If Joe can work with this guy, he can work with anyone.
Okay, obviously some of the things I am going to say are going to be pretty crazy, and let’s face it, I really don’t think the Democratic Party in SD is this smart to cook up such a plan. But who knows?
It’s been bothering me for a while WHY the Dems wanted to put up two candidates for governor, especially since Mr. Lowe was well on his way in his campaign before the established members of the party dug a NO name (to the common voter) out of nowhere, Susan Wismer.
Don’t get me wrong, Wismer has a great resume (personally I think she should be running for SOS)* But Joe Lowe is clearly far ahead of Wismer in the polls, he has experience in virtually all levels of government, he is a former state employee, he answers questions honestly and the edge he has over Denny is that he KNOWS him, Denny was his former boss. Lowe also used to be a part of the SD GOP.
So what is my theory?
Last night when Huether was being interviewed by Brian Allen of KSFY, Allen asked Mike if he was running for governor, he avoided the question but didn’t rule it out.
So I ask, are the Dems trying to put up a sure LOSER (Wismer) against Denny so that Huether has the opportunity to slide in 2018? No question it would be much easier for a Democrat to win in 4 years since there will be no incumbents.
What disappoints me about this scenario is that Joe Lowe is an amazing candidate, and very capable of winning (especially if he can get some traction on EB-5 and the Mette case/ foster kids from CHS). Not only that, if Lowe does win, I think he would be a great Governor who would be ready to do the job on day one and his experience with the GOP would make him very prepared to work with Republicans. In other words, Joe wouldn’t be a one term governor.
It also doesn’t hurt that indy candidate Mike Myers will really stir things up with the debates and the conversation leading up to the election.
*My theory gets stronger when you consider the fact that the Dems haven’t put anybody up for the SOS position, even when they have someone as qualified as Wismer. Plus with all the scandals with Gant and him dropping out, you would think the Dems would be ready to pounce on this position in state government.
Nope, seems once again the SD Dems are prepping for the next election instead of the current one, but I certainly wouldn’t accuse them of being ‘visionary’.
I highly doubt that there is any conspiracies to dwell on here – think it’s just the SDDP being the SDDP. As for Mikey – frig, I didn’t think anything could get me to vote GOP anymore…maybe I’d just have to sit that one out.
Politicians are a necessary evil. I let things play out until up to the election. I’m registered independent. I’ve voted such but rarely. The better prime party candidate gets my vote. It’s usually a democrat but I did vote Reagan twice. State elections are complex because of the east/west river diversity. Sioux Falls elections trouble me. There’s strong innuendo they’re manipulated. I’ll always vote but it’s hard to enter the polling place knowing my vote doesn’t matter.
Based on my experience elsewhere I think hmr59 is right. The SDDP is too deflated and incompetent right now to execute any kind of real strategy. I’m guessing Wismer is running because she wanted to run and for no other reason than that. Her candidacy is the kind of thing you get when nobody’s minding the candy store. She’s reasonably qualified as it goes but lacks a focus or an angle. Her website gives people no clue as to why she’s running or what she stands for. It’s like “run for governor” was on her bucket list and she’s just checking it off.
Their candidate recruitment sucks because nobody thinks Democrats can win in South Dakota in the present political climate. They can’t build a bench because they’re so marginalized in the state legislature that few people with any real skill are going to take that trifling pay to hang out in Pierre and get nothing accomplished. Your feelings about Huether are well known but Sioux Falls municipal government is probably their best farm system right now since it’s one of the few places outside the college towns (Verm-Brookings-Aberdeen) where Democrats can win somewhat reliably.
Sadly, for those who value balance in politics, I suspect their only hope to get their foot back in the door is a major anti-GOP wave like in ’06 or ’08, but that almost certainly can’t happen until the GOP figures out a way to take back the White House and I wouldn’t be holding my breath for that one.