The Argus has a story up this AM about Republican State Representative Isaac Latterell drawing attention to himself during the voting at the Republican National Convention by gesturing while the delegation was casting their ballot in the roll of states:
In a face palm of protest, one South Dakota Republican said with his body language what many GOP members wanted to Tuesday night.
Amid cheers from South Dakota delegates announcing that the state’s 29 delegates would support Republican nominee Donald Trump, state Rep. Isaac Latterell, R-Tea, rolled his eyes and clamped his hand over his face.
Latterell then went on in the article to call the RNC “corrupt” without defining why, other than to mention he voted for another candidate. Really?
There was another option for Latterell, other than to participate in this allegedly “corrupt” process. Just not go.
There was no one holding him hostage, forcing him to go to Cleveland. No one demanded he go be wined, dined, entertained and hosted at the big show of the Republican convention.
In fact the rules of delegates being bound to the candidate winning the state were known many, many months in advance, and they were set by the State Republican Party, not the RNC. They were set that way because of the lateness of our primary, and the earlier convention.
If Latterell didn’t want to be a bound candidate, he should have not signed up to be one. It’s a multitiered process you have to run for. If he doesn’t like the rules, he should have registered a complaint when they were being made by the South Dakota Republican State Central Committee.
Making faces on national television seems to be the kind of thing that should be beneath a state legislator, especially one who signed up for his ticket to ride in full knowledge of what that meant.
And as he basks in his newfound notoriety for his protest of the “corrupt” RNC… He will have to seek some measure of refuge from all the corruption in the free parties and events he is forced to take part of.
I’m sure in the aftermath, this mighty social justice warrior will return from Cleveland clutching his bag of free swag handed to him upon his arrival, with the delegate badge and toy guitar.
Such are the burdens of a modern-day protester.
Perhaps it was the blind devotion to party over principles that you express that created the situation where you were watching at home rather receiving a coveted bag of swag.
Um, I hate to tell you that had I wanted to go that badly, I could have had press credentials as I did 4 years ago. There’s also people such as Doug Post from Brookings County who signed up and were no shows. There are often allowances made to add people to the list in cases like that.
Cleveland isn’t on my bucket list. In fact, I’m going to the AFP Defending the Dream conference in Orlando in a few weeks instead. Great group of free marketers, AND it’s Orlando.
I’m confused Pat, which is it “There was another option for Latterell, other than to participate in this allegedly “corrupt” process. Just not go” or “There’s also people such as Doug Post from Brookings County who signed up and were no shows”?
Your confusion is of your own making.
You’re taking a sentence from the post, and mashing it together with a reply to a comment – both utterly and completely separate trains of thought, and making no sense in the process.
The reference to Rep. Latterell’s actions, were in reference to what he did at the convention, how he characterized it on the press, and how he could acted instead of participating in a process he objected to. That was part of the main post.
When I mentioned you not going, that was in response to a comment, and I was referring to the process for someone, who was not previously going to go, possibly to have the ability to attend convention, specifically myself.
I had two options had I wanted to go. I could have gone as a member of the press (as I have before).
Or, there are sometimes allowances for people to go as alternates in the place of those who were selected as alternates, and opted not to attend the convention as you did after winning a position. There are more than a few who do that at every convention, freeing up spots.
In fact, now that I look, it appears you were the author of the anonymous, douche-y comment that I was replying to in the first place.
So, now it has been explained to you. Twice.
Immature.
He’s probably the least trusted or genuine legislator in Pierre.
So having to pay $5 for a hot dog or $10 for a pulled pork sandwich, $4.75 for a bottle of water is your definition of being “wined and dined?”
The hotel they’ve got us in is $229 before taxes and doesn’t even include a complimentary breakfast.
And the WiFi sucks
I’m referring to the hosted events. Are they lacking a bit this convention?
I missed the last convention, but in Minneapolis & NY, there were a number of them. I partied with Julianne Hough at the Hard Rock cafe in MN, saw Styx in concert, and there was a night kind of fuzzy there, but I don’t think I paid for anything. (what happens in Minneapolis stays in Minneapolis).
A bit???
Well there was the party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the food offerings were like grazing the free samples at Sam’s Club.
Being actually in need of real food, William and I found a restaurant outside the perimeter and ordered meals, Paid for them ourselves.
Tell me more about this “wined and dined” phenomenon.
As noted above in my edited comment above, there have been some pretty good stuff at previous conventions. There’s typically a party hosted for the delegation. In NYC, we were treated to a broadway show with a couple of other delegations.
In Minneapolis, there was an event hosted for the delegation at the Hard Rock Cafe, and a free concert with Styx, if you could score a ticket,
Aberdeen rejected this guy three straight times in ’06, ’08 and ’10. He has always tried to say it’s because he was a conservative but I’ll tell you it’s because the voters knew him as insincere and self centered.
It looks like Aberdeen will be sending three constitutional conservatives to Pierre this year.
The town where people knew him best sent him packing to Sioux Falls.
Some of these guys want to be career politicians so bad that they will move anywhere, do or say anything to get elected.
He was very disrespectful to the entire delegation from South Dakota.
AMEN! Thank you for your comments!
at least the chairman of our delegation finally decided to show up.
I don’t think I’d bust him on that, as convention is a purely political function, and he has been working. He just hired a GOED commissioner, among other things.
Please elaborate. Who is the chairman of the delegation?
I believe Ann is referring to Governor Daugaard.
We each got free popcorn and a bottle of pop at the showing of “Hillary’s America”
Which is the least they could give us as a reward for watching a really bad movie with bad acting and an overload of maudlin kitsch which reminded me of Nazi propaganda films.
(Sorry, I can’t help but chuckle at your description).
Interesting article on how event projections were reduced… http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2016/07/08/cleveland-caterers-and-restaurants-see-cutbacks-and-cancellations-for-rnc-related-events-as-kick-off-approaches
I’m sure there’s still plenty of hosted events to be found. But by the same token, I’m not regretting spending my money on a new HVAC system instead. Having AC again is really nice.
He is about the least effective legislator. Always grandstanding and craving the attention. The kid needs to grow up!
totally agree with your post, PP. The kid is a joke and just proved it last night. If he didn’t want to be part of this, he didn’t have to go.
He is the number one ISIS fighter in SD.
Ha ha!
Lets start calling him that! Isaac “The ISIS Fighter” Latterell!
While I appreciate the good Representative’s freedom to express himself, what I don’t appreciate is the light of ridicule he cast on our state. His faceplam went viral on twitter with 150,000 views in the first hour. Not good.
Yeah, but, the fun part is most all the social media posts were by leftists mocking Trump, only to find egg on their faces when they found out Lattrell’s hard right political leanings. HuffPost got lambasted for burying that in the story, etc. etc. Live by the tweet, die by the tweet.
Hopefully the good people in Isaac “The ISIS Fighter” Latterell’s district will show him the door and elect someone else who is actually effective as a legislator than this kid whom the voters of Aberdeen rejected numerous times.
I hope he loses his seat over this. I don’t care if you love or hate Trump. That was disrespectful to our Chairwoman and an embarrassment to all delegates and the entire state. What is he six? He’s a state legislator he aught to act like one. He looked like an idiot to be frank. Again, you don’t have to like Trump or even want to cast your vote for him, but don’t do this type of childish behavior and become a national embarrassment. As a life long republican, I would make an exception and vote for the democrat in his race (if there is one) just because this shows how he probably acts in the legislature.
You’re awesome, Isaac! Pay no heed to the anonymous naysayers who, unlike you, aren’t brave enough to even put their name on a blog post.
A couple of comments:
1) Increasingly any process (convention, legislative action, judicial, primary, and even general elections) which don’t get the results desired by a person is characterized as corrupt. First, it was Jeb Bush has the nomination sown up because he was the pick of the “elites,” the “cabal”, the “corrupt cronies” etc. Then it began because whoever was one’s personal choice wasn’t running away with it, the system was working against your candidate and its rigged. At the end of the day, Donald Trump won according to the rules- He earned a majority of the delegates in multiple different primaries and caucuses all of which had different rules.
What ever happened to being an adult accepting you, your choice, your idea, etc. isn’t yet accepted broadly enough and you have work harder next time?
2) Frankly, Donald Trump began as my 17th pick in the field of 17. While moving up slightly, those I preferred were dropping faster than he was moving up. So what? I’m for Donald Trump because on the whole his views, vision, character, and capabilities exceed Hillary. See #1.
3) I don’t expect everyone in the party to rally around Trump. It is a free country and everyone has to make their own choices. But, that freedom comes with responsibilities of good citizenship where one has to make choices. Showing up as a delegate whereby one is bound requires one to exercise some decorum as they aren’t just talking/expressing themselves as an individual. Personally, if I were in Isaac’s shoes, I’d have either gone with the attitude I describe in #2 or I would have stayed home.
I’m not Isaac so I understand and respect he might an obligation to go and express himself as reluctantly doing his appointed duty. However, that doesn’t mean it is appropriate to do it with the antics he did. I am embarrassed and he should be too.
Gid pick another hero . He is an immature , grandstanding egoist . His agenda is self promotion not to help his district or the state .
Mike – The heroes I once picked have fallen. The hour is late, and the enemy has not only passed the gate, but has infiltrated our defenses and supplanted our leadership with their own godless ilk. To whom should I look now in this dark hour when all seems lost?
I’ll tell you whom: I look to my God, to my family, and to anyone who will stand in promoting liberty and fighting tyranny. And to that end, Isaac has seen the light as well. I wish we could count on you to do the same.
But what do I know? The Trump henchmen would have you believe I’m an idiot, a fool, and an agent of Hillary Clinton. At least, that’s what I’ve been told over and over. You see, what the Trump campaign lacks in substance, it supplements with name-calling and ridicule. It’s a classic bully technique, and people like Isaac and I don’t tolerate bullies very well.
Thanks for listening.
Very well said.
Gideon –
When did we start congratulating rudeness and bad manners?
Attending the convention is not mandatory. The face palm was bad enough, and pretty disrespectful to Pam, but then to call the convention – which Isaac attended of his own volition and in full knowledge of the rules – corrupt? While still partaking of all the activities, of course.
If I don’t want to go to something, I just don’t go. If I’m going to protest something, I’m going to protest it fully & not take their free stuff.
I hate to admit it, but I guess I might just be old enough that I don’t understand what passes for a social justice warrior nowadays.
Pat – Not to be overtly flippant, but when did you start agreeing with Lora Hubbel? She’s all over this, saying “Trump doesn’t need us, we need Trump.”
Strange bedfellows has this election year made. Powers and Hubbel teaming up, an Oakes supporting a Libertarian for president, and the rest of the party nursing their whiplash trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Strange times indeed!
Both Greg Belfrage and Stu Whitney are agreeing in the media on this side of the state on the issue as well.
I guess you can call it near universal condemnation.
This was disrespectful and immature………Rep. Latterell not only showed his character, but placed an embarrassing cloud for the state of South Dakota and the Republican Delegation.
This is a perfect example of why we should return to the old system of choosing or delegates. We should caucus for a candidate we support, and the candidate who wins the popular vote should be represented at the convention by a slate of delegates who actually support them. If the SD Republican party would return to this process that served us so well in the past, we would not have delegates disrespecting the voters and embarrassing our state on national TV.
An immature child craving attention.
Jim we surely could go back but it would mean one of two things must happen first. Either the RNC changes their timeline rules for having delegates picked or SD moves our primary up to fit the window of time before convention. The latter would cost at least half a million I’ve been told.
I don’t understand why the timeline rules have to change Charlie. Why couldn’t we elect a slate of delegates for each candidate according to the current schedule? When the primary is held the slate of delegates who caucused for the winning candidate would go to the convention. I suspect our change to the current practice of choosing a single slate of delegates has more to do with some folks being disgruntled because they caucused for a candidate that withdrew from the race before our June primary was held. The 2008 and 2012 election cycles come to mind. The old system involved more people in the process, was much more exciting and conducive to building the party from the grass roots. What we have now is top down. If you are not a big wheel or at least from Minnehaha county, your chances of winning a convention spot are very slim? Another down side to the current system is that when some of the delegates don’t support the candidate who ultimately wins the primary, they choose not to participate. Or worse, they choose to participate and pull a stunt like we witnessed the other day.
Cruz “trumped” Isaac.