Posted on 10/18/2014 6:39:04 AM PDT by cotton1706
As with a few other races around the nation once expected to be locks for the GOP, they find themselves struggling where they shouldn't be.
South Dakota's Senate race was supposed to be a shoe-in for the Republicans -- one of three guaranteed pick ups in their quest to gain 6 six Senate seats to capture the majority.
West Virginia and Montana, the other two, still seem like sure bets for the GOP, but South Dakota is suddenly iffy.
There are many reasons that the contest has shifted into a four-way race that includes former Republican Sen. Larry Pressler, now running as an independent, and tea party candidate Gordon Howie.
As a result, it has been hard for Republican candidate Mike Rounds, a former two-term governor, to consolidate his party in this right of center state.
Yes, it's possible to point to the usual excuses, as today's GOP often does - there's a third party candidate, etc.... But what's also clear in South Dakota is that they have a flawed establishment candidate with a past that's come back to haunt him.
Rounds is also under fire for abuses in South Dakota, during his time as governor, of a federal program to swap green cards for business.
He told CNN, as he has before, that he did nothing wrong and has nothing to hide, but he concedes the questions about it have taken a toll on his campaign.
Perhaps worst of all, what it demonstrates is how divided today's Republican Party still is. In the end, perhaps Mitch McConnell's 'war on the Tea Party base' rhetoric may end up costing the GOP more than it won them, while costing McConnell his coveted majority, as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I also hope that the Establishment candidate's struggles to get reelected or elected, both this year and in 2012, results in the people shoving aside their preferred candidates in future elections. Their coffers have been drained, their donors disappointed, and their candidates, worthless.
More likely, a shoo-in....
FWIW.
FWIW, RCP has Rounds comfortably in the lead: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/senate/sd/south_dakota_senate_rounds_vs_weiland-4091.html
I do think we need to coalesce around Republicans. Not slavishly or absolutely, but as a general rule.
This was the path followed by Ronald Reagan and it eventually led to him winning the Presidency.
Changing the GOP to a party MORE IN TUNE with the Constitution is a Herculean task to be sure. But not impossible...and worth the effort.
I hope Rounds can pull it out also. I also hope that, because of this type of situation becoming more common, more Republicans learn that the designated GOPe “most electable candidate” actually is not the most electable.
I’m tiring of being a member of the Stupid Party. I so want it to morph into the “Smart Party”.
He's done enough damage.
—having been in SD til a few weeks ago, I’d comment that Rounds’ ads are pedestrian , compared to the snarky, sneering opponent (which , unfortunately, are much more memorable)-——
"Our corrupt GOP-Establishment, anti-Tea-Party scum-of-the-earth politician is better than the corrupt Demonicrat scum-of-the-earth politician."
South Dakota voters must be excited in looking forward to casting their ballot.
How so?
Being a lifelong conservative I've supported the "lesser of two evils" and what did I end up with? In the last govt shut down the final proposal being voted on was whether Congress and their staffs should be exempt from obamacare or not. The GOPe "lesser of two evils" voted to exempt themselves and their staffs, but left it to be imposed on me and my family.
I guess they figure I'm not worth fighting for, since I'm self employed and only represent 15% of the health insurance buying public. I did see Tea Party conservatives fight for me, though. So I guess the one good thing that came out of that fight was I learned who really wants to represent me.
I won't vote for anymore GOPe candidates. I don't care if the GOPe gets a majority or not. They won't fight for what I believe in ie., freedom, limited govt, free markets.
Do you live in South Dakota?
From reports I’ve read, Pressler is farther left that the DemocRAT, Weiland.
Rounds will pull it out. My prediction for the Senate in Jan. 2015: GOP 53 / ‘RATS 47
Boy are you going to get flamed. Don’t you know that ideological purity trumps winning elections every time. Once the 100%ers take over you will be sent to reeducation camp. Nothing, not the future of the country, control of the Senate or winning elections is more important than 100% fealty to conservative ideology. Of course get five TPers in a room together(and yes I speak from experience because I am a member of one of the four TP groups in my area) and they couldn’t agree on what to order on their pizza let alone what constitutes purity, but hey that is just RINO GOPe trash talking the REAL republicans.
Sadly that statement is often true and in the real world that is what it comes down to sometimes. This isn’t Madden Politics 2014.
But the Democrats will I guess. I am so tired of this all about me attitude you hear on here anymore. All you purist really believe that if you pout and stay home and let the dems win that will make it better for you, your family and the Country? Does 2008-2010 ring any bells? You have O’bama care because of just the attitude you just espoused. Conservatives need to stop living in their fantasy world and realize you are not always going to get everything you want. I supported with time, money and votes a great young conservative TP candidate in the primary, he came in third behind another TP candidate (they combined had more votes than the incumbent) and the GOPe incumbent. So am I going to sit home on election day, no. I am going to vote for the most conservative candidate left my incumbent Representative, because her opponent is a stark raving progressive who’s first vote will be for Princess Pelosi.
Sometimes it is going to come down to the lesser of two evils. That’s reality, grow up, deal with it. As my old man used to tell me, “The world is not fair and the sooner you realize that the easier life will be”
Boy are you going to get flamed. Don’t you know that ideological purity trumps winning elections every time. Once the 100%ers take over you will be sent to reeducation camp.
Bullying the goobers to stay on the GOP plantation while a list of careerist GOPe support Dems this cycle? Funny you don’t have a problem with that. You’re the one with the purity problem. Look in the mirror.
Put Democrats back in power for a better America. There I distilled your colorful rant down some without the cool graphics.
Did you throw temper tantrums a lot as child when you didn’t get everything you wanted? I feel sorry for your parents.
I am no longer able to tolerate this leftist tactic. There is no 100% political purity demand, and you know it. We demand a candidate that will move the political football toward the conservative goalpost. The current leadership actively works to move us toward the big government goalpost, and works against any and all conservative positions.
The current GOP establishment is as responsible for the current state of affairs as any democrat. I will not vote for a communist in conservative clothing. I know that sticks in the craw of a rah rah republicrat like you, and I do not care. Peddle your purity crap somewhere else.
Rah rah republicrats stuck us with McCain and Romney. How did that work out for ya?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.