Circumstances in America, and in South Dakota, have changed since then.
__What circumstances have changed in South Dakota?
The war in Iraq, combined with little Tommy's obstructionism and his party's devolvement into the 'anti-war party'.
South Dakotans have had a bad habit of employing Dems to represent them at the national level, but they are a very patriotic bunch.
And John Thune's political capital grew exponentially in the aftermath of the close election two years ago; it didn't shrink.
Nothing Americans hate more than a sore loser, and John never allowed himself to fall into that trap.