Gov. Kristi Noem Discusses Foreign Policy Strategy with Secretary Condoleezza Rice

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Earlier this week, the Hoover Institution hosted Governor Kristi Noem for a discussion with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The discussion focused on foreign policy strategy, as well as South Dakota’s pro-freedom policies. A few key quotes can be found below.

“When I served in Congress, I served on the Armed Services Committee and got heavily engaged in relations with countries who are our friends and allies – and many who are not… It was driven home over and over again the value of strength, the value of clarity of thought and communication… and that every other country is constantly paying attention to how our leaders here talk… That credibility has been greatly damaged,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We are in a tenuous state in this country right now because we don’t have that consistency of messaging.”

In response to a question from Secretary Rice on the “South Dakota formula,” Governor Noem said the following:

“When I ran for Governor, I ran believing… that South Dakota could be an example to the nation… I had no idea that our opportunity to do that would happen in a pandemic… I will tell you that South Dakota is thriving… We have a AAA credit rating. We have the best pension fund in the nation. I have less than 700 people in the entire state of South Dakota that are on unemployment right now. Our incomes are going up faster than anywhere else in the country… Our children are leading the nation in educational outcomes because they were in their classrooms every day learning… We were the only state in the country that didn’t close a single business, didn’t mandate anything… We are growing at ten times the national average because families just decided that they wanted to come live somewhere where the government respected them.”

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Good mail day for me, as I picked up 2 Huron for Capital Ribbons to go with a Mitchell for Capital ribbon I was able to find a few weeks back:

Mitchell’s a little threadbare, but the Huron ribbons look good, likely from the 1889 or 1890 battle. (If anyone has a Capital fight ribbon I don’t have, I have a Huron ribbon to trade.)

If you think politics are rough in 2022, the South Dakota State Capital battles were fiercely fought with many accusations of underhanded play. And one of the most interesting historic episodes in South Dakota History.

 

When I was pulling the Taffy Howard termination report, I also checked on another one of the Dusty Johnson challengers who went by the wayside, Shantel Krebs who was part of the original challenge for the seat. Because she also recently filed a termination report this year:

“It appears that due to a data entry error that occurred the report needs to be updated. Several donors gave to both the primary and general election in 2018. Due to the fact that the candidate lost the primary the general funds were either refunded or reallocated resulting in a final zero balance in the account. The bank account was closed in 2018 and no further action has taken place.”

Interesting, since the committee, up through 3/31/22 was reporting a bit different situation…

4 years later, that closes the books on that campaign.

The Taffy Howard for Congress Committee has filed a termination report with the FEC, closing that chapter in South Dakota Politics:

Taffy Howard Termination Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

This was the report where Taffy had to pay the piper, with $134,395.06 in expenditures. While she took in $24,542 in donations, she found herself refunding $22,700, which appears to have had big chunks returned to members of the Assman family who had maxed out for both the primary and general in the early days of the campaign.

This likely represents the return of the money donated for the general election, since Taffy doesn’t have one.

In the entire campaign cycle, Howard reports having received $332,055 in donations, which does not count amounts spent by outside groups attacking Congressman Dusty Johnson.

Dusty Johnson raised around 2 Million in the Congressional contest, and delivered the win.

Kristi for Governor Declines Debate Hosted by SDPB

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, in response to an inquiry from South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) regarding why Governor Noem does not plan to participate in their gubernatorial debate, the Kristi for Governor campaign announced that they will not be participating in the debate due to extreme leftist slant from National Public Radio (NPR) and SDPB.

“For years, we have watched as NPR and SDPB both drifted further and further to the left. The final straw was NPR eliminating the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on the 4^th of July,” said Ian Fury, Communications Director for Kristi for Governor. “In the past, Governor Noem has made clear that she will not participate in debates hosted by hyper-partisan organizations or outlets. SDPB has repeatedly promoted the radical effort to re-write American history and cancel our Founding Fathers. As Governor Noem said at Mount Rushmore, ‘To attempt to cancel the Founding generation is an attempt to cancel our own freedoms.’ Governor Noem has participated in this debate in the past, but SDPB’s extreme leftward swing precludes the possibility of a fair debate.”

Earlier this week, the Kristi for Governor campaign accepted a debate invitation from Dakota News Now and KOTA/KEVN, and Governor Noem challenged her Democrat opponent to do the same.

On July 4, 2022, NPR eliminated its annual tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence and replaced it with a discussion on “what equality means.”

SDPB has repeatedly voiced opposition to Governor Noem’s efforts to promote a true and honest teaching of American history. Last year, they brought Marxist professor Ibram X. Kendi on the air to criticize Governor Noem’s efforts. Kendi’s radical teachings reject the basic fabric of American society with statements like “Capitalism is essentially racist.” SDPB did nothing to press him on these claims.

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I noticed yesterday as I was doing some web updating that Republican Secretary of State Candidate Monae Johnson has apparently made some changes in her branding. And, I hate to be a nit-picker, but iI would argue that it’s not for the better.

Here’s what Johnson was using for her branding pre-convention on her website at monaeforsouthdakota.com:

The website was fairly simple, but it got her message across.  Moving past convention, it looks like some rebranding is going on:

 

Um.. I hate to ask, who decided this? Because this is not better.

When I look at a candidate’s logo, I’m thinking how it’s going to read on a 4×8 highway sign, or a yard sign. First off, candidates should not alter the letters in their name. Dropping the star in the “O” made it more challenging to read, especially with the artsy fonts they’re using. Plus, they shrunk the office to being unreadable in the logo.

A candidate has two basic things they need to get across to a voter – name and office.  While the old logo could have been tweaked or left alone and been just fine, this new one is all over the place.

I’d go back to the drawing board before they spend a lot of money on this. Otherwise, I anticipate they’ll be changing it again down the road.

Thune to Democrats: Stop Standing in the Way of American Energy Production

“Unless Democrats want this inflation crisis to continue forever, and Americans to be facing staggering prices at the pump and on store shelves for the long term, then the administration needs to start encouraging domestic production of conventional energy.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed how the Democrats’ radical energy agenda has helped create record-high inflation and soaring fuel prices. Thune argued that Congress and the administration should instead pursue a pro-growth agenda that reduces the United States’ reliance on foreign countries for oil, cuts costs for hardworking families, and helps restore America’s energy independence.

The Rapid City Journal is reporting today on State Representative Phil Jensen’s activities with the far right “Oath Keepers” militia, with Jensen admitting membership, but claiming it was only for a year.

And Phil points to how it had to be innocent, highlighting his non-violence by reminding people that he was a contentious objector in Vietnam:

“I wish I had a more exciting story for you,” the District 33 representative said. “In 2014 I was sitting at my desk in the Senate chambers and I had read some information about the Oath Keepers. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the South Dakota Constitution, and it seemed like a good group of guys to belong to.”

and..

Jensen said those activities aren’t part of his nature. He even filed as a conscientious objector when he was drafted during the Vietnam War.

We might have to put this in the self-indulgence column.

A poetry event is taking place later this week in Sioux Falls to raise money for abortions (national network of abortion funds), and as part of promoting it, the event is noting their speakers include Kadyn Wittmann, “Representative Elect for District 15.”

And the candidate is only too happy to promote this herself..

The only problem with this is that except in her own mind, District 15 Democrat Kadyn Wittman hasn’t been elected to doodly yet.  And she probably should not let her ego get the cart before the horse.

District 15 has traditionally been a place where Republicans have not been able to make much headway because of the composition of the district in the last several configurations. But since the most recent redistricting, Kadyn should probably stop making premature coronation plans.

Because she’s actually running in a Republican District by around 500 votes.

That’s a fairly even split in the district. Despite Kadyn already claiming the crown, anyone who can read the numbers should know that D15 is not a district anyone can count on at this point.

And I certainly would not be displaying the hubris to term myself as “Representative Elect” before the election is even held.

Kristi for Governor Accepts Debate Invitation from Dakota News Now and KOTA/KEVN

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, the Kristi for Governor campaign accepted an invitation to a gubernatorial debate co-hosted by Dakota News Now and KOTA/KEVN. The debate will take place in Rapid City on September 30, shortly after the opening of early absentee voting. Governor Noem sent a letter to Representative Jamie Smith announcing that she accepted the debate invitation and challenging him to do the same.

“Now that I have accepted the invitation, I challenge you to do the same and await your answer,” Governor Noem wrote in the letter to Representative Smith. “Voters deserve the opportunity to hear from the two of us on a wide variety of issues, especially those on which we do not see eye-to-eye. I look forward to a spirited, fact-driven conversation, and I trust that you hope for the same.”

The debate co-hosted by Dakota News Now and KOTA/KEVN will be the first and final debate that Governor Noem participates in this election cycle.

The letter from Governor Noem to Representative Smith is attached.

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