I thought that was a pretty big flub by Greg by saying he would vote for Paul before the General Election if he wasn’t running, so this endorsement shouldn’t surprise us, just like Anderson’s endorsement of Loetscher.
I used this analogy with someone this morning when talking about the two candidates for mayor. I don’t like raw bananas or raisons. I can eat a raison if it is in something else like a cake or something, and I can eat banana flavored treats, but I don’t care for either by itself.
I know many voters are upset that their candidate didn’t make the runoff. Oh well, deal with it. You still have an obligation to vote. I felt the same way in the presidential election, but I had to vote for one of them.
So how do you pick a candidate when neither were your top choice?
Make a pros and cons list of both candidates. Include everything you like about them and everything you don’t like. Once you figure that out there are certain things you have to remove from the list; Race (this one is easy), Sex, Age (they are the same age), respective political party (this is a non-partisan race), Religion (they are both Christians) and their stances on national issues like abortion, foreign policy, etc. (this is municipal government folks).
Once you have your list your choice will be easy. So eat a banana or a raison, it won’t kill you and it’s your duty as a voter.
The MCR sent this email out this afternoon;
Friends,
There are stark differences between the two candidates seeking the Sioux Falls mayor’s office in the May 1 election. One is seeking a liberal social and anti-business agenda for the community and has the support of major Democrat players, and the other is Paul TenHaken.
I would agree, there is STARK differences. But Loetscher is anything but anti-business, and certainly NOT a socialist. The statement in itself if almost laughable. Anybody who had 8 jobs to work themselves through college, graduating TOP of her class is hardly a socialist, if anything that is the true definition of someone who supports free enterprise.
Paul needs your help.
I’m sure he does, because while Loetscher can easily get moderate and even conservative Republicans to vote for her, Paul will never win over people with a social conscience.
National liberal special interest groups are sending money and campaign staff to Sioux Falls to elect Paul’s opponent,
First I heard the ‘Liberals’ are sending in the ‘Army’. The one thing I have admired about Loetscher’s campaign is that it has pretty much been grassroots. I don’t really see a change in that strategy. But this line really cracked me up, because it is one thing to knock your opponent, but to flat out steal what they stand for? Really?
so it’s time all of us step up and help elect a leader with an executive leadership background, pro-business platform and transparent leadership style.
Loetscher has ran three companies. And still does, instead of hiding behind some secret contract for deed or lease agreement. A dog waste cleanup company, a bio-genetics company that tests animals for disease and a video marketing company that has clients like Coca-Cola and John Thune, and was put in charge of multi-million dollar budgets with her clients.
As for transparency, besides Greg Jamison, Loetscher was the ONLY candidate to come out on day one about transparency in government. When a Republican hack like TenHaken tells you they are for transparency in government all you have to do is ask him about tracking down twitter trolls or being involved with hiding state government workers websites that are a direct conflict of interest. Paul talks about transparency on the campaign trail, not when in office. While Loetscher talks about taking the door office of the mayor’s office, I can guarantee Paul will add more.
Over the next two weeks, your help knocking on doors and calling voters is Sioux Falls will be crucial to helping elect Paul.
Minnehaha Republicans
I will agree with one thing, Paul is going to need all the help he can get once people see through the smokescreen.
UPDATE: I guess a boilerplate email is going around, the Minnehaha/Lincoln County Republican Women are getting in the game now (Entire Email: WRep)
While most of it is very similar to the above email (just more rambling, typos and questionable grammar) this part stood out;
an optimistic and realistic agenda, a determination to assist our law enforcement officers  in making our city safer and more law abiding,
Between the two candidates only one of them has gotten legislation passed that protects victims of abuse and helps to train officers to recognize the signs of abuse. That person isn’t Paul.
We have had enough years of liberal progressivism, with Mayor Huether.
LMAO! The liberal progressive, Mike Huether?! Let me catch my breath for a moment. First off, Mike was handing out the cookies, but not to a bunch of lazy socialists, he was giving the farm away to wealthy developers and contractors any chance he could while letting the social issues in this town like crime, workforce development, affordable housing and diversity go in the crapper. This is what Corporate Welfare Republicans do, I’m surprised the GOP hasn’t welcomed the guy yet. He has made a lot of well known Republicans in Sioux Falls very rich.
As for transparency, that is neither a liberal or conservative talking point. Both sides support or should support open government. Neither side has the edge on that topic, even though I will say again, that Jamison and Loetscher were the only two to start talking about it in the beginning.
I know what you are thinking. Haven’t we been down this road already Detroit? Yes. But while we have our suspicions as to who probably signed off on it, we have never had confirmation.
If I was a betting man, it was probably signed off by the head guru, Mayor Huether. That large of a change order would have had his approval in some form or another.
But did he actually sign off on a document or directed one of his minions to do it verbally?
I don’t know. But I have to wonder if it will appear before the runoff election.
While council candidate Brekke was digging through city documents there was no inkling if she came across such a document, doubt she was even looking for it. But I also think her access and finding the confidentiality order has led OTHERS to start digging around.
I know that some in the media and even within city government have gotten rather curious after Brekke’s press conference and I wouldn’t doubt some other documents will appear, soon. Will the change order suddenly rear it’s ugly head?
Even if we do find the smoking gun, I’m sure none of us will be all that surprised that it was the butler in the billiard room using the candlestick.
I’m not sure if it is against any campaign laws for a church to endorse a candidate. We have often heard of different churches getting involved with politics at the pulpit. When Thune was running against Daschle many Catholics had complained to me that priests were endorsing Thune from the pulpit because he was Anti-Choice. I’m a big believer of separation of church and state. What does the Bible say? Well it is a bit cloudy;
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” – Romans 13; 1-2
But I’m also a big believer of the 1st Amendment and the right of anyone to speak their mind. If a pastor wants to endorse Paul personally that is his right. But can he really do it from the pulpit or from the church’s FB page?
But is this situation different because of the non-profit status of churches?
As you can see, Paul’s charity organization, TenFold (Dutch Mafia) gave a substantial amount of money in 2016 to his church. Of course at that time, he hadn’t announced he was running for mayor, even though there was rumors about it. FULL IRS DOC:Â Church-IRS-2016
So legal beagles, is this questionable?
l3wis