The Rapid City Journal has an opinion article up this morning extolling Congressman Dusty Johnson for his strong work ethic, and for representing his constituents while many Congressmen are trying to grab headlines:
“It used to be that you had to do something in Congress to be famous,” Rep. Johnson said. “I don’t want to be critical of my colleagues, but some are less interested in getting things done and more interested in getting national media attention.”
and…
“I try to be a worker in Congress and not just make the circuit of national media outlets,” Rep. Johnson said. “I want to be a workhorse and not a showhorse, and I think people recognize that. I think that is why we lead in local donations because people see the work we are doing.”
I don’t think anyone can say that Dusty Johnson is not a good guy, but a Congressman he is not. Johnson may think he is taking care of his constituents while feeding them diatribes of what they want to hear and as long as it agrees with the Trump cultism. However, a true statesman uses experience and knowledge of issues to inform citizens of the real facts concerning the health and well being of his constituents and in South Dakota that would include the dangers of exerting a trade war scenario on the state’s farmers where they risk losing their export markets forever.
Having met Johnson on many occasions and asking him tough serious questions on issues like the Trump trade war and the climate issue, both sharing a preponderance of time today in Washington, DC, Johnson refuses to get educated on these subjects but rather goes with the flow of the new Republican party, occupied by the far right supremacists and to the left of center union membership constituents discarding the true conservative values including an abhorrence of the protectionism ideology.
As real Republicans flee the party as the far right of the party shifts toward left of center to appease Trump’s pro-union and pro-gun control stance, Johnson keeps in pace with where the wind blows and is not in my opinion a future statesman for the Republican party. Working hard while refusing to understand the issues does not make a Congressman for the people and is just not qualified to hold the office.
I would like to see a true Republican primary Johnson (and Senator Rounds) and bring the nation from “Make America Great Again” to “Make America Normal Again”. Donald Trump has certainly made a mockery of our great party, the Republican party, and what we will see in response from the Democrats when they win the 2020 election is an ushering in of a far left socialist POTUS. Then, hang on to your wallets and God help our country.
The Republican party in this state continues to grow, in contrast to the Democratic party, which continues to shrink. You can talk about Republicans fleeing the party, but that has no basis in fact. Rep. Johnson is doing a great job, and disagrees with the President when he believes it is in South Dakota’s interest, but generally supports his agenda. I would submit that is the approach the strong majority of South Dakotans like to see. Get off your soapbox.
Republican voter registration broke +100,000 more Republican voters than Democrat voters thus year, and now stands at more than +103,000 Registered Republicans than Democrats.
What a classic example of the “no true Scotsman” fallacy.
Assertion: “No Scotsman adds sugar to his porridge.”
Counter: “My uncle is from Glasgow. He likes sugar on his porridge.”
Response: “No *TRUE* Scotsman sugars his porridge.”
Dave R. is correct. As the evidence (provided below) shows, voters are NOT “fleeing” the GOP. To the contrary. Party registration is up. Voter participation is up. So, what does Jeff argue? “The new voters aren’t *TRUE* republicans.”
Maybe not. All I know: they have registered as republicans. They call themselves republican. They vote for and donate to republicans. They turn out for republican events. What tells us these good Americans aren’t TRUE republicans, beyond your opinion? Because that’s subjective, bro, to say the least.
Jeff admits Dusty Johnson is a nice guy. Then Jeff says: “a congressman he is not.”
Well, Dusty is a man. Dusty was elected to the U.S. Congress. So, Dusty is a congressman. QED Right?
Expected Response: He’s no *TRUE* congressman because…. reasons. Endless, long-winded reasons.
GOP Election Performance 1996 – 2016
Trump 63 million votes
2012 61 million
2008 60 million
2004 62 million
2000 50 million
1996 38 million
And locally…
SD Registered Republicans in the Trump Era
2019 261,000
2018 257,000
2016 252,000
2014 241,000
The fastest growing registration in SD are Independents. They are sick of both parties.
You raise a fair point. Over the last 5 years in SD:
Independents increased ⬆️
Republicans increased ⬆️
Democrats DECREASED ⬇️
Friar Occam’s Razor says most of the newly-registered independents are likely disaffected dems. Given their latest FEC scandal, I’d expect the trend to persist.
Jeff, Well written and reasoned! I have visited with a number of traditional Republicans that have the same concerns as you along with more sensible, moderate Democrats that are very concerned about what has happened to their political parties. Is it time to start new political parties that are non-fringe? It is a colossal task.
Actually, some time ago, I was a traditional Republican. I dropped that about 20 years ago when it became apparent Republicans wanted to do the same thing as Democrats, only slower. I have usually voted Republican, but will not allow my name to be on their list. When Donald Trump ran, I gravitated towards him. What I like about him is he is not a “traditional” Republican. He has gone in and upset the apple cart. So if what Trump is forming is the “new” Republican party, I am in.
Trump is the new party. He is neither Republican or Democrat. He almost ran an the Reform ticket.
Fringey Neal Tapio attacking Dusty Johnson from the right. California Liberal Jeff Lassle attacking Dusty Johnson from the left.
Sounds like Dusty Johnson is where he needs to be for South Dakota.
That’s the first time anyone ever called me a liberal. FYI, there are twenty times more Republicans in California than the entire population of South Dakota and we call out those RINOs and those unfit for office and vote them out of office.
The number of republican voters in California far exceeds South Dakota’s total population. ✅
“There are 20 times as many republicans in California than the entire population of South Dakota” ❌
SD’s population x 20 is about 18 million.
There are 4.7 million republican voters registered in California.
Even if we assume ALL registered independents/ other are crypto-republicans, it’s not much more than 10 million.
Trump got 4.5 million California votes
Romney got 4.2 million
McCain got 5 million
GWB got 5.5 million
The # of republicans in Cali isn’t even 11 million, much less 17.8 million. Especially if you’re excluding RINOs. 😁
I stand corrected. Still more Republicans than any state in the union and 5 to 8 times more than the entire population of South Dakota. I was thinking of the total registered voter roll using 20 times.
Good gravy. You’re so desperate to be on the “winning team”. You’ve lost California (probably forever), so now you carpet bag your way to South Dakota politics to armchair quarterback.
You’re out of touch, man. I’m not a fan of all of Dusty’s policy positions, but even I can admit that he’s doing the job he was elected to do: represent our fair state in Congress. You represent Jeff Lassle. The choice is obvious, and it looks like you chose the wrong team again.
California may be lost forever. HRC — not the world’s most charismatic & appealing candidate — won California by > 4 million votes! I can’t see Biden, Liz Warren, Pete B., or Kamala losing California next year. Especially if Castro or Harris is the VP.
Don’t they have a political blog you can bore people at?
Dusty has been more effective than I ever expected a first-termer could be.
Plus, he’s accessible.
I just love it when the Californian tells South Dakotans how to vote. Me thinks he should concentrate on his train wreck of a state first. We seem to be doing pretty well here without his advice.
I’m from South Dakota back to help diversify SD economically by placing a company here. I guess you don’t want that? Yes, California is a one party government like South Dakota and yes J and my colleagues have fought our entire careers taking on leftist state policies like the diesel rule and the formaldehyde rules by CARB. Not to mention Prop 23. Guess that qualifies right.
Jeff, so why should American companies be allowed to move out of country without any consequences. That is not being very American to me. Greed has been destroying our country by US corporations moving out of country because of slave labor. Put America first. It should be the American way to pay a living wage.
Tara, you tell me since you are a union supporter if you follow Trump who loves unions. Please inform us which companies moved to China and please note the reason companies import out of China rather than build factories here as US venture capitalists don’t invest in US entrepreneurs on projects outside internet, high tech, or solar projects so companies go to China where they will make the investment. Currently manufacturing companies can’t fill their workforce now so where are you going to get all these factory workers Tara? Mexico maybe?
Just to name a few Jeff, here is the short list…….http://www.jiesworld.com/international_corporations_in_china.htm
Yes Tara, and these companies also sell their products there and manufacture there because China is an emerging nation so US corporations set up operations there for its revenue potential. Most of these companies still manufacture in the US in combination with China. Its apparent most don’t understand how the economy and trade works.
Jeff, you bring this on yourself by being such a troll. We get it . . . you are smarter than Dusty (and us all).
Give your one note a rest.
Jeff, come home
I have seen this before: perfectly sensible person moves to California, stays out in the sun too long, comes back as a raisin, doesn’t realize he’s the one with the problem.