Well isn’t that the $64 thousand dollar question?
The rumor mill going around is that Billie is being actively recruited.
Is this bad? No, and while I prefer a candidate that isn’t Republican Light, he is the only Democrat in the state with enough clout to challenge her, especially if he gets the National Party behind him.
Noem is beatable, but you have to convice the indies and moderate Republicans in the state who haven’t been happy with the crazy Trump train she has been driving.
Hopefully if Sutton is running he will announce ASAP. There is NO time to waste.
I respectfully disagree. Noem is not as popular as Thune or Dusty, but her support is rock solid. A rematch of Noem and Sutton would be a 57/43 race.
A Democrat running in a non presidential year in South Dakota has a greater burden to overcome, than normal.
Plus, Noem’s covid policies have impressed the one wing of the GOP which I think she was weak with in 2018, and that’s those libertarian/conservative men within the SDGOP who for misogynistic reasons either voted for Sutton in ’18, or neither.
Red states like South Dakota are becoming increasingly polarizing, which will make it easy for Noem to play the classic anti-socialism card in South Dakota in 2022, and thus, stay in power.
Trust me, when it is all said and done, any Republicans who question, or are embarrassed by Noem, will come home to vote for her in 2022.
Dusty isn’t vulnerable until 2024, when it will be a presidential year and he is on the ballot without a senate or gubernatorial race as well. Some Dusty fatigue will probably set in then, but it will still be a tough race for the Dems to win.
Now, let’s talk about Thune. Thune has shown popularity below 60% in recent polls, which is still healthy, but it shows a gradual decline in his popularity. Also, I think Thune’s popularity is not solid, but rather a mile long and an inch deep. If any statewide candidate in South Dakota can be beat in 2022, it’s Thune. But sadly the SDDP, the DNC, and the national press will put all of their emphasis on Noem and blow it.
A race against Thune would be tough, but I think you could develop a successful wedge between him and South Dakota Trumpsters. Plus, with the help of fate, Thune is up against the fourth term jinx when it comes to 2022.
Let me also add, that I think Sutton is the strongest candidate for the Dems to run in 2018, but he’ll lose. And let’s also hope, that if he runs again, that his running mate is a real Democrat and he doesn’t run those embarrassing commercials claiming to be anti-choice, pro-gun, and you got to be a Christian to run for governor.
( and Woodstock adds: “Yah, I’d rather go to AA, then drinking anything ‘lite'”….)
Billie Sutton embraces recreational marijuana and he wins. Going away.
The Democrats use marijuana as an issue, but it’s the Mary Jane which does the real using.
The new SDDP Executive Director spoke at Democratic Forum today. He talked about “values” and how Billie got more people to show up in Camp Cook, South Dakota then lived there back in 2018. Thus, I think it’s safe to say that Billie is running and not Troy. #AdlaiStevensonAnyone?
When Democrats recognize it’s all about Minnehaha, the Reservations, and 17 counties in east river is the day that Democrats might begin to win again in SD.
( and Woodstock adds: “Actually, I think I share a lot of the same values as our governor, but it’s the which, how, when, and implementation that makes us different”…. )
“Oh, and the ‘which, how, when, and implementation’ are known as ‘issues’, too”…. (“Hell, me and an anti-choice person both value life, but it’s the ‘choice’ that’s the issue”) …..