This is one that is not going to build unity among the members of the South Dakota Republican Party.
The South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance is led by Jim Eschenbaum. Or at least, according to the South Dakota Secretary of State, with a screenshot taken today by yours truly:
Right there. Chair Jim Eschenbaum, Treasurer Tina Mulally. Interestingly, that would be the same chair and treasurer for the South Dakota Republican Party:
I also believe Phil Jensen’s wife Janet (now party Vice Chair) is in the thick of the property rights group.
Why do I bring this up? Because Eschenbaum’s SD Property Rights Group JUST released a scorecard and of the 32 Republican Senators, Eschenbaum gave 12 of them “F” failing grades, including Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff.
Literally, the new South Dakota Republican Party Chairman just attacked half of the Republicans in the Senate, and gave ammunition to their opponents for the next election, including attacking the Senate Majority Leader.
Eschenbaum, just handed ouf F’s to Arch Beal, Casey Crabtree, Sydney Davis, Randy Diebert, Helene Duhamel, Steve Kolbeck, Senate Republican Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, Paul Miskimins, Tim Reed, Steph Sauder, Kyle Schoenfish and Glen Vilhauer. Mike Rohl and Larry Zikmund were given D’s.
I have to say handing out an “F” grade to Arch Beal with one hand and asking him to make a donation with the other one is probably not going to sit well with Arch. Especially coming from the same guy who declared on Tuesday how he was an Obama voter in 2008 & 2012. (Eschenbaum may very well get a poke!)
I can’t help but wonder if there’s going to be a Republican party by the time Obama supporter Jim Eschenbaum is done with it?
This is what happens when the actual RINOs in the state party elect a Democrat to lead them.
Yet, they claim to be the ONLY “True Conservatives” (TM)… Every one of them is a fraud
Wiik was never recalled. I suspect Eschenbaum will be. None of the people at the meeting really knows him.
I doubt 20% of his voters knew he voted for Obama or supported tabulation machines.
I don’t think 20% of his “supporters”, aka Rinos recruited by Tom Brunner, even knew who he was period.
These “F” rated legislators can expect a primary opponent supported by the new SD GOP and SD Right to Life. Lincoln Day dinners will be used to gather signatures for any Independents wanting to run against said Republicans.
It seems to be an appropriate scorecard. Other groups put them out as well. The see saw ( buzz saw) will tip in the other direction on other cards: gun rights, social, AFP, for example.
You’re missing the point. Does Eschen-bama stand on one side of the podium to attack them, and the other to defend them?
Anonymous at 11:25 AM, if you think this is appropriate you are probably one of those people who show up at Lincoln Day dinners wearing t-shirts and no deodorant. You don’t even know what the word “appropriate” means.
I would hope that Republican Majority Leaders fail Democrat groups scorecards.
Jane Fonda paid for it. Real Republicans should fail it.
SD Senate Assistant Majority Leader Carl Perry was graded a C +. on the scorecard.
100th legislative session will go down in history as the worst with voters sending the opposite of their districts best and brightest.
I agree as South Dakota we should be ashamed of what we sent to Pierre this year
Interesting grading scale. When I was in school 28% was certainly NOT a D. Seems like this democrat is inflating grading scales too…
And an 85% was certainly not an A-. He is clearly protecting his “friends”
If Jane Fonda hates you, you must be doing something right!
Jim Obama can move back to Chicago.
It’s time to boycott Lincoln Day dinners….
No lincoln day dinner ever really changed anyone’s mind about who they were going to vote for. They’re useful for constitutional office candidates, and for getting petition signatures.
Otherwise, people need to stop giving the party money if they are going to use it to beat you in the primary.
Exactly the opposite advice of what needs to be said. People need to get involved. They need to attend events and they need to actually participate in the party. Walking away from the gop will have negative consequences that impacts a position of extreme importance at some point.
I think there are ways to engage, but they’ll do a lot less damage if they have to go raise their own money to do it.
*edit*
Here’s one great way to engage – support South Dakota Teenage Republicans. They’re being helped back by Catherine Barranco, and it’s a great way to support a group untouched by the party bosses who are trying to ruin the SDGOP. https://dakotawarcollege.com/release-exciting-start-to-spring-for-south-dakota-teenage-republicans/
I think I might skip the LDDs and just go to fundraisers for particular candidates. The SDGOP has become a huge embarrassment
Voita rated 100% as was California Carley along with the other most politically extreme legislators. Hulse jumped on board the crazy train too.
Weirdos.
To be fair, Hulse represents the dumbest District in the state. She has an obligation to support dumb things.
She has to be dumb to support dumb. Then what good is she to a reasonable pro business republican conservative? Argument invalid.
Please note that Hulse isn’t dumb. She’s entirely disingenuous and extremely manipulative. But not dumb.
Schaefbauer?
Agreed. She is angling to be the next Kristi.
Eschen-bama is the perfect name. I believe it’s the first time in South Dakota history a Democrat has been elected as state gop chair.
I’d guess Arch Beal thinks the F stands for F%$# Y#$
Pretty short memory of some people on this page
“I, Dan Lederman, chairman of the S.D. Republican Party started out my adulthood as an Iowa Democrat.”
https://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/voices/2017/10/12/voice-ok-change-political-parties-america/106566902/
Yes Doug – When he turned 18 in high school. He changed when he moved to SD, oh, around 30 years ago. Unless you’re claiming Jim Eschenbama was 18 in 2012, it’s not terribly equivalent.
If the moment of conversion is important Dan wasn’t 18 in the late 90’s either, however it was only a handful of years before he first ran for office as a Republican much like Jim
“I made the realization about the time I moved to S.D., that Democrats no longer were accepting of what I believed in and I registered as a Republican,”
” Lederman moved west to South Dakota in the late 1990s”
https://www.jta.org/2011/06/03/politics/meet-dan-lederman-the-jewish-bail-bondsman-legislator-from-south-dakota
In case you missed it, the 90’s were 30 years ago.
Doug, stop trying to put lipstick on a pig. You elected a Democrat to lead the SDGOP and then you went along with this scorecard thing, attacking other Republicans in violation of Reagan’s 11th Commandment.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Doug, stop trying to convince yourself. It’s weak minded.
Eschew-bama. “F”
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!
Senator Jamie Smith got a higher score than me and Arch! And Senator Red Dawn Foster got a 100% A+ rating! Now that’s what I call a high quality conservative score card… I Love It!
These folks love their cherry picked scorecards. Welcome to the RINO club Jim!
JD good one. Jim gets ousted and “finally” sees the light. Lol.
I have been in the RINO Club for some time now JD. I am also a member in good standing of the WackaDoodle Club if you ask some folks.
I have never been one to stick my finger in the wind or play to a certain crowd. I do my research and I call it like I see it. I have been on the receiving end of a lot of unfriendly emails, but I sleep well most nights. I hope all is well in your world.
Hmmm. Typically you have to pick sides to win a leadership election. But I am glad you took the moral high road and still won the majority of votes.
While I haven’t ventured into whakadoodle land, my record is quite clearly conservative if one looks at the entire body of work not just a couple votes.
Honestly Jim, be proud of that grade, it means you’re using your brain and thinking about the legislation being considered. All is good in my world, hope yours is as well.
LOL. I just got the “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!” reference.
Our state GOP got overran by California liberals!
Not really. More like across the board chaos agents and extremists that are just “out to lunch.” Back in the old days those active in politics regardless of party would be polite to them but you made darn sure they were kept far away from any position of power.
It’s like having an employee that may be good at certain tasks but you sure as heck do not wanting them talking to customers being abrasive and drive business away.
Toby, Mykala, Dylan, Logan, Tom P. and the others would you move those sandbags off that pallet and place them over on that concrete slab? Then move those bundles of shingles over there? Nice simple tasks to keep them out of trouble and out of everybody’s hair.
The SDGOP is about as irrelevant as the SD Democrat party under Eschenbaum.
It’s time for Thune, Rounds, Dusty, Kristi, and Rhoden to reengage the party apparatus. Get involved.
This isn’t just bad for the GOP it’s bad for the entire state.
Eschenbaum is the king maker? What he says the voters are required to follow? Really what kind of democracy is that?
Hypocritical fools, every one of them.
Jim needs to be a better job explaining what some of the Y & N meant because I know he was in favor of SB49 and those Y votes were referring to going to the 41st day & not in favoring of the bill.
This is why the score card profiles are misleading. The folks behind them slant the facts to get their desired results. Very unethical.
Tamara Grove and Pischke received A- grades? Allowing hard drug users to remain out of prison and 15 year olds to get married constitutes good conservative work? WTH!
In my opinion the only A’s should have been given to those who received the F’s…They were the only ones putting SD first & not caving to the Radicals who threatened to get them voted out!
This is where the Conservatives with Common Sense Scorecard of Scorecards comes in handy. You can pull it out of your wallet or purse, flip to the page for the group of insaners, and do the multiplication of their grades by the CCSSS factor highlighted in red. That gives you the real grades.
grudznick hates saying “grudznick told you so” but grudznick told you so.
BuwahahahahaHAHAHAHA!
So how much will they spend to have this distributed in a mass mailing?
The SDGOP Inquisition is now sitting in judgment of republicans! Let the witch trials begin!
🙄