Video from Neal Tapio presser yesterday, notes running for office is “same duty as it takes to sign up for military.”

Pat Powers

Republican activist Florence Thompson has started a facebook page where she provides coverage to issues and candidates she supports on the page SD Trumpet, and yesterday she recorded the press conference Neal Tapio held.

In the video, Tapio notes the strength of his commitment for politics and points out that “..running for office is an honor. It’s a duty. The same duty as it takes to sign up for the military. We don’t ask to take the tough decisions. I didn’t ask to handle meandered waters. I didn’t ask to do any of these issues. I chose to because it’s the right thing to do.”

You can catch more of Thompson’s videos at https://www.facebook.com/SD-Trumpet-1378130172259038/

58 thoughts on “Video from Neal Tapio presser yesterday, notes running for office is “same duty as it takes to sign up for military.””

    1. Chplraj, I think I get your statement and I agree…to a point.

      I watched Beck interview a vet at CPAC who was running for office. He talked about his duty to serve in the military and his duty to serve the people. I can’t remember his name, I think he was from the east coast. I do know he had lost a leg from the war he fought in.

      Joining the military is brave and courageous. Did you hear of the British Special Forces that held back ISIS until the Americans came? Very moving and chilling to hear the pact they made to fight until the end avoiding their torture and murder to be filmed and shown to their families and fellow countrymen. I don’t criticize people who choose not to join our military and the same for people who talk about our forces without serving. We love our vets and all the people who support them, even if they don’t always get it.

      Thanks for you service, Chplray.

  4. I want to thank Neal Tapio for his service. It must be scary when that gavel drops, or Stace Nelson starts yelling at Deb Peters.

    1. You took the gasp right out of my mouth! Serving in the legislature is so minimal, when compared to soldiers sleeping in the desert and being shot at, I’m not sure how anybody could even remotely make that moral comparison!!!

    2. MM – I doubt that’s a comparison he would support too. His number was listed a couple posts back, you could call him for clarification. I see it as a “duty” comparison.

      This meandering issue is a hot topic and can get quite heated when debated. While with friends and family, farmers can have a sharp tongue talking about this issue. Could we compare farmers’ passion to soldiers’ passion…probably.

      Perception is important.

      1. I absolutely agree that both parties are passionate on that issue. Every legislator who has served for the last decade has been in the same hot seat regarding meandering waters. Every legislator gets beat up on that issue, no matter which side you are on. But even so, as a former legislator, I took some beating regarding dealing with that issue too, It comes with the decision to run for office. I am not minimizing this issue, but it is not the same.

        And if a person is going to go on record with various statements on this or that, one has to choose their statements wisely because that’s how your constituents learn who you are and what you are about. Admittedly I have said some dumb things on record that came back to slap me too. More than one statement, quite honestly 🙂 You have to learn from it. The standard gets even tougher when a person runs for higher office positions.

  6. A few thoughts.

    We need more veterans running for office. period.

    They automatically get a step up in stature in my eyes when I evaluate candidates, i know of the sacrifices they have made for all of us. It is not just loss of life and limb, but also the many days, months, years they are away from their family, friends while we are not in harms way…combat veterans are even higher in my mind, they have truly put their lives on the line and many times paid a tremendous price in their service…let alone just putting their careers on hold and families on hold to go and keep us all safe and allow everyone else who has not served.

    This speech would come a lot better coming from a veteran…as I understand it neither Mr. Tapio, nor Mr. Johnson or Ms Krebs have served one day in the military.

    2. 11:07 – I agree as well.

      However, do not forget there are veterans and current servicemen/women who do not hold the same passion for our freedoms and the Constitution as the majority of our military patriots. Here are some examples: Chelsea Manning, West Point cadet who wrote ‘Communism will win’ in his cap and “hate speech” hoaxes, I think those were at West Point too.

      Just because you haven’t served doesn’t disqualify you from talking about and supporting our forces. Just as fathers are not disqualified from talking about pregnancies and babies, many male doctors deliver babies daily. There may not be as much insight because of certain experiences, but it’s worthy to be heard.

      1. And I agree with this as well. The strength of the citizen legislature is how diverse the population is, because it brings an enormous amount of wisdom to the broad range of topics that comes before the legislature.

  8. MM – Yep, it’s not the same and I don’t think Tapio sees it that way either. You took a jab at someone you seem to disagree with. Maybe because you were “beat up” that’s just business as usual for you?

    Yep, constituents are smart enough to decide for themselves who to support and who not to. Oh, except Trump supporters, they’re uneducated. Everyone has different standards, for different people in positions of power. My standard for my pastor is different than for my district reps. We all make mistakes, it’s what you do after that shows deep character. What Tapio said was not a mistake, from my point of view, and you can read why from my other posts.

    Perception is important and everyone has advice…would you like to hear my advice for you? Probably not;)

    1. And I disagree with you. But that’s ok. Debate is debate. And I disagree with Senator Tapio on this as well. And I am a trump supporter and have been since he threw his hat in the ring. Call me uneducated.

      2. 12:48 – I didn’t call you uneducated. I support our president too, but you’d know where I got that statement if you visited SDWC more often. I’ll help you: it seems a J school teacher is having their students do a case study on me and my thoughts. At one point the teacher said I was “uneducated” and full of “right-wing nonsense”. I was mocking them with the statement you felt you should comment on. Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.

        Great, you disagree, why? I see the comparison Tapio makes to duty, not battlefield. Diana below sees it the same way I do. Nothing wrong with debate. I listen to many debates, you know, to help educate myself.

        1. I do visit quite a bit. I just choose not to comment most of the time.

          And I know. The trump supporter, in general, is considered ignorant and uneducated. I wasn’t offended.

          Here is where I believe his mistake is. Not in the sense of duty and honor and serving in an elected capacity. Absolutely agree. The mistake is the choosing to put those two issues together. I served in the legislature. In my opinion, to compare the time that I, as an elected official spent in office with the sacrifice of my family members that served in the military, is the mistake. I don’t think they belong in a comparison because the call to honor and integrity may be comparable, but the sacrifice is not.

          1. MM – It’s a comparison about duty not battlefield. Why do you insist on changing his narrative? He can put those issues together. I put farmers’ passion for property rights on the same level as soldiers’ passion for our Constitution. There’s nothing wrong with that.

            I didn’t say you needed to comment. I said you have not followed the comment section or you’d know about why I made the ‘uneducated’ statement. I’m pretty sure you were a little offended otherwise you would’ve not addressed it.

            I think this one is agree to disagree.

        2. I think you’re trying to play the “gotcha” game with me, MM. You can try, but I spend time in some of the toughest comment sections. Lots of debating and learning that takes place. I’ve been schooled a time or two, helps one grow to fail. Would you like to continue our *debate*, I think I could help teach you;)

          Everybody’s got advice.

          1. Aaah. I see now. You are one of those folks who like to think that your opinion has more value than others and that you are smarter than everyone else. Debates with folks who think that way are fruitless.

            1. Yep, you got it, that’s what I am. You know me based on the comments I’ve made here. Just like I know what type of person you are, right? Want me go into name-calling with you?

              I generally back my statements up with facts. And, just to make it clear to you: I don’t think I’m any better than you, but you won’t believe me because you already have a set perception of who I am. See where that wall came up for you?

              You’ve clearly been offended and that shuts the conversation off. Maybe next time. I do appreciate your thoughts;)

              1. Clarification..I don’t think I’m smarter or my opinion has more value than yours or others; “better than” you isn’t what you said, but I perceived it that way.

        3. To clarify, KIM … that was a post from a student and it’s what prompted me to inform you of our study. Try and quit faking it. You’re not Tonya Harding’s mother. lol Just kidding. (Let her see this post, Mr. Powers please.)

          1. My name’s not KIM, but you can call me whatever you want, your students do.
            Quit faking what? That your class hates me? Remind me who their leader is? Is it the person encouraging them to comment? The person who insults me? Oh, oh, you were just kidding right? It’s okay to hate speech if you’re kidding.

            Your student posted Anonymous, just like you do. Am I suppose to know who you are and who they are if you both post using the same name? I hope a student is doing a counter study on Leftist commenters, they’re not are they?

  9. It’s one thing to take a hit for “The Team” in a newspaper article but to lay that down on the same turf as “Taking a Bullet” and possibly dying for folks you do not even know back home is to me disgusting.

  10. Such a disingenuous and twittipated group of harpies, here. Are you questioning the depth of conviction and call to service when someone heeds their inner pang of conscience and decides they must undertake an unpleasant and dangerous task despite their understanding of personal cost? Was Neal Tapio putting the degree of peril on similar terms? Only to someone facile and intellectually dishonest enough to engage in the constant ‘gotcha’ game that triggers the 2016 gag reflex of average citizens who are sick to death of career politicians and the games they play. And the comments they leave on blogs to try and shape the narrative of a race they clearly don’t yet understand.

    Keep chirping.

    1. Shad, there’s something on the end of your nose.

      You should check.

      I think It might be Neal’s ass.

    2. establo-crats: Chirp, chirp, chirp…can you hear me;) Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We too are sick and tired of the games politicians play and sick and tired of being lied to. Ask for a debate and what do you get…nothing. Ask for clarification about where a politician stands on specific issues and you get the run around, if you get an answer at all.

  11. Mis and disinformation in the comments. No one is saying that working as a politician equates to going to battle to protect the country. What is trying to be conveyed is that people who are in office should be bound by the same oath that soldiers take. They should be held to the same standards that soldiers are. They should have the inegrity and balls to stand up for the US citizens they serve and are accountable to. They should be going to battle for citizens while holding office. Neil did not say his role as politician equates to enlisting in the military. He says that running for office is a duty and responsibility and an honor. Like enlisting. Too many politicians consider it a position to advocate for personal agendas and to harvest taxpayer money. It is long forgotten that political office should equate to duty, honor, and integrity, and responsibility. Instead it is the breeding ground of the corrupt, elite, and treasonous, who burn the midnight oil doing battle for non citizens and disrespecting and ignoring the very people that have sacrificed to keep them safe. It is time to honor the real heros of the country. It is time to realize that politicians have the same responsibility to this country and its citizens that soldiers do. They take an oath of iffice. too. Now we are calling on them to honor that oath to the citizens of this country.

    1. Many of us agree with you, Diana, and some of those in agreement are soldiers. I shared an example above. Others seem to just want to share the hate they have for people they disagree with. Oh-well.

    2. “running for office is an honor. It’s a duty. The same duty as it takes to sign up for the military”

      Isn’t that exactly what he said?

  12. I think he’s advocating to be a character in the next installment of the Call of Duty video game franchise – Call of Duty: State Legislature. All of us gamers are ready to wait in line all night when that one comes out.

    1. Great insight, Sage. Have you ever heard of Gamergate? I bet you’d be interested in that topic.

  13. When you sign up to run for office one should be going to war for the people not the party or special interests. It’s a battle……..Shouldn’t be that hard to understand, unless you are politically correct. Senator doesn’t fit that category of political correctness. He get’s right to the point.

  15. Thanks Anon. I advocate for candidates that are open and honest with the people. It’s about time we have candidates like Tapio and Hubbel that put SD first. Drain the Swamp!

  17. I think it’s very easy to understand. Just listen. He equates running for office with joining the military. And then he goes on to say how hard it is to be a legislator. The statement is extremely insulting to service members and full of delusions of grandeur.

  18. No it is not insulting. He had a mother of a fallen soldier and a disabled veteran speak. Get over the political correctness and focus on the issue. This isn’t UC Berkley.

    1. Serving as a legislator is not even close to the sacrifice of serving in the military. I don’t understand how stating so is considered political correctness? And to be likened to implying that whomever is stating so is liberal and in the same vein as the political correctness associated with Berkeley. I am not quite understanding that.

      1. MM – I understand Tara’s comment. I think we all agree with you about sacrifice. The comment Tapio made was comparing duty. Stop attempting to change his narrative. No worries, I know my thoughts don’t matter to you

          1. MM – They do matter to me or I wouldn’t engage you. I think you take issue with me because I called you out. You know Tapio’s statement was about comparing duty between two types of service jobs, not about the sacrifice. I think you don’t like him and were taking a stab at him, that’s all.

            Tara and I disagree on certain issues, but can also find common ground and agree on other topics. I hope we can do that too;)

            1. I don’t have an issue with you. I also don’t feel “called out”. I stated my opinion on the mistake I believe he made in the comparison. Plain and simple. As far as like or don’t like a person. Just because I don’t agree with someone, doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I have a lot of people that I have a differing opinions with and still call them friends.

              We may end up agreeing on another issue. But it won’t obviously be on this one.

    2. Not to bad yourself, Tara.

      Agreed, Tapio’s statement is not insulting to all service members. Perspective is important!

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