And while challengers typically seek as many debates as possible with incumbents, Weiland hadn't decided Thursday whether he would challenge the policy-savvy Herseth Sandlin face to face.
"I'll have to talk to my senior adviser about that first," he said, referring to Steve Hildebrand, a nationally recognized political strategist who helped President Barack Obama claim the White House in 2008 [Kevin Woster, "Kevin Weiland says it's not about political payback; 'I can win'," Rapid City Journal, 2010.03.26].
What you talkin' about, Weiland? Debates are free publicity. Standing next to the incumbent on stage, on camera, is instant cred that marketing can't buy. When someone asks if you want to debate a sitting Congressperson who can coast to victory on money, name recognition, and earmarks, the correct answer is "Yes, yes, YES!!!"
Take the hint from Woster: call for debates now. Make SHS answer hard questions face-to-face with you and the rest of us. The primary conversation about the direction of the South Dakota Democratic Party is exactly what your petition signers want.
Weiland needs to remember that in 2004 98% of House incumbents were re-elected. In 2006 and 2008, 94% won re-election. If he's a serious candidate, he needs to listen to you and get all the free publicity he can. No debates = no chance.
ReplyDeleteThe real question is, would SHE debate. If she calls him out, that means she's in trouble. Recall that it is ALWAYS the challenger who wants and needs the juice. This is a very interesting situation indeed. Usual rules do not apply.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin has been infamous over the course of the last few elections for being ducking nearly any and all debates.
ReplyDeleteExactly Pat. The one I'd like to see Kevin debate is Blake Curd. Doc to Doc... mano a mano. Good science is hard to come by here in SD among our lawmakers, as you know.
ReplyDeleteThere is an element of pole-vaulting over mouse turds about the whole Stephanie-doesn’t-represent-South Dakota-voters rant. She is a white bread, center-of the-road, pragmatic lawyer bringing home the bacon to a set of graying, recliner-bound channel-clickers.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't so much about righteous indignation as it is about middle-aged angst and short-guy's disease.
Why send a man to do a woman’s job?
The Earth is going septic, dick-twiddling notwithstanding.
Love the language, Larry. But after straining it through my bs filter and metaphor modulator at least 4 times, I still don't have a clue what that last post means. (...burp.)
ReplyDeleteBill, she's maintaining a solid environmental voting record and is already sitting on committees where she sees and acts on real data.
ReplyDeleteShe could afford to play politics with the reconciliation vote and made a tough decision to fold a marginal hand.
Answer: men are idiots and then Rome burns.
Larry, did I miss something here or did SHS vote NO on cap and trade? You call that a good environmental voting record?
ReplyDeleteSo, she's not Dennis Kucinich; it's unlikely he would get or stay elected in Slouth Dakota.
ReplyDeleteRead that confusing post one more time, Bill; don't expect many mea culpas from her.
Herseth has figured out that it is to her advantage to never actually answer any question. Rather she drifts off with Janklow-like verbiage about God, Motherhood, and Democracy, brave soldiers, stakeholders....stake holders?? Yup, those insurance companies that want a bigger piece of the health pie, etc.
ReplyDeleteWeiland needs to have enough actual ideas to run a "back porch" campaign and get press coverage doing it. He has time to knock on every door in SDakota.