Cameraman Bruce weighs in on the election

Well here we go again. Another election season has passed and we are now already into the next. The election consultants and media pundits are eagerly awaiting another election season happening in less than two years. God help us, everyone….

On Monday, we in South Dakota received the news we have been expecting, Kristi Noem is running for governor of our fair state and we don’t know why. Will we ever know why she is running? Probably not the real reason(s).

Last week we learned Mark Mickelson was not going to be a candidate for the office held by his dad and grandpa. We join him in being thankful he bowed out. He is young enough to try someday to form a successful message for his political future to rest on. We don’t need people to run just because they are next. The 2018 Democratic presidential candidate proved it is a bad reason.

This election season was a surprise to many who thought forgone conclusions ruled the day. As we learned last Tuesday, November 8, 2016, forgone conclusions were wrong. Those of us who really talked with voters this year were warning of a wave election. A tidal force not likely to be understood by candidates and their supporters if they were not in the field really listening to the voters.

In Sioux Falls we had a change election in April and a record-breaking petition drive to try to reign in arrogant officeholders from their abusive practices.  We voters tried to signal to the candidates of our intentions, but tried and true routines are hard to break.  We witnessed more ineffectual Facebook games and other social media stuff to make it look like something was happening but again most of our candidates wasted time and money trying to look busy. What a waste. Even Paula Hawks is calling these clowns out;

Hawks said she was committed to working with the party to rebuild and didn’t feel that current party leadership gave her the support she needed in running her campaign against Rep. Kristi Noem.

“We need to put out the press releases and be ready to throw the punches,” Hawks said.

Both South Dakota “major” parties are in the process of imploding. Each for different reasons.

• Let’s get the Democratic Party reasons out of the way. Our Democratic Party refuses to let people in. They claim inclusive, big tent ideas but it is just lip service. If you are part of the special group of insider players you are asked to pay so they can play. If you have any experience to go with your gray hair, stay away. The Democratic Party knows how tap into Dakota progressive nature for ballot measures but destroy any good from it by not letting any one else play in their party.

• The Republican Party of South Dakota runs a winner takes all mentality. It is a Super Bowl played every two years. The party is controlled by entrenched players who control everything but the underlying goodness of the people who are really progressive in their souls. This inborn goodness is born out of the 1880’s progressive movement heritage of our region.  We can see it in the backstories seldom written about but always exploited by those in power. The GOP has always been a group with a label but not a clear direction other than power. We have legislative winners who are not part of the inner circle and never will be. Their election wins only matter in the backrooms of Pierre.

Those of us who have been politically active for decades are tired of the usual exclusionary practices of both parties. There will always be the people who vote for the same brand of candidates because they are running under “the” label.

The Democratic Party does nothing to make candidates, oh sure there is the couple of weeks where promises of help are made in attempts to get candidates but where are the off year training / teaching forums to build potential candidates? Where is the effort to build a financial network to support party building efforts? Is there ever going to be an effort to do outreach to the rest of the state? When will we have others allowed in the decision making process?

Have you noticed how little the GOP is doing in the same areas just laid out? The Super Bowl mentality is showing in their efforts. The GOP is now becoming a control fight between the haves and have not groups under their crowded umbrella. The umbrella is getting so crowded only those in the center control and those on the fringes are getting tired of being wet on. We will soon see interparty control fights escalate causing severe unmendable fractures. Will the swept under the carpet scandals finally break open more space under the umbrella, we are watching. One of the state’s top budget analysts just leaves the Daugaard administration in the middle of the night with no explanation. Hmmm.

In the meantime, we need to get ready for 2018 in Sioux Falls and South Dakota. Our mayor is going to run for something. He will find his message somewhere. He will set in place his chosen candidate for mayor to support for his legacy and possible return to the office in the future. There are City Council candidates leaving their seats and many of us are glad to say good riddance. We helped change how the Council works for now and we are keeping close track of those we helped bring to the party. We are trying to set the stage for the future of responsive city government.

Some of us decided to put out efforts toward city government because our state parties did not want us interfering in their games. As movement politics goes, this shall pass and those controlling will be gone when they do not accept what is happening in the real world.

Bruce Danielson