Posted on 11/01/2004 7:57:36 AM PST by PoliticalInsider
ROSEBUD, S.D. - A campaign flyer from John Thune's campaign office started a groundswell of resentment as it brought back some unpleasant memories of racism in South Dakota.
A flyer with a picture of prairie dogs on the front with the words ''The dogs are lining up to vote for Tom Daschle,'' appeared in many western South Dakota mail boxes just a week before the election.
Prairie dogs are a major problem for ranchers in the state, and it has become a campaign issue.
And to add fuel to the fire, Thune campaign workers were caught taking photos of people who voted early on the Rosebud Reservation.
The problem for Indian country originated decades ago when many stores in the state displayed signs that said, ''No Dogs or Indians allowed.'' The inference that American Indians are equated with dogs has carried on in the minds of many people middle aged and older, and they have spoken of those memories to the younger people.
Many people have taken the flyer issue to the Democratic Party offices on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservation and it was a major topic on the Pine Ridge Radio station KILI on Oct. 28.
''I'm very surprised to hear there is a problem,'' said Dick Wadhams, Thune's campaign manager.
''Anyone who reads the piece will see that it has to do with prairie dogs in South Dakota,'' he said. ''I'm sorry if someone took offense.''
Prairie dogs are a problem on the Rosebud, Pine Ridge and other reservations, as well as in the ranch country of western South Dakota, but the tribes are trying to resolve the issue in a cultural way.
American Indians look at the prairie dog as a member of the animal nation and show it respect. The prairie dogs in harmony with the buffalo create a balanced ecosystem. The American Indians who are ranchers also want a solution, but a sensible and culturally-sensitive solution.
The prairie dog flyer comes on the heels of a letter sent by the state Republican Party that implied that the 2002 election won by Sen. Tim Johnson was stolen. Thune was his challenger and lost the election by 524 votes. Even though the reservations were not mentioned in the letter, people in the state associated the letter with American Indian voters.
''This letter already made the association with the reservations and American Indian voters.
''This flyer shows poor taste and judgment,'' said Robert Moore, chief of staff for Rosebud Chairman Charles Colombe.
Moore said he remembers the story of his grandfather and grandmother traveling in a wagon all day to go to town only to find the store closed to them with the sign that read: ''No dogs and Indians allowed.''
The flyer wouldn't have been so offensive had it used the words prairie dog instead of just dog. Also inside the flyer the sentence: ''No wonder the varmints are heading to the polls to vote for him.''
As that flyer was put in the mail, there were more than 1,300 members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe that had already voted; at Pine Ridge more than 1,000. So the inference is perceived, people said, that they are the dogs that are showing up to vote. It is known that American Indians vote Democratic more than Republican.
''This is a people to people issue, not a nation to nation issue. It's a tragedy, people are feeling pain. If they call us dogs once again we won't pay any attention to them,'' Moore said.
People said on the radio they know the flyer was about prairie dogs, but the poor choice of words brought back memories of racial epithets.
''We are also a people who have issues with prairie dogs and also who are trying to figure out how to pay for prescription drugs. We are not only tribal members we are citizens of this state,'' Moore said.
Another major issue that surfaced regarding the Thune campaign was that some people who identified themselves as Thune's campaign workers were taking pictures of people who went to the auditor's office to vote early.
''They don't want us to vote. We will be talking about this for years because we don't want this to happen again,'' Moore said.
Thune's campaign office had no comment about the photos taken at the voting location.
Get over yourselves people..You cheated the guy out of his victory last time so STFU
The Lakota need to get a grip.
If this is true ... what were Thune's people thinking? Don't they have anyone on staff that could have pointed out that this was an issue to the Lakota people? Do they want to hand this thing to Dasshole?
Looks like an offense looking for an opportunity to be taken.
"Do they want to hand this thing to Dasshole?"
Looks like it! Idiots!
The Lakota deal with prairie dogs by treating them with respect? Sort of like Clinton's method of dealing with terrorists and maniacal dictators?
In Texas, we call them "Yellow Dogs"!
So sue me!
this "outrage" was all instigated by Dassholes people- i'll bet on that. the Indians would have never made such a ridiculous connection on their own... someone has been calling them and "suggesting" they should be outraged over this, and calling into the radio shows there too. talk about grasping for the very last straw. i also heard a Dasshole campaign worker who promised 10 bucks a Dasshole vote got the crud beat out of her by the 8 Indian woman voters she hauled to the polls.. she pocketed the money so they gave her a thrashing.. this is what we're dealing with there people. prayers needed..
(2) This is just political posturing - no one was actually offended by these ads.
(3) Thune will lose no votes as a result of this ad - the rez votes are already locked up for Daschle as usual.
The Lakota, as a people, probably have nothing to do with this - it's got to be a Dim who can find fault with anything when it's covenient and find the same thing good if it is politically expedient - the Dim Party is a Party of flip-floppers and Kerry is just the most prolific of them...
Its always something.
the one little baby in the bottom left corner must be the Republican ... look at his face while the other two are wailing. exactly how i feel watching this Dasshole bs going on here in sd..
Vote fraud on the reservations will push Tommy over the edge anyway.
How many Indians would have voted Thune anyway. ?
Did anyone else laugh when they read this, or was it just me?
Only if they're Democrats?
Question:
Can Georgia "Dawgs" vote in South Dakota?
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