Larry Pressler, former Republican Senator, crush of every South Dakota grandmother, and perhaps the dumbest Rhodes Scholar who ever lived, is running as an Independent in the South Dakota Senate race. Halle-fucking-lujah, say I, but, unfortunately, Larry’s been a bad, bad boy:
South Dakota never has elected an independent to the Senate, and Pressler knows he’s a long shot. But he said his experience as a campaigner and senator give him a shot at winning a three-way race.
“I think there’s an increased level of people wanting an alternative to the Republican-Democrat thing,” Pressler said.
Lloyd Ringrose, a Sioux Falls Republican who came to Pressler’s announcement, said he liked Pressler in the 1990s and voted for him. But when told Pressler had endorsed Obama, Ringrose was shocked.
“I’m afraid Mr. Pressler just lost my vote, but I’ll hear what he has to say,” Ringrose said before the speech.
This breathes new life into a campaign that was going to be an easy pick up for Republicans by former Republican Governor Mike Rounds. Rick Weiland, the presumptive Democratic nominee, must have been very good indeed for Santa to bring him this present.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that in addition to the toxic Obama endorsements, Larry has been killing what little was left of his Dakota political credibility by working as an East Coast lawyer since he lost to Tim Johnson in 1996. I doubt that he’ll even rise to the level of spoiler, because by the time he was voted out of office, everyone was pretty sick of the guy. He was honest–his main political distinction is that he was perhaps the only member of Congress to refuse an ABSCAM bribe–but he was also useless at bringing home the bacon and his retail political skills didn’t go much further than his pretty face. Still, this is good news for Democrats in a place where there isn’t a lot of it around.
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
So Rounds has two Democrats running against him now? How is this good for Weiland?
Patricia Kayden
Wouldn’t Weiland have the same problem as Pressler, i.e., having endorsed President Obama?
geg6
I remain an optimist. Could this be one of those races that the CoC and the rest of the GOP “centrists” are putting cash into? I remain quite suspicious of this guy, no matter who he endorsed for president.
But my optimism comes from stories like this, which, IMHO, show that more and more cracks are opening in the GOP and that can only benefit Dems, if they can manage to take advantage of it. And yes, it’s worthwhile to put up a fight even in a place like SD.
dpm (dread pirate mistermix)
@Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader: Pressler is a Republican – I updated the post to make that clear.
@Patricia Kayden: Yeah, but Larry is trying to be an ex-Republican who appeals to Republicans.
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
@dpm (dread pirate mistermix):
He used to be, until he endorsed Obama.
Zifnab25
While I agree Pressler won’t win any love among Republicans for supporting Obama, I don’t know if he’s going to pick off many Democrats on that basis alone.
I guess it might be a problem for Weiland if the two rival campaigns suck up all available political oxygen in the room. But then Weiland would have to be running a weak campaign to begin with, at which point he was doomed anyway.
jacy
Sorry, but if there’s some sort of crown awarded for “dumbest Rhodes Scholar,” he’s going to have to yank it off the wobbly little pinhead of Bobby Jindal. That’s some weapons-grade dumb there.
Tommy
My mom is 67. Proud Republican. Given Illinois isn’t South Dakota. But last two elections she voted for Obama. First time in her life she voted for a Democrat. She doesn’t understand what the heck is going on with her party. I can’t believe she is alone here.
ranchandsyrup
@jacy: Diaper Dave Vitter too.
johnny aquitard
Republican voters all say they want someone else, just as long as that someone has the same views on social issues just like a republican, wants to cut programs for ‘those people’ just like a republican, and wants government to get the hell out of everything except the military and their own medicare and social security, just like a republican, but insist they are OWED by that same government because they’ve EARNED IT, just like a republican.
Oh, and never ever EVER have supported That One, just like a republican.
Republicans just want to be the selfish, sanctimoniously mean little pricks they’ve always been while having the cover to pretend they aren’t.
Keith P.
This is even better news…for John McCain.
Villago Delenda Est
Noisemax is going all out with ridiculous headlines today:
Sen. Mike Lee: Don’t Force Gay Marriage on Churches
No one ever has. Churches are free to host weddings, or not, on all sorts of arbitrary grounds. Same sex being just a component of those grounds.
America Supports ‘Duck Dynasty’ Values
Asserts one guy who cites absolutely no facts to support the assertion.
Fox Poll: One in Four Say Obama ‘One of the Worst Presidents’
Within the margin of error for that magic number. How shocking.
Keep fucking those chickens, Noisemax douchecanoes!
Villago Delenda Est
@jacy:
The dismay over volcano monitoring gave Jindal about a five length lead in the dumb sweepstakes. Don’t think anything through, Bobby. Jeeze, not even Sarah Palin was stupid enough to fall into that trap.
FlipYrWhig
@Villago Delenda Est: I like the “7 Deadly Drugs the Government Wants You to Swallow” one. Damn that Obama!
Villago Delenda Est
@FlipYrWhig:
I followed the link, and I’m still waiting for the 7 deadly drugs. First, a screed on miracle natural cures (without one single example being cited), and then an attack on the FDA as stooges for the drug companies. Still waiting for some word on what the hell is so deadly. Still waiting for the 7 deadly drugs…she can’t stop blathering.
Still waiting for the request for visa/mc/paypal to find out what she’s yammering about.
muricafukyea
Still no peep out of glorified reddit poster muckymux about the ruling that the NSA spying program is legal and constitutional.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/27/idUS334263096020131227
If theguardian posted one of their almost daily hyperbolic bullshit stories about how “the black helicopters are coming” this ball juice blogger would be all over it like a wingnut at a clan rally.
Villago Delenda Est
@Villago Delenda Est:
Ah, if you attempt to close the page, they’ll give in and provide a text version that finally, at long last, gives you the list of the 7 deadly drugs. I’m on several of them. I guess I’m going to die…eventually…
Roger Moore
@Villago Delenda Est:
Now there’s:
I never thought of Rockefeller as a grifter and publicity hound.
I never thought of popcorn as a survival food…
ruemara
It is for Democrats, especially if Trump is in the race.
FlipYrWhig
@Roger Moore: Is “Conservative Rockefeller” supposed to be praise or insult, and to whom? Their minds work in unusual ways.
Villago Delenda Est
@efgoldman:
Yeah, and that’s a big problem today, when unabashed children of Reagan and Gordon “Greed is Good!” Gecko are running those operations.
MikeJ
@Villago Delenda Est:
Until the next Democrat is elected, who will then miraculously be the worstest thing evar.
Corner Stone
On Ed Show they just did a recap of the Scott Prouty interview, who shot the Romney 47% video.
Just stunning to see those pieces again. What amazing pieces of work Romney and the R party are.
aimai
@Villago Delenda Est: Yes but what if the heterosexual couple employ a gay caterer, or photographer? Connect the dots, sheeple!!!!
Yatsuno
@muricafukyea: Derp.
MikeJ
@efgoldman:
If the next president is a Democrat, I can assure you that Fox and Newsmax and Free Republic will insist that s/he is all of those things, including a s/he.
Yatsuno
@efgoldman: One more session for the day, gonna push out and see if I can make it the length of the bars. After that I will be One. Tired. Puppeh.
ruemara
@Yatsuno: Don’t overdo it. It’s your only chance to lie there like a log and not have anyone bother you.
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
Let us know when she starts voting D for local and state races. The problem we have is that a large cohort of people seem to vote for Obama at the national level but then cheerfully elect evil and/or nitwitted Republicans to Congress and to state offices.
Steeplejack
@Yatsuno:
Go, Yutsy! We support you 100%. Just don’t ask us to get off our fat asses.
Yatsuno
@ruemara: @Steeplejack: I’m not overdoing it, but I’m definitely testing limits. As long as they keep giving me the good shit I’m all good. I plan on getting the muscle relaxer along with the night meds, that should be entertaining.
And the laptop got unplugged. Again.
Villago Delenda Est
@Yatsuno:
I thought Obama was in Hawaii, not Seattle!
SiubhanDuinne
@Yatsuno:
Will you still be in the hospital/rehab center on NY Eve? Will they at least give you a nice glass of champagne to wash down the pain pills and help keep you steady on your new pins?
Yatsuno
@SiubhanDuinne: I will still be here through NYE, and as lovely as champagne sounds, it is against hospital policy. Plus not the best idea while I’m on the meds I am.
barry
Sen. Pressler single handedly did his level best to prevent Pakistan from obtaining nukes. Alas, the Saint Ronald of Reagan, did not give a damn. And we live with the consequences.
Cervantes
Pressler may not have been the brightest bulb in the chandelier but compared to the dimwits darkening our doors these days he was Albert Einstein.