Gubernatorial aspirant Steve Haugaard is apparently complaining to the media that Governor Kristi Noem won’t engage him, despite the fact he’s been kind of a jerk to her at times. According to KELOland:
She has refused so far to engage her Republican primary opponent, former House Speaker Steve Haugaard, on any kind of public platform, aside from appearing at private county Republican dinners.
That’s left Haugaard frustrated with time running short before the June 7 primary. A recent poll of self-identified Republicans by South Dakota State University faculty showed Noem leading Haugaard 61-17%.
I think that last point might be the big indicator. Noem leading Haugaard 61-17%.
The point might be made..
Was that the wind, or the sound of Steve Haugaard complaining about Noem ignoring him?
Are Lincoln Day Dinners “private”? That would seem to be a pretty big fallacy in this article. Any anyone go? And sure they sell tickets I guess, but if someone wanted to sit in the back and not eat I doubt anyone would care.
Looks like Noem is too busy in Arizona hanging out with Mike Lindell….see Austin Goss retweet…to deal with Haugaard unless she is crashing the party at Watertown Republican Women.
Haugaard hasn’t met a minimal level of viability. Noem could debate him if she wants – and it would be kind of fun to watch her beat up on him – but she will certainly win without debating him.
He hasn’t shown up for his own “campaign”, why would he expect Noem to show up?
What would a sitting, seasoned Governor possibly stand to gain by engaging in a debate with a challenger? Makes little sense to me.
All the way back to 1950, when I did Sig Anderson’s biography about that race, he told me how he wouldn’t debate his opponent. He said “no reason to draw a crowd for him”.
Still true today. The challenger needs to be viable enough to force a battle in the market place of ideas. The Governor’s opponent isn’t even close to proving himself in the marketplace of ideas
I’m not sure Steve has made it to the lemonade stand of ideas. His campaign has been awful.
Someday when I’m back in SD, we gotta have a beer and I’ll tell you what my Dad remembered of the primary against Sig when he worked for Foss.
Governor Noem’s feelings about Steve H. are irrelevant.
It is the Governor’s responsibility to her constituency, and to other prospective voters to debate Steve and stand-up to the scrutiny his team is bringing.
What is she afraid of?
We’d all like to get paid without working for it, I suppose.
Governor Noem’s political career has not been defined by taking on priority difficult and risky issues.
“Governor Noem’s political career has not been defined by taking on priority difficult and risky issues,” you actually wrote that? Really?
The list of “priority difficult and risky issues” Governor Noem has faced, take on and lead us through is far too long to even list here. Here’s just one to contemplate. Were you awake for the Covid pandemic, John? (it was in all the newspapers.)
Have you noticed that South Dakota’s economy is the best in the nation, John?
Do you recall that right to life laws have been strengthened during the Governor’s term, that your Constitutional Second Amendment rights have been enhanced, that women’s rights in sports have been protected and now codified as well? That’s just a few John,
Maybe you should consider thinking about what you write, you know fact check it, before you publish it.
Maybe you should check and see why SD wasn’t officially shut down for COVID! It was because 29 house members shut down Noem’s attempt to shut down SD via HB 1297 and then she took the praise when she saw it made her look good even though she didn’t do anything. She even made executive orders saying anyone over 65 had to stay home and wash their hands frequently like they were a bunch of toddlers. She did other executive orders that essentially shut down many businesses as well.
Noem is afraid to debate Haugaard because she has a rotten record and he’s a lawyer with facts. She’s running on looks and the GOP thinking she’s the living Statue of Liberty. She’s simply another RINO doing whatever Sanford who tells her to do. Maybe you should look into the facts more and stop repeating what the MSM tells you.
Ed! 💥💥💥
Where have you been? Best in the nation! Best ever!
I’ve been looking at what’s actually in those bills. She cuts down strong bills from people she doesn’t like and comes back with weakly worded bills on the same subject that anybody can get around. She spends more time running around the country showing off then taking care of the state. She still has us as a welfare state taking more money from the government then we generate for our own budget and she wants to spend more on useless stuff. How can you say she’s done so much great stuff. Everything she does has a strong name and a weak core. Now she’s trying to flush out conservative legislatures because they see through her phony exterior. I voted for her by the way. I thought she’d be great and all I’ve seen is let down after let down by another serve myself stepping stone politician. She’s not a conservative, she bully’s anyone who gets in her way or says something mean about her and if you’re in the house and say something she doesn’t like she’ll shut down every bill you bring forward no matter what it is just to spite you. I’m sick of seeing it! I just want a Governor with strong morals conservative values and who isn’t gonna be bought off or sleep their way up the totem pole.
Vote Smith
Smith is gonna be worse Haugaard has my vote he is at least a true conservative that has a history of voting for conservative values.
You won’t be able to vote for Steve in the general.
Then we’re screwed. If Noem would debate Haugaard he would have way more votes added that’s what she’s scared of.
“Never wrestle with a pig” comes to mind.
He’s had plenty of time to make his case to the voters and can’t even get to 20 percent.
Time to add “former candidate for governor” to the resume.