Tim Bjorkman on the Campaign Trail
l3wis 
Tim and Kay campaigned across the state, from Brookings to Custer and many points in between in the past week!
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US House
Happy Warrior interviews Neal Tapio
So this is entertaining. LISTEN HERE.
Congressional Race Heating Up
An independent conservative is now running for House;
George Hendrickson hopes he can accomplish a goal that has eluded independent statewide candidates in South Dakota: winning.
The 46-year-old former police officer and medical cannabis advocate from Sioux Falls is set to announce Sunday that he will run for U.S. House. And he’s hopeful that his conservative platform and promise not to accept money from political action committees will set him apart.
“South Dakota Republicans are always afraid of voting for the independent because it could help elect the Democrat,” he told Argus Leader Media. “But that could be different in this election because every single person I’ve talked to, they are so mad at the establishment, Democrat and Republican alike, that they are dying for a real choice.”
I’ve only met George on one occasion, and I hardly remember what we talked about, but I am well aware of his stances. I applaud his efforts for medical  cannabis to help children, but I keep telling those folks to go whole hog. I still believe if medical and recreational cannabis both get on the ballot that Rec will pass and medical may not. There are more people who want to use the drug for recreation than for medical reasons, and I think people who want it for pain relief don’t want to fiddle with a prescription, they just want to buy it openly and be done with it.
I still think Rec will garner over 52% of the vote. But I also think the AG and Legislature will try to erase the measure if it passes due to Federal regulations.
Cameraman Bruce sent me an interesting article about the ‘Marijuana Treatment’ racket;
Yet, well publicized data from the US Centers for Disease Control, Monitoring the Future, and others reports that daily, monthly, and yearly marijuana use by young people declined sharply during much of this same period. Perhaps even more importantly, studies further report that rates of problematic marijuana – so-called “cannabis use disorder†(CUD) – also fell significantly. For example, data published last week by investigators at the US National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds that the prevalence of past year CUD in young people fell 25 percent in the years between 2002 and 2014. Their findings mimicked those of a 2016 NIDA-funded study which similarly reported a 24 percent decline in problematic pot use by young people.
So, if fewer young people are using pot – and even fewer are doing so problematically – why are more teens than ever before winding up in substance abuse treatment programs? The answer lies with the criminal justice system.
And I believe Jackley and Republican Legislators will try to use the system to kill legalization in our state.
Tim Bjorkman to roll the dice with the Dems
I’ve know about Tim’s potential run for several months, but since he was still serving as a judge, several people close to the campaign had to keep the zip lipped, so to speak.
Congress wasn’t Tim’s first pick, he considered a Governor run, and was encouraged by many to run for AG instead (I actually think that would have been his best move and best chance at winning). But he settled on Congress, which also gives him a better chance than governor.
A well connected Republican told me over the weekend that Tim’s decision to run for Congress may have had to do with a little horse trading between his camp and a possible governor campaign camp for Huether, and the reason why MMM put out the very bizarre press release that he was not running for Congress. I’m sure that ordeal made Tim want to take an immediate hot shower.
There of course is having the support of a major political party. (insert laughter here) But since the Dems made Sutton the ‘chosen one’ for the governor race, there is a potential that Mr. Bjorkman may not have a primary challenge, though there are some rumblings about a West River person announcing soon from the Democratic Party.
To be honest with you, after hearing Tim speak a few times now at Dem Forum, my opinion is he will be a true contender to either Dusty or Sharp Shooting Shantel. He is sharp as a tack and has immense compassion for people.
I just hope he is smart enough to run his own campaign and only depend on the state party to ‘assist’ him with certain things instead of running his campaign, but only stuff they can’t screw up, like licking envelopes or handing out candy at parades. Hopefully they will just concentrate on Sutton’s loss so they can allow Mr. Bjorkman to win.
Did Mike Huether have to leave the Democratic Party?
Mike Who?
The only person who made the decision to register as an independent was Mike. But he may not have had a choice. Over the past year there has been many prominent Democrats considering asking him to leave the party, ironically for the reasons he told us why he was leaving; he’s not a Democrat. This has been obvious for a while and came to its climax yesterday.
Even if Mike would have chosen to remain in the party, I don’t think he would be helping them much, and vice versa. I think Mike’s chances of winning in Congress have increased by registering Independent. But I don’t think he has a shot at becoming Governor as an Independent.
I think the Dems should look at this as a blessing in disguise. Instead dealing with this sociopath, they will have a chance to put up a solid (Democratic) candidate, and let Mike steal votes from the Republican (because that is what he will do). The Dems might actually have a shot at the congressional seat in 2018, thanks to Mike Huether after all.