Giago has a fairly impressive biography.
Posted on 03/31/2004 3:52:54 PM PST by jwalburg
Tim Giago now plans to run as an independent for the U.S. Senate, a move expected to change the complexion of a South Dakota race full of national implications.
Giago, of Rapid City, publisher of the Lakota Journal, had planned to challenge Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in the June 1 Democratic Party primary, with the winner to face Republican John Thune in November.
But Giago said switching his effort to the fall gives him more time to get petitions signed and gives him a greater forum for discussion of Native American issues.
"Our issues need to be analyzed, put on the table and discussed," he said.
Giago running in November could alter the result, said Bill Richardson, political science professor at the University of South Dakota. "It could influence the race big-time," he said. "The obvious possibility is that he will take away votes that possibly would have gone to Tom Daschle."
The situation is similar to Ralph Nader running on the Green Party ticket in 2000 presidential race and as an independent in 2004, Richardson said. Nader was blamed for costing Vice President Al Gore the presidency by attracting voters who might have preferred Gore to George W. Bush.
"This is as is the case with Ralph Nader in the presidential contest. The only question is how many and how crucial they will be in a close election," he said.
The significance of Giago's decision "can't be overstated," said Dick Wadhams, Thune's campaign manager.
"This is clearly bad news for Tom Daschle," he said. "Anytime you have an election that appears to be as close as this one - any development like this is huge."
In 2002, Libertarian Kurt Evans ran against Sen. Tim Johnson and Thune, but decided to drop out a few days before the election. His name stayed on the ballot and he received 3,070 votes. Johnson defeated Thune by 528 votes.
Giago could split Native American votes, he said. "Couple that with our strong efforts on the reservation and the fact that the dynamic of the reservation vote is different from the 2002 race and the 2004 race," Wadhams said.
Campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer dismisses the suggestion that this could hurt Daschle.
"Senator Daschle wants this campaign to include issues important to the Native American community and Giago's candidacy helps accomplish that," he said. "In his position as minority leader Senator Daschle has been one of the primary voices putting Native American issues on the national agenda."
Giago said he had 2,000 signatures, and believed he needed 3,600 to qualify for the June 1 primary. But Kea Warne, state election supervisor, said 2,000 was more than enough.
"He needs 1,403 to run as a Democrat in the primary, and he will need 3,346 to run in the November election as an independent," she said.
Because it is a new race, Giago must now start over gathering names, she said. He can get signers from Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Giago said the issue is more than signatures on petitions.
"It gives me more time to have fund-raisers, more time to get some television commercials and hopefully the general election will allow me to get on the stage to debate both of them," he said.
Giago will address national issues, but Native American issues will be his priority. The need is clear, he said, citing as evidence a story Gov. George S. Mickelson told about another governor, George T. Mickelson.
"I still remember hearing when George Mickelson was telling about the time he asked his father what his biggest problem was when he was governor," Giago said. "He said the hardest problem was race relations between Indians and whites. George Mickelson found that to still be true in his administration. I ask why after all of these years."
Giago said several differences separate him from Daschle. One is a land mitigation dispute some Native Americans say violates the treaties of 1851 and 1868 between the federal government and the Teton Indian tribes.
Giago also supports the transfer of 1.3 million acres of National Forest Service land for use as the Great Sioux National Park.
"The tribes of the Great Sioux Nation want that," he said. Daschle and Thune are on the other side of that issue, he said.
It is of no concern to Giago if his candidacy hurts Daschle or Thune, he said. "That is the chance you take," Giago said.
He looks to Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell's long-shot bid in his first election as a model of what can be done. "They laughed at him, and I am sure people will chuckle at me," he said.
Is that code for ending fraud and ballot box stuffing? Have they switched to digital voting?
If Giago really wanted to twist it, the first thing he should do is release his tax returns and insist that Dashole and his wife, the bag lady, do the same.
But, it is still stragne. Splitting the life Indian or dead Indian vote can only give the election to the good guys. Why is Giago (who can't win) doing this and why hasn't he done it before.
Note to Mrs. Dashole's clients - the price of senatorial influence buying has gone way up, at least until November, because it's value may be reduced to zero in 2005.
''My basic reason for running is that for the past 50 years, the Indian vote on the Indian reservations has been taken for granted in this state,'' said Giago, 69, an Oglala Lakota and editor/publisher of the Lakota Journal in Rapid City and the Pueblo Journal in Albuquerque, N.M.
After a while, you get tired of benefactors who don't benefit you, I guess. And maybe the votes for trinkets tactics leave a bad taste. Tim Johnson actually did dump a truckload of toys and clothes on the reservation (through a "charity" group) right before the last election.
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