Argus Leader Reporter Dana Ferguson had an article late last week posing the question “Why don’t more women run for office in South Dakota?” She explored a variety of reasons, and in one instance, one female officeholder (Kristi Noem) offered a glimpse of the ugly side of why women don’t run:
And even when women can strike the right combination, they run up against some who aren’t willing to consider them as a candidate solely because of their gender.
“There’ve certainly been individuals along the way that have said or done things that made me realize that maybe I didn’t have the right body parts to ever get their support,” Noem said.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to watch that attitude roll out in real-time, as it has been doing in this years’ Sioux Falls School Board race.
Sioux Falls blogger Scott Ehrisman, who has also dubbed himself ‘Detroit Lewis,’ has a long history of attacking people he doesn’t like, such as last year when he called Sioux Falls police “piggies” and claimed they stuff themselves on free meals.
And last night he was no different as he attacked Sioux Falls School Board Candidate Cynthia Mickelson on the basis of her gender as an “old house wife Republican,” and added teachers to his hate list for good measure:
Sioux Falls Education Association is rumored to endorse Mickelson
In one of the most bizarre moves I have ever seen a teacher union association pull, they are rumored to have endorsed a well known Republican for school board. It’s not like she is just some regular old house wife Republican, she is married to a staunch Republican lawmaker who is anti-union and anti-organized labor.
and…
It’s almost an insult to teachers that this person is running, than they endorse her? Baffling! The half-penny sales tax only passed because the chicken-shit Democrats voted for it also.
and…
Also, teachers typically are not big on voting, and take into account that a large percentage of them can’t vote because they live outside district.
In the past, Ehrisman had previously come out as a strong supporter of candidate Randy Dobberpuhl, who is running in the race, which might go a long way to explain some of his bias. Unfortunately, that bias has expressed itself in misogynistic comments which bring Ferguson’s article to life, as Ehrisman works trying to minimize and belittle Mickelson’s candidacy as one of an “old house wife.”
It’s not the first time he made such a dismissive comment about a female candidate being in the race. As when the seat opened up, Ehrisman had offered a backhanded comment:
Either way, Doug Morrison has decided to NOT run for another term, so it will be an open seat. While no one has formerly announced, I guess the Tuthill Fairies have been in high gear to replace Doug with a ‘McKennan Park Mommy’.
Read that here. And after Mickelson entered the race, he also added this poke at her…
I encourage Cynthia to run on her qualifications instead of her husband’s connections.
Deriding a female candidate as an “old house wife” or a “McKennan Park Mommy,” or trying to claim that she’s running on “her husband’s connections” seems to be going beyond what most would consider legitimate political differences into making one question if Ehrisman just has a thing against mothers in general, or dislikes all women who run for office?
It also make you wonder if he’s bothered to even research Cynthia Mickelson’s qualifications:
I don’t think there’s any doubts about Mickelson’s qualifications. Except for those who have a permanent membership with to the “he-man woman haters” club.
If Ehrisman’s attacks on Mickelson weren’t enough, he also had to add a backhanded comment about how “teachers typically are not big on voting.”
“Teachers typically are not big on voting?” Did he really say that? I’m not sure if he’s intentionally playing the fool, or if it’s an ingrained character defect. Just in case you actually might believe his insult to teachers…
Do teachers vote at high rates compared with average citizens? The answer is clearly yes, ….. Teachers who live in their districts were from two to seven times more likely to vote than other citizens were.
Why do teachers turn out at such high rates? The answer may well be that they have an occupational self-interest other citizens don’t have. But this claim needs to be tested, for there is clearly a plausible alternative: that teachers are not only better educated and more middle class than the average citizen, but also more public spirited, more committed to public education, and thus more likely to vote in school-board elections regardless of their personal stakes.
Wow.
The best response to what is utter trash is to urge Sioux Falls residents, as well as the hundreds of teachers in the District who WILL vote, to go out and show Mr. Ehrisman that he is wrong, wrong, WRONG!
And to cast your ballot for an attorney, grant writer, professor, community service board member, and yes, an involved mother who wants to give back to her community.
Scott is a great example of someone who thinks he has more influence that what he has. Always complains but does not step up to the plate and run for office.
I do remember Detroit Lewis left wing hate on this site. Name calling and the likes. Good to put a name with it. Cynthia is an outstanding candidate regardless of her gender. It seems the left is always more apt for identity politics. Dividing and spewing hate. They claim the right is responsible but it’s usually the left. Remember Clean Cut Kid? He slammed the right for not paying our fair share and how regressive our tax system is then embezzlers 400,000 from his employer. Do as I say not as I do.
Who embezzled $400,000 from his employer?
http://www.dakotavoice.com/200707/R/20070730_BE.html
100,000 not 400,000
Maybe it has always been this way but it is certainly the case in today’s world and this specific situation that MRS. Mickelson has been an integral part in the political success of MR. Mickelson.
Scott’s assertion she is someohow trading on the accomplishments of her husband is BS and shows the Neanderthal he is.
Public service is a Team Mickelson vocation.
P.S. Some men have a problem handling someone as tenacious as Cynthia. If you want every rock turned in pursuit of better education, I can’t imagine someone better than her.
It would not surprise me that Cynthia is the rockstar in her capabilities. 🙂
Am I the only one who thinks that Mark married someone who looks a lot like his mother?? Pretty cool…
How is that relevant? Not able to think of a comment concerning our students’ future? Pretty cool…
Geez, I certainly feel sorry for people who can’t stand it when someone just says something nice.
I blame it all on Dick Nixon. It all started, when he said, he was “proud of the fact that Pat Nixon wears a good Republican cloth coat….”
Checkers Speech
1952
As a single mother working in reproductive rights advocacy, feminism and supporting women is absolutely inextricable from the values the drive my decisions.
It is NEVER acceptable to tear down the opposition based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation… If Scott can’t find any factual basis for opposing Cynthia’s campaign (other than his endorsement of another candidate), he probably has never met her.
I am as progressive as they come, but I know and respect both Mark and Cynthia Mickelson, and believe she would be an excellent school board member.
Don’t forget to keep it on topic, please.