what happened to John Thune's campaign?

[GoldenBear2000]

how did john thune lose the race to tim johnson in SD? amazing given the routs of last night and two presidential visits in 4 days last week. weak if you ask me.

[Gunder]

John Thune is hardly weak. In fact, I imagine that if the recount doesn't go his way, he'll be at the top of Republicans' wish list for Daschle's seat in '04.

[Mike Fieschko]

The last few (5? 2?) precincts came in 90% dem, 10% rep.

[Federalist#34]

you don't see too many 90/10 splits in a precinct, let along them just happening to be the final precincts counted - with the totals changing the result of the election.

What an incredible coincidence.

Thune would have arguably been the most conservative member of the Senate had he been elected.

500 votes too many to overturn in a recount. We're beat there.

[hoosierpearl]

Highly possible that there was election fraud. They were investigating before the election. If fraud would work, it would be most effective in a close race. A few hundred votes would be all they would need.

[dwills]

according to the sioux falls fishwrap, johnson got 90+% among the native americans

SD voted overwhelmingly for republicans for other offices but drank the pundits' cool-aide to wash down their pork (i.e., they thought they had to vote johnson in to keep daschle in power)

they deserve some time in the deep wildnerness for that--adjust the farm bill, put the kibosh on drought relief and change their tax flow from big time 'recipient' to 'donor'

other pathetic losers who thought it might be hip to have a democrat governor: AZ, OK, AL -- hopefully, LA will similarly blow with the wind, but in our direction

The election's heros? GA & NH

now let's get to work converting miller (GA) and breaux (LA), and a hundred congressmen, to the party they belong in

[ambrose]

The Dakota residents are addicted to pork barrel politics.

[TJC]

I have not heard mucj about this. Is S.D. going to investigate?

[Tennessean4Bush]

Hold on. They might discover something similar to what happened in AL today. Do not write it off yet.

[GloriousGrace]

yah, something just doesn't smell right...I wouldn't be surprised if the feds investigating fraud, found the cause of the stench, and Johnson's win overturned. When the honest votes are re-counted, I think we'll see Thune the victor.

[calenel]

One of those late precincts went 6:1 for Bush in 2000 and 12:1 against Thune this time, basically a swing of 5000+ votes. Bogus.

[SoDakson]

The Pine Ridge Indian reservation is what happened to Thune. Interesting, we have on-going investigations into voter fraud by the Democrats on the reservations and now late in the count just enough votes come in from Pine Ridge to put Johnson over the top! But remember Sen. Daschle was first elected to office in South Dakota by a recount vote in an election already called for his Republican opponent.

[longtermmemmory]

FNC said that thune has not conceeded he was waiting to see the result of the ongoing fraud investigation. Not holding my breath but not letting the fat lady sing either.

no concession speech so we wait.

[CasearianDaoist]

Hey, all the farm belt is addicted to middle class welfare programs. Were we get the political will to cut these subsidies is beyond me.

[GoMonster]

hope s.d., johnson, and daschle get spanked on subsidies. No farm subsidies etc.. let them feel some pain for being so selfish.

[CasearianDaoist]

They won't. The huge amount of farm subsidies are a bipartisan problem. Both parties have to attack it together. If one does it alone it will lose the farm belt for 15 years. Its a typical "welfare for the middle class" chicken and egg problem. I doubt that this will ever be solved.

[GoMonster]

he wasn't weak. many of the selfish republicans in S.D. thought Dashole would only loose power if S.D. voted in a REpublican. They didn't envision rest of country was going to do it. their loss. no pork for two years.

[sunshine state]

Adding on to what others have said: The Aberdeen paper said yesterday that 23,000 Republicans voted for Johnson. They bought his argument that he could do more for them since the Democrats were in the majority (*snicker) and Daschle was the Majority Leader (*double snicker). Who's sorry now?

[GoldenBear]

Great Name!

[jmarie7]

All of SD farmers are not in favor of farm program. Here SW of Aberdeen farmers voted big time for Thune. Do you think your young people should be paying taxes that go to farmers getting 40 bu wheat 45 bu, soybeans and 120 bu corn. I know we don't want our kids to do that. You talk to most smaller farmers and they say the same thing. It just benfits the guys living in a big house, driving either a cadillac or town car and driving a $40,000.00 pickup.
The dems hate corporations but who bought all the stuff that was taken to reservtion in Johnson's name. He was in DC for 13 years and our meds went up 20% this year so I can't see where he did us any good.