First we had the ULTRA-EXTREME and laughably awful Lee Qualm for chair letter. And now we have a milder (but also silly) counterpart from Ezra Hays, the saddle stitched glossy paper booklet:
Yes, Ezra Hays mailed out a several page saddle-stitched glossy booklet with misc information, including his life story, the platform, his proposed budget, etc., in his pursuit of the Republican Party chair election this weekend.
And it is this weekend when the pain is over, and a new adventure will begin with which I believe will give me many things to chronicle.
But as a quick summary, since it’s getting kind of hard to remember what all the candidates have been doing at this point, here’s what I can tell you from reports, personal observations, and a quick review of past posts:
- Qualm placed ads on Dakota Scout, and is hanging out a lot at the legislature in Pierre. And he’s going to install new staff, as well as to use the SDGOP go on a tear about vaccinations.
- I’m told Eschenbaum got a few Dems to swap parties to help organize an unorganized county to form a new GOP Committee, and he and Janet Jensen did a zoom call. Oh, and in a meeting, he called the people in the SDGOP “power hungry elitists.”
- Hays did a website, text blasts, has been sending out postcards, and now this booklet. And to his credit, unlike the others, he did truck across the state to see people, including making it all the way over here to Brookings where he was at one of our last county GOP meetings.
Take it for what it’s worth, and how those activities matter to you in earning the vote of Central Committee members for the person who is going to be the next Republican Party Chairman. We’re almost at the finish line.
“rapidly changing expectations of party members”
really? maybe the party members need to understand that the party has two jobs: raise money and get Republicans elected. That’s it.
They can take all their other rapidly changing expectations and shove ’em where the sun never shines
While I have never met any of the 3 announced candidates for the SD GOP Chairmanship, I’m encouraged by the interest. And the challenge of learning about these men, their plans, and dreams to truly “lead” our party. As is often mentioned, the chairman is Commander-in-Chief. The plan is 1) raise the funds necessary to tell the story of GOP candidates, and 2) elect Republicans! Short list. Important job.
Is this all we have for “quality” candidates for this job? Makes me think that no one of any top notch caliber wants to be anywhere near this potential dumpster fire. Candidate recruitment and fundraising are the most important tasks here as stated in other comments here. All that seems to be coming out of the mouths of these would be leaders is pure rhetoric and hyperbole. Republicans need someone who has the charisma and the intestinal fortitude to get the state party back on track. Sadly, none of these folks fit the bill. And with the polarization of the party (i.e. “you’re not conservative enough” finger pointing), the state party apparatus will continue to tread water both financially and philosophically. Strange, you’d think strength in numbers would actually mean something here.
These newbies to the Republican Party have no idea what the party stands for. It’s become a place for the misfits and non-leaders to feel some sort of control by joining the ‘gang of misfits’. The gang consists of those who don’t understand integrity, truth and respect for others. Wanting power and control is what they would call corrupt in any other area of government, but when they have this strong desire to be the ‘leader of the pack’ it’s OK, even though these newly formed GOP counties have done nothing but run them into the ground because they haven’t the talent or intelligence, nor the true servant attitude to raise money or be successful. Give the party back to the ones who spent the last 3 or more decades getting us to where we are now before the Misfits club throws it all away. And stay in your lane if running for chair. Not your job to hire and fire.
These newbies to the Republican Party have no idea what the party stands for. It’s become a place for the misfits and non-leaders to feel some sort of control by joining the ‘gang of misfits’. The gang consists of those who don’t understand integrity, truth and respect for others. Wanting power and control is what they would call corrupt in any other area of government, but when they have this strong desire to be the ‘leader of the pack’ it’s OK, even though these newly formed GOP counties have done nothing but run them into the ground because they haven’t the talent or intelligence, nor the true servant attitude to raise money or be successful. Give the party back to the Real Republicans who spent the last 3 or more decades getting us to where we are now before the Misfits club throws it all away.
Spot on!! I was thinking the same as the other comment of ‘is this all we have to pick from???’ But the newbies/far-far right have failed against the last two very good chairmen who have more overall knowledge of SD politics and the purpose of the party in their little finger than the other loud mouths have in their whole brains. Yet they think they’re doing great things of merit. They don’t want to understand that the goal is to get Rs elected because they’re too busy bashing their own.
It’s certainly a shame.
Seriously asking, but is there a reason why Thune/Rounds/Dusty/Rhoden don’t just get together and pick someone to run the party? Presidents of both parties always pick the national party chairs and I have been in states where the highest elected official(s) installed a state party chair of their choosing. I think that would result in the state party doing its two primary tasks: fundraising and winning elections.
That’s how it should be. I suspect, though, that none of these three would propose that bylaws change since there’s no way any one of them would be picked for Chair by the big 4!
Because the party is made up of disobedient children resistant to any figure of authority. I wouldn’t wish the Chairman position on my worst enemy. Get any of our leadership to pick a Chairman and that Chairman automatically becomes “establishment”, and there is nothing they’re more resistant to than establishing something…
The party needs to die so it can be reborn. It’s already been taken over by RINOs.
How many of these candidates attended the last two state conventions? How about the central committee meetings? Do they have any experience in flaming dumpster diving or herding cats??
I can’t imagine anyone sane wanting the job.
the proposed 2025 budget: $302,000 against the less than $60,000 the party has is especially whimsical