, I’m not sure you represent 20% of the population. Your candidates struggle to get above 20% of the vote in Republican primaries which translates to under 10% of the population (GOP registration is 46% of the population).
I told one of my nephews once: To build bridges, it takes effort from both sides of the river. So, remember all bridges you burn requires both sides to be rebuilt and often the ‘burnee” won’t be willing to do there part. So, think twice before you burn a bridge.
In short, if you want us to listen to your significant minority (20% of the GOP and 10% of the population), you might want to:
1) Be the team player you’d expect from us if your person gets the nomination. The regular taking your ball home in defeat is getting really really old. You are in the minority.
2) Not continually assert we are “useful idiots.” Such charges will not change your minority position and makes it more likely you are ignored.
Troy,
I ran as an independent for District 20 State Senate in 2010. I received just over 20% of the vote in the General. I had many Democrats who voted for me. Which means that I build bridges to places where they belong, not to places where there is nothing to see or do.
Marriage counselors say that when a couple view one another with contempt, it’s a top indicator that the relationship is likely to fail. Americans, who used to know how to disagree with one another without being mutually contemptuous, seem to be forgetting this.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/25/sanders-nielsen-incidents-suggest-new-us-civil-war-underway-column/729141002/
Then you loyal establishment types need to stop attacking conservatives. It does not make us feel welcome. And sadly, that causes some to react in a wrong way.
Um, I haven’t been attacking you Steve.
Amen. Instead of keeping the promises made to the voters all the liberal RINO Republicans do is line their own pockets and attack Conservatives. Conservatives have had enough — never again will we support any Republican who is not a True Conservative and keeps his/her promises made to the voters. Good riddance to the RINOs!
Wondering how the least qualified candidate won. Cronyism is alive and well in SD GOP
Amen. Worst possible time in history of state to have a novice at helm of law enforcement. The left is “giddy” with selection of the most P..C. candidate on the ticket for AG
Steve,
There you go again-
1). inferring Bill’s loyalty is to some nebulous “establishment” instead of his personal values. It is insulting and frankly nonsense. If you knew Bill, you wouldn’t say it. If you don’t know Bill, you shouldn’t say it (it is against the 8th commandment). And it is a false generalization against literally 80% of Republicans.
2). Your continued self-coronated assertion you represent all that is conservative is frankly BS. If you don’t feel welcome, read #1 over and over and over. It is 99% of any ostracism that actually occurs. BTW, much of the ostracism you feel is in your head.
Don’t worry we’ll vote against Bill, that’s a promise made and kept. Something RINOs simply don’t understand.
You are sure on an angry tirade the last few minutes. You sound as though your heart is hard and not of the Prince of Peace. And filled with so much hypocrisy to expect us to support your candidate it they hadn’t been so soundly rejected but you don’t do the same. And finally so much unChristian hubris to declare your views the embodiment of Divine Revelation.
Get away from me Satan. You are not of Jesus Christ.
Lance Russell has a brilliant mind, shrewd political instincts, presents himself well, & has all the qualifications we look for in an AG, but he has no ethics.
I Corinthians 13 comes to mind.
He would be an excellent candidate for Governor of Illinois.