Sibby Online

Thune reflects on campaign

Yesterday John Thune held a media conference call. I read the Argus Leader’s coverage this morning, but I found this Rapid City Journal report much more in depth. Excerpt:

Daschle campaign staffers had complained throughout the campaign that advertisements by Thune and by the National Republican Senatorial Committee were unfairly distorting the truth about Daschle's positions and votes. Thune said that although he didn't see all of the NRSC advertisements, what he saw of them also appeared factual.

"I think it's been a long time, frankly, since anybody had the resources to challenge him (Daschle) on the record," Thune said. "I think it was very much, again, about the record. Sometimes, people don't have their record scrutinized. I think that part of standing for re-election is to have your record analyzed."

Daschle campaign spokes-man Dan Pfeiffer declined Friday to respond directly to Thune's comments. But Pfeiffer said the style of the campaign would stay with Thune.

"The tone, tenor and truthfulness of campaigns often come to define candidates for their entire career," Pfeiffer said. "There will be time to look at how this campaign will define John Thune. That time is probably not today."

In regard to how campaigns can define one's career, the same can be said about campaign staffers. For losers Pfeiffer and Hildebrand, their furture should be of a concern to themselves. Here is what Thune said about his campagin manager:

Thune said he wasn't sure what the manager of his campaign, Dick Wadhams, would do next.

"He obviously is someone with great talents who I think could do anything he wants," Thune said.

UPDATE: Note the AP decided to use the Argus Leader report and not the Rapid City Journal. Bad choice.

Filibusters...the death of Daschle

The Grand Forks, ND web site has this interesting excerpt:

Still, two particulars of Daschle's service hurt him: his obstructionist tactics and his Senate leadership post. Those are the high-publicity traps Conrad and Dorgan might want to avoid.

Daschle's opponent, John Thune, made much of Daschle's use of filibusters to block President Bush's agenda. "Daschle's Dead Zone," a Wall Street Journal editorial called the Senate, where at least 27 filibusters blocked major bills that had passed the House. This passage from the Journal's July 22 editorial is prescient:

"Because the GOP now has nominal Senate control with 51 seats, he (Daschle) figures the public will blame Republicans this time for the failure to get much done. So far he has been right, judging by the polls. Then again, Democrats also thought they were winning in 2002, until Election Day approached, voters figured out what was happening and Max Cleland among others was ousted."

Will Dorgan and Conrad take part if the Senate Democratic leadership tries to filibuster Bush policies and judicial nominees? That's the key question. Watch for it to take center stage when the first Supreme Court nominee rolls around.

As for a leadership post, it wound up doing Daschle little good back home, because it made it impossible for him to behave as the centrist South Dakotans wanted.

The same analysis should also apply to Tim Johnson. He does not seem like the kind of personality to become a leader, but participating in a Democrat filibuster of conservative judicial nominees could result in the same problems Daschle suffered in 2004...if Johnson should seek re-election in 2006.

Thune has clout

From the Aberdeen News:

Even though he will be a first-term senator, John Thune may have some extra clout for South Dakota because of his favor with President Bush, said university professor Bill Richardson.

Thune, a Republican and former congressman, defeated Sen. Tom Daschle in Tuesday's election. Daschle is a three-term senator and Democratic minority leader in the Senate who urged voters to re-elect him because of his leadership and power in Washington.

President Bush recruited Thune to run for the Senate in 2002. Thune lost to Democrat Tim Johnson by 524 votes.

''Thune has removed the man, at least painted as such, who was the main impediment to so much of Bush's program in the Senate,'' said Richardson, chairman of the political science department at the University of South Dakota.

''It's fair to say the Bush Administration owes John Thune if he comes saying he needs this or that. I expect it's far from South Dakota being at the end of the line.''

One of Daschle's television ads used the end-of-the-line characterization.

Supreme Court impact

This MSNBC report explores the impact of the 2004 elections on the future makeup of the Supreme court. Excerpt:

Republicans say that their defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota should stand as a lesson to all Democrats that blocking Bush nominees through filibusters is not a cost-free strategy.

Here is more:

Pennsylvania's senior senator, Arlen Specter, was busy yesterday quelling an uproar over comments that were interpreted as warning President Bush against choosing Supreme Court nominees who oppose abortion rights.

"Contrary to press accounts, I did not warn the President about anything" and would "never apply any litmus test" on abortion, Mr. Specter said in a statement. "I expect to support his nominees," he said later in a telephone interview.

The controversy jeopardizes his expectation of leading the Senate Judiciary Committee next year. It occurred as senators and their strategists surveyed the post-election landscape, which appeared to strengthen the President's hand on judicial nominations, although not without complications.

Republicans figured their four-seat Senate gain will help win support for Mr. Bush's nominees among Democrats worried about whether their party was hurt by charges of "obstructionism" - an element in Tuesday's defeat of Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D., S.D.).

From American Spectator (Via SDP):

With Sen. John Edwards now nothing more than a thumb-thumping memory, Republicans are wondering who will take his seat on the Judiciary Committee. With Republican gains in the Senate, it is believed the GOP will have an additional seat to fill on that, and other committees.

One name that will surely pop up regularly is Sen. John Thune's. Given his success in knocking of Sen. Tom Daschle, Republicans will want to give Thune as much help as possible to reinforce the message back home that Daschle's loss in fact will be South Dakota's gain.

Check out this Joseph Farah column on the Arlen Spector controversy.

DC Tom exposed

Robert Novak:

The electorate is simply too conservative for the Democrats, as shown by the defeat of Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota. The formula of taking the straight liberal line in Washington and talking conservative at home does not work when a Democrat's every move becomes visible as a member of the leadership.

The Giant Killer

Here is a transcript from CNN's 11/4 JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS:

WOODRUFF: John Thune's victory over Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle was probably the Republicans' second biggest win on Tuesday, behind only President Bush. Daschle was seeking a fourth term, and Republicans made him a top target in the nation's most expensive Senate race.

We're joined now by Republican senator-elect John Thune.

Congratulations.

JOHN THUNE (R), SENATOR-ELECT, SOUTH DAKOTA: Thank you very much, Judy.

WOODRUFF: So what's it feel like to be a giant killer?

THUNE: Well, I don't know about that, but it felt good. We had a tough election. It was -- we knew it was going to be close, and we were fortunate. It was one of those races that could go either way, but we had a good ground operation.

And I think a lot of elections that were close this year really came down to turning out the vote. And the vote turned out big in South Dakota this year. And I think that benefited us, and we were able to eke out a narrow win, but a win that's important not only for South Dakota but for the country and hopefully for the functioning of the United States Senate. WOODRUFF: You are -- have identify yourself -- aligned yourself closely with President Bush. What do you expect to see him push, and what do you expect to support him on early in his second term?

THUNE: Well, I think there -- you know, there were a lot things that were stalled out in the United States Senate prior to the last -- prior to this election, you know, whether a judicial nominations, I think, probably making the tax relief permanent, trying to get the energy policy jumpstarted again, a number of health care reforms, medical malpractice reform, welfare reform has stalled out in the Senate.

I think there are a number of initiatives that the president will likely want to get moving again and hopefully through the Senate.

And maybe look at some of the bigger issues, tackling tax reform, looking at some improvements in Social Security. I think there are a number of issues out there on the agenda.

But my guess is the immediate business will be taking up some of the issues that have been stalled out in the Senate up until now and trying to get that agenda moving again.

WOODRUFF: Let me quote to you what a couple of your colleagues to be have been saying.

Republican Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, he's saying, "My concern is that a lot of Republicans will not boldly embrace the president's plan for tax reform and Social Security." He said, "We have six months to give the president a legacy."

What do -- what do you think the big challenges are going to be?

THUNE: Well, you know, I think that there -- this is a very obviously, a diverse country. And as the elections have shown all across the country, many of these races were too close to call right until to the end.

But I do think the president comes in with a fairly strong mandate. I think he's got good majorities now in now both the House and Senate. And I think, you know, the immediate business is going to be to deal with some of things I just mentioned.

But I do believe that some of these bigger issues that have been looming out there for a long time, this is an opportunity -- we have a window here to address some of those things.

And I think there are a lot of people around the country who want to see, you know, something done with the tax code to make it simpler and more fair, something done to prolong the longevity of Social Security. And so it will be interesting, I think, to see.

I suspect that the Democrats in the Senate will dig in on some of these issues, but I think after the elections this year, they're not going to be in the same position they were prior to it. I think that there was a clear message sent about the need for constructive forward-looking leadership and a willingness to work on moving the agenda forward, rather than blocking and stopping and obstructing it.

WOODRUFF: Well, another one of your colleagues to be, Senator Olympia Snowe, who's seen as a moderate Republican from the state of Maine, she said regrettably, she said, "We've seen an erosion in the state Senate of centrists on both sides of the aisle."

Is that -- is that going to be a problem?

THUNE: Well, you know, I think that we're going to have to find that obviously, in order -- in a legislative body, you have to find that middle ground, Judy. And I think we will do that.

But I do think this is a center right coalition. This is a governing coalition with the president and the House and the Senate that is going to be right of center. I know there are going to be a lot of, you know, liberals in the House and the Senate who aren't going to like that or around the country, but that's what this election was about.

And I think it's created an opportunity to build coalitions, and there are a number of people who, I think, will find that ground in the middle and try and -- and try and move toward solutions and instead, you know, of the legislative gridlock I think that's characterized the Senate of late.

But bearing in mind that this is a -- you know, these are going to be center right-type solutions. And I think that's the kind of coalition that exists today in the Congress. That's the kind of agenda the president is going to push.

And I would hope that we'll have success in luring, you know, Democrats and Republicans from all sides of the political spectrum to work together to try and accomplish it.

WOODRUFF: Senator-elect John Thune from the state of South Dakota, again congratulations.

THUNE: Thank you very much, Judy.

WOODRUFF: And we appreciate it. And we hope to see you here in Washington. Thank you.

THUNE: We're looking forward to it. Thank you.

The Dakota Blog Alliance

SDP has provided insight on how the Dakota Blog Alliance came about and included the origin of Sibby Online:

I began this blog in January of 2003 for one big reason: to challenge the Argus Leader to scrutinize Democratic political figures in this state as closely as they did Republican figures. I envisioned a network of like-minded bloggers around the state of South Dakota who could add their thoughts and reinforce this message. This vision has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations. Steve Sibson of "Sibby Online" began to blog in May of 2003, and we spent the remainder of 2003 struggling to spread the word about the Argus Leader's unwillingness to scrutinize Senator Daschle the way the Argus Leader had scrutinized Senator Pressler.

DVT found this analysis on the North Dakota Senate race verses the South Dakota race:

Pray for conservative Web logs to arise. This little-noticed development deserves a lot more attention.

The Daschle-Thune race differed from previous South Dakota Senate races in this way: Conservative Web logs gave South Dakota voters access to news like never before.

Take a look and you'll see what we mean: Web sites such as Daschle vs. Thune (daschlevthune.typepad.com/daschle_v_thune/) and a few others chipped away at Daschle's image day after day.

They also charged South Dakota's major newspapers were in Daschle's pocket. They backed the charge by showcasing, for example, the fact that Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader's political reporter had been active in the Democratic Party as a South Dakota State University student in the 1960s - as had his then-friend and fellow student, Tom Daschle.

These Web logs served as a South Dakota version of Rush Limbaugh's talk show, legitimizing criticism of the incumbent and using the media as a whipping boy. The reports galvanized Daschle's opposition and gave them lots of material to rally around.
Balanced?

No. Fair? Probably not. Effective? Yes.

I really like the “South Dakota version of Rush Limbaugh's talk show” part.

I was also mentioned on the ranchers.net web site:

Sibby, i just want to really thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you did for the Thune campaign. you and the other SD bloggers helped to win this for John Thune as much or maybe more than anybody. i don't know what i would have done for REAL news in the Daschle v Thune race without all of you. but your blog was my mainstay. i am just really grateful for your hard work and dedication.

All of these kind words are nice to hear, but the Thune victory was a team effort. The Dakota Blog Alliance certainly was a factor, but the real impact was from our readers. Without you, we are simply yelling in a vacuum. Thanks to you all.

Argus Leader screw up

Here is a link to a front-page report in today’s Argus Leader. Note the headline, “Perspective gained after loss in 2000”. The problem is that Thune lost to Tim Johnson in “2002”:

The numbers show Thune performed better in the state's population centers of Sioux Falls and Rapid City than he did in the 2002 challenge of Sen. Tim Johnson. Thune's campaign manager and outside supporters said the former congressman's convictions and consistent message made the difference.

…

Thune himself credits his small-town roots and connection to "everyday life in South Dakota." In part, the latter is owed to his finish behind Johnson during the blistering 2002 race.

The elitist mainstream press is not as perfect as Randell Beck thinks.

Here is the latest from the Rapid City Journal.

The reason Daschle lost

DVT found this post on the redstate web site.

DVT also has a county by county map.

WorldNetDaily has a report that covered the Daschle verses Thune legal action.

From Hugh Hewitt's latest column:

The blogosphere helped keep Dan Rather and his gang in check, as did citizen activists at places like FreeRepublic.com and FootballFansforTruth.com. The new media has forever changed the way media operates.

Here is an interesting Rapid City Journal report on last night's South Dakota Senate race results. (via Club For Growth blog)

Here is the Argus Leader report on Thune's victory. Note this ridiculous comment from the guy who referred to the Taliban wing of the Republican Party:

Sen. Johnson said Thune and his supporters ran an unfair campaign, attacking the lobbying work of Daschle's wife and the senator's commitment to the Catholic Church. "They've been questioning his marriage and his religion. It has been a terrible thing, unprecedented in our state," Johnson said. "I always thought Christianity was about clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and housing the homeless. I think the Thune campaign has been unrelentingly negative and has distorted the Daschle record almost beyond belief."

Oh what a night

Just got back from Sioux Falls, with only about 3 hours of sleep. This is unbelievable.

Pictured is John Thune celebrating his victory with Jim Abdnor. Like Daschle, George McGovern was running for his 4th term as US Senator from South Dakota in 1980. Jim Abdnor defeated McGovern, but Abdnor then lost to Tom Daschle in 1986. Now in 2004, John Thune who worked with Jim Abdnor, takes back the seat held by Tom Daschle as he attempted re-election for his 4th term. In eighteen years we come full circle. Oh what a night.