Now that Huether has turned the race into a partisan affair, one wonders what is at stake for both parties.
On the Democratic side, they view Mike as a rising star in the party and the mayoral seat as a stepping stone. If he gets elected, and is successful as mayor, he could run for governor or even US Senate. Trust me, Mike may be telling you to your face that this is non-partisan, but it is pretty clear he wants this to be a win for Democrats. As Argus Leader political reporter Jonathan Ellis said the other day on his and Patrick Lalley’s web program, “(Republicans) May be looking to choke the baby in the cradle.”
And that brings us to Staggers. It is no secret that Kermit isn’t your typical Republican, and it shows in who votes for him. He has wide support amongst all parties, but how does his party feel about him? Do Republicans want a true fiscal conservative with Libertarian beliefs, such as civil liberties, representing their party as mayor of Sioux Falls? Who knows? It was clear that Pat Costello was their dog in the race. Are they willing to look past Kermit’s big ‘L’ behind his name just to pull off a win for their party, or more importantly stopping Huether?
I truly wish Mike would not have brought partisanship in this race. I support Kermit for his values, his intelligence, his transparency and his willingness to work with ALL citizens, not just the special interests. I could care less if he was a Republican or a Democrat.
I want to give a little ‘Liberal’ advice to my Republican friends, let Mike be the partisan candidate, leave Kermit out of it. That means, let’s stop talking about gay rights and the Freemasons. While these are huge political debates, they play no part in a mayoral race.