Forgot this picture. Wife and Daughter at Herseth's office
When I was doing the pictures from my wife and daughter's DC trip this last weekend, I ran out of time to post the one of them visiting Herseth's office.
I was reminded of it because as my wife and I were going to pick up Papa Murphy's pizza last night, we had to drive by Stephanie's house (a few blocks up the street from us on the way to the pizza place).It's just a run of the mill residence, from what I've seen on the side. I've never driven by the front. It just happens to be on the main drag if you're going drop the kids off at school, to the pool, Papa Murphy's, etc.
Suprisingly she was out in the yard weeding her flower bed and doing other mundane yard work. I think it's the first time I've seen her wearing something besides a pants suit. (t-shirt and cut-offs jeans).
I think that's part of the aura we place around our high elected officials once they achieve that position. It's a sort of odd rock-star status, where it seems almost freakishly odd to see them in slob clothes, digging in their yard. A while back, an out of towner once remarked to me that they were shocked to run into the Governor in Wal-mart. Well, in Pierre, where else do you go for low prices on dog food, etc.?
I think the weirdness of associating elected officials with the mundane goes along with the belief that once people get elected to a high office, they're invincible. "They're rock stars - don't they have people that do that for them?" For the most part, well, no. I'm sure Stephanie has someone who tends her yard when she's in DC, but it's probably an all too seldom relaxing occasion for her to put flowers in.
Is there a point to all of this? No, not really. Just a reminder that elected officials are as human as the rest of us. They might actually be seen drinking a beer, wearing cut off jeans, weeding their garden, going to Wal mart, etc.
They're not invincible, they're not rock stars, etc. They're just as you or I, and they convinced a majority of us to cast a vote for them. That's it. And someone else might come along another day and convince us to cast a majority vote for someone else.
Comments
If we South Dakotans ever lose the direct contact with officeholders we enjoy, we'll be in a sad state of affairs.
BK
Wishing for the Old Georgetown Stephanie,
Saul, Georgetown, Class of 1994
I'll plead the 5th, as anything I say can and will be used against me by my wife. (although, she already knows I'm a pig)
I guess he's probably right...too bad she chose of life of having a split personality...on the other hand, at least the House Republicans don't have another vote
(I could care less, although some of my single friends may yet hold out hope).
Saul's comment is right up to that line on personal stuff where I delete stuff (and I may yet if the personal life starts), but I'll give Saul his say, as he's reasonably identifying himself, and it's somewhat issue related.
Regardless, I'd remind everyone that her personal life is her own (and my post has a little to do with that), so please don't start.
That's my policy regardless of party, so if you're going to rip into someone, do it on how they vote, as opposed to whom they choose their personal time with.
In other words, if you couldn't use it in a political commercial in a campaign against them, don't use it to beat on them here.
No matter their political party, I respect our elected officials enough to give them that.
By voting for the Federal Marriage Amendment on the basis of "representing her constituency," Stephanie turned her back on part of her constituency: the gay and lesbian families right here in South Dakota.
I don't know who Saul from Georgetown is or how he found this website, or why he cares what Rep. Herseth does in her job as the REPRESENTATIVE of South Dakota. But I highly doubt that Stephanie Herseth enjoyed the Georgetown cocktail party world as a 20 year old college student. Maybe she went to some college parties. Maybe she even had cocktails during law school. But this guy sounds more like a troll espousing tired clichés than someone who knows anything about her life at Georgetown.
I highly doubt he knows enough about her to opine on whether she does or doesn't like being back in South Dakota. I heard a story -- don't know if its true -- that Lars asked Stephanie to think long and hard about whether she really wanted this job after being away for so long. She responded that she absolutely did want to represent the people of South Dakota. It is her home and the place that she loves. So I highly doubt Saul's account.
Saul supposedly went to Georgetown, but doesn't know the difference between "there" and "their."