an exciting time in south dakota (perhaps)
by Max Clark
Published: February 9, 2008
I’m not from South Dakota, nor have I ever been there, and outside of Mt. Rushmore and tribal land, nothing else about the state really rings a bell. However, using my keen sense of empathy and generous generalization, I think I will be able to make some estimations well enough to write this piece.
As you political junkies are well aware, the breakdown of Tuesday’s votes has left the Democratic nomination split, making this one of the most open nomination contests in recent history. Finally South Dakota, with its dead-last primary, might get to have a say in this process. And they’re (probably) very excited about that.
For so many election cycles, (I imagine) they couldn’t help feeling a little snubbed about how little force their opinion carried. Tuesday night, I can picture the civically minded South Dakotians keenly fixed to cable news from Aberdeen to Yankton, watching the Super Tuesday horse race with bated breath, hoping for one thing above all else: indecision. And they got just that.
Despite scenic camping and a national landmark, there is very little about the southern Dakota that draws the eye of eager politicians. Generally, by the first Tuesday of February, the general election has its contenders fitted into their respective places and thus, their day in the party sunlight exists only to reaffirm the machinations of the greater political bodies. Then, having precious few electoral votes, it competes against powerhouse states and swingers for the attention and pandering of the candidates.
This year has been a long time coming in the (probable) opinion of these South Dakotaners. Too long, in fact, and it makes one question the way this calendar is arranged. While certain states - Michigan, Florida, et al. - had demonstrated their contempt for the process by leapfrogging into the January running, South Dakota waited patiently at the back of the line, bravely tolerating the taunts and jeers those self-assured North Dakotans could well have been subjecting them to in the run up to Super Tuesday.
Now there is a strong argument for the status quo, having two or five early contests, to narrow the field and allow underfunded campaigns the chance to gain some recognition. It may not be the best system, and heaven help the parties in ordering them, but it works well enough. Look at what the early contests did for McCain and Huckabee and Bill Clinton before them. However, after these early contests, the field abruptly surges to 21 states and then contracts like an opened balloon back to small single digits; we have to look down the road and shake our heads for these poor states relegated to March, April, May or even June, who have little more to do in the process than apply a seal of approval.
In South Dakota, candidates are usually showering before their nomination acceptance speech when the South Dakotrons head for the polls. SD voters’ time may have finally come.
So, is this why certain states are held back? As a contingency plan for a divided decision? A chance for those candidates like Barack Obama to play the long game and allow extra time to bring his/her message to hit home? Or is it just to kill time and keep the nation on simmer until the excitement boils over during the summer nomination conventions?
In any case, as Clinton and Obama engage in their historic battle for candidacy, South Dakotites are bound to keep an eager eye on the two and graciously welcome them as they are forced to campaign, for the first time, in the “Coyote State” (named so because of its countless historic attempts to catch a particularly rascally roadrunner).
Except, of course, for South Dakota Republicans, whom I surmise are breathing that old defeated sigh, as another election cycle passes them by. But, honestly, I don’t know that much about South Dakotan Republicans.
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