December 2020

Is it time for Ironic Johnny Thunebag ‘Mitch’s Boy’ to go? Yes, Yes and Yes.

l3wis December 25, 2020 19Comments

Trump’s recent assessment of Thune had me laughing, because it is true. John has been Mitch’s lap dog for a long time, that’s how he got to majority whip. I call him ironic because when he ran against Daschle he claimed Tom’s position of Majority Leader made him forget he was representing South Dakota. How’s that working out for you John?

John has been in Washington for 21 years (Congress 1997-2003, Senate 2005-present). What has he accomplished? Well if you look at his voting record, you could argue that he has done good and bad depending on your political views. In my opinion I think the only thing progressives and conservatives can agree on Thune’s actions is he has been good to veterans. In the Senate he sponsored 740 bills. Most of his bills have to do with military, abortion and agriculture.

Here are some highlights;

• Anti-gun safety and gun regulation

• Anti-choice and women’s healthcare funding

• Anti-environmental and agriculture regulations

• Anti-immigration

• Anti-employee and worker rights and safety regulations

• Massive tax cuts to the super rich

While it is probably easy to understand why a red state like South Dakota has continued to re-elect this conservative ass clown, the laws Thune has helped pass have actually kept our state in the stone age. I actually believe Kristi Noem when she says she won’t challenge Thune in a primary and is good friends with him, because they are political twins (I sometimes think they are the same person).

Can Thune be beat in 2022? Most would say NO. I would agree with that assumption in a Republican primary but not in a general. As I told someone once that I was helping to run for office, “Anyone is beatable, but you have to put in the work.” I think if the right candidate presents themselves they could beat Thunebag.

Before I get ahead of myself, I think the first step is the SD Democratic Party recruits someone this summer thru a full vetting and grooming process and announcing the candidacy next Fall. While I think the Democratic brand in South Dakota is extremely damaged, I don’t think a true independent could challenge Thune, they would need the backing of the National Democratic party. I also think you could find someone who is very moderate on the issues and could appeal to the conservatives. They also need to be willing to challenge Thune on all the issues, and be an incredible public speaker. Showing up as a candidate and making a good show of it is half the battle. If you roam around the cornfield and talk like a dolt, what’s the point? This is why recruitment is key to beating Thune. The campaign will be the easy part if you pick the right person.

Trump is right, it’s time for Thune to pack it up, but we need to replace him with a Democrat not another Republican lackey. I hope the Democratic Party in South Dakota gets moving on this . . . today!