Hickey One-Week Campaign Result of Missed Voice Mail

Kevin Woster's article today on the GOP horserace for South Dakota's lone House seat is chock full of little goodies. Pastor Steve Hickey tells Woster R. Blake Curd's contributions to Tom Daschle should concern Repbulican voters. Hickey says he entered the race to give GOP voters a better choice.

But Hickey reveals he wouldn't have thrown in if he had just checked his voice mail:

Some looked to Hickey, and he entered the race. But within hours of his announcement, he learned of Noem’s. Hickey said he wouldn’t have run if he had known her plans.

“She left me a voice mail a couple of days earlier, and I just didn’t get it,” he said.

Less than a week after he entered the race, Hickey withdrew. He also endorsed Noem, saying he didn’t want to divide the vote that would go to her [Kevin Woster, "Long After Abortion Wars, Resentment Toward Chris Nelson Lingers," Rapid City Journal, 2010.02.28].

Note to candidates: before a big announcement, always check your voice mail (and your e-mail, and your Facebook, and your blog comments, and whatever the heck else you're connected with). And Kristi, maybe next time, if you call the guy Sunday, and you know he's announcing Tuesday, try calling again Monday!

I've told Pastor Hickey that I will do everything in my blogging powers to ensure he doesn't win whatever public office he runs for. But I'll still give him credit: the man can change his mind, and he's willing to admit a mistake. And to soothe my fundagelicophobia, Pastor Hickey shows he can defer to a woman seeking a leadership position.