Kranz on Mainstream Coalition and Party Switching

Today in his column in the Argus Leader, Dave Kranz writes this morning on the Mainstream Coalition and all the party flipping talk among many of the members who lost elections in the primary.
Mainstream Coalition members breathed a sigh of relief when state Sen. Stan Adelstein announced Friday that he would not seek re-election to the state Senate as a Democrat.

and..

After losing his primary bid for re-election, political guessers began theorizing on a shift of some coalition members to the Democratic Party or independent status. Concern among some coalition members is that the purpose of their group would be compromised if there was a mass defection from Republican to Democrat.

and...

Sutton says he was concerned about the impression it would leave if he switched to the Democratic Party.

"That was a part of my decision. I was one of the supporters and still am a supporter of the Mainstream Coalition. If we had too many defectors, it would take on a different personality. We wanted some place to go for people who didn't necessarily agree with either party. And we still do," he said.

State Sen. Tom Dempster, R-Sioux Falls, who also has voted on some bills with the group, says he admires Adelstein.

"I read somewhere that when you look at someone, don't look at the mask, look at the person behind the mask. Stan Adelstein is a very sensitive guy with a heart of gold. Republicans should be delighted if they can keep them."
Read it all here. Duane Sutton brings up an interesting point when he comments about leaving the GOP affecting the Mainstream Coalition. But I would look more at what HAS happened as a result of the election, as opposed to what could happen if they switched parties.

What happened in June? A near total repudiation of the Mainstream Coalition members at the ballot box when there were primaries. Even those that some considered long shots. This has to leave the fledgeling coalition feeling bruised and battered as they limp into the fall elections.

And speaking of the Mainstream Coalition and the fall elections, what have they really accomplished since forming in 2005? Looking at their website (which really hasn't changed much in the past year or so):
In 2005, a group of concerned South Dakota residents formed the South Dakota MAINstream Coalition, a non-partisan, grassroots citizen organization. They wanted to counteract efforts that were being made by sectarian and political extremists of the left and right to undermine our Constitutional freedoms and the separation of church and state.

South Dakota MAINstream Coalition consists of religious, political, business, and community leaders who represent the moderate voice of reason grounded in the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

The MAINstream Coalition is led by a Board of Directors. We also are proud to have a Community Advisory Board with members that lend their civic stature and offer direction for all our activities.

Members' demand for greater advocacy spurred the South Dakota MAINstream Coalition to form a separate non-partisan organization to engage in direct political discussion.
Well, not to sound hyper-critical, but "where's the beef?"

Really, what have they done besides be quoted in a few odd newspaper articles and send out a fundraising letter? Is this the extent of their advocacy? If that's the case, I'd make the argument that unless the organization steps things up a bit, their major accomplishment will be getting their founders kicked out of office.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Change the party from within, PP says. We're a big tent, PP says.

Then, PP bashes stan for staying in the party, trying to chnage it from within.

Then, PP bashes the mainstream coalition for having a different set of ideas.

Hmm. What PP says and what PP does are different things.

Does that make PP a flip-flopper?
Anonymous said…
People vote at the ballot box and vote with their pocketbook.

My guess is that, thanks to Randy Frederick's ineptitude and the "culture of intolerance" within the party, the Republicans will lose votes and cash.

Why would anyone want to give money to Randy and company just to have it be wasted?
PP said…
Anon 8:43, clearly you need remedial civics and reading comprehension lessons.

I'm not bashing Stan at all for staying in the party. It's actually one of the first (only) smart things he's done. I get on his rear for trashing the party he proclaims to love.

And, where did I say that about the mainstream coalition?

I've always said they're an attempt to divide the GOP. And today I note that they haven't really accomplished much for all the hullabaloo.

Debate and dissent are cornerstones of our Democracy. I say "Good for them" for exercising it.

But it's equally MY right to say I disagree with what they do and say.

so, nyeah.
Anonymous said…
Bottom line:

The only thing all of the founder members have in common is that they are SD Senators that believe in abortion and gay marriage.

That is why they lost at the last election.

There already is a party that advocates abortion and gay marriage. It is called the Democrat party.

No need to create another party.
Anonymous said…
The Mainstreamers other big mistake is to believe the "big lie" of a "seperation of church and state". It's not Constitutional, just a jargon exploited by lefties to justify bashing orthodox Christians.(Have you heard any outcry from them on how the Muslims are terrorizing the whole world in the name of religion/)
Anonymous said…
Look, PP et al, you just don't get it. The Mainstream Coalition is just a VANITY PROJECT financed by Adelstein and his massive ego. And of course the media loves it, because it's a way to bash Republicans, which Kranz specializes in. Of course, the fact that, as you say, the Coalition has NOT PROPOSED ANYTHING in the way of policy won't get in the way of the media massaging them and feeding Adelstein's ego even more.
Anonymous said…
Anybody know Stan's history? Where did he get all this money?
Anonymous said…
He is a very bright businessman who invests in smart projects.
Anonymous said…
the "big lie" anon? So what would you propose, prayer of course in school. Get em early. Purity balls early on. Get them to rat there folks out for watching movies with...wait for it...sex! Win them over to the party early as all know Jesus is a Republican.

I'm sorry Rep. Hunt. This isn't the 50s, we don't all live in Mayberry and you can't go back to that blissful world where your mom probably was a closet alcoholic and depressed due to the societal contraints put on her. Come to think of it, some in the current GOP SD hierarchy probably have that agenda in mind when the push their agenda.
Anonymous said…
Just so we are straight on this, cultural of intolerance refers to Apa, Schoenbeck and company.

Stan is a thoughtful, tolerant person.

Apa and Lee are bullies and brutes who can stand anyone who refuses to drink their tainted Kool-Aid.

Apa, Schoenbeck and company tout themselves as conservatives but to them that only means ultra-fundamentalists Christians who believe in their agenda. They spend taxpayers money like drunken sailors, raise taxes, participate in a huge expansion of government, and, of course, want to intrude into our personal lives and bedrooms.

Conservatives? That means less government, less taxes, more freedom and more accountability. Not some huge government that operates as an arm of the Church of Schoenbeck.

And I should add to this that most Christians I know are kind, tolerant people who don't like bullies and peeping Toms, Jerries, and Lees.
Anonymous said…
Anon 5:50 said, "...world where your mom probably was a closet alcoholic and depressed due to the societal contraints put on her."

That's the biggest load of horse you know what I've heard in a long time. My mom and most of the moms of my friends stayed home, raised their families, were able to raise families on a single paycheck, and for the most part turned out kids who were well balanced with less drug problems etc than nowadays. There probably were a few closet alcoholics then and there are probably as many or more closet alcoholics now among women as they try to be everything to everyone, in short, super mom.
Anonymous said…
Wow - just got back from a great Twin's game with the kids - one of those events that makes you feel good about the world - and then I read the nasty gram above. Somebody without a name, apparently, needs to take up baseball or get married or get a life. For the record, the only church I happen to belong to is the Roman Catholic one - never heard of the one you mentioned - but as they said on Stripes "I'm willing to learn" :)

PS How come so many people here are named "annonymous" ? Are all your first names Jacob and George too?
Bob Newland said…
Sat next to Apa at a poker table in Deadwood Friday night. Asked him what he thought about the creation plank.

He said, "It's either or." I looked at him blankly for several seconds. He said, "If they're gonna teach Darwinism, they should teach the other."

I asked, "are they teaching Darwinism?" He said, "How would I know?"

Then he said, "ACLU. All C**ks**k*rs and Lesbians Unite."

This did happen.
Anonymous said…
nonnie-

I am glad that your mother was a good stay at home mother. I myself feel fortunate to have a great job that helps people and provides satisfaction on a daily basis. I also have a great husband who helps with everything at home including housecleaning and child rearing.

I have a large group of friends that all work and they enjoy their work and children- it is not mutually exclusive. WE are not alcoholics or drug addicts.

Lets face it the world has changed and women don't want to be relegated to the back of the line. We are paying customers in the world of life and we want input whether we work or stay at home to raise our children.
Jake said…
Mr. Schoenbeck, with all due respect, you did not address any of the actual governance issues the anonymous commenter addressed:

"Apa, Schoenbeck and company tout themselves as conservatives but to them that only means ultra-fundamentalists Christians who believe in their agenda. They spend taxpayers money like drunken sailors, raise taxes, participate in a huge expansion of government, and, of course, want to intrude into our personal lives and bedrooms.

Conservatives? That means less government, less taxes, more freedom and more accountability. Not some huge government that operates as an arm of the Church of Schoenbeck."

Go ahead and read the first two sentences of the that last paragraph again, Mr. Schoenbeck: "Conservatives? That means less government, less taxes, more freedom and more accountability."

Now, in what ways have you even began to shrink government? In what ways have you limited government?

What the commenter was refering to is the slant of your political ideology moving more towards fascism than any sort of small governance philosophy. How is this in any way incorrect?

As far as your feelings are concerned, go ask any gay/lesbian/non-bigoted person how you've made them feel lately. Then, I might play a small violin at your all-American weekend being ruined.

And Aaron I:

"So you are bashing Sen Schoenbeck and Sen Apa, both of which have acomplished more in 2 years in the senate than alot of other legislatiors can dream of."

Are you claiming to be a conservative? Since when is MORE government a conservative platform? Although, you might be right that big government is a Republican ideal. I had extremely high hopes that an all Republican federal government would end some of the rent seeking/looting in our nation's capital. Silly me.

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