The Next Crackerbarrel
Questions you can ask for fun

Saturday January 28th, Senator Stan Adelstein and his new appendage Representative Alice McCoy will be featured speakers at the Rapid City Crackerbarrel, along with Representatives Don Van Etten and Mike Buckingham. (SDSM&T in Tech's new classroom building 9-11am).

If I didn't have a bit of a mini-family reunion here in Pierre this weekend, I think I'd definately go out to this one. Because there's a chance for some entertaining discussion. Stan's leading the pro-choice charge this session, as well as being the financial backer of the Mainstream Coalition among other things.

If I had the floor what questions would I ask? Well, they certainly wouldn't be softballs. Since Stan has his fingers in so many pies, He'd probably get a couple of them. I'd ask questions like:
Since Democrats are praising it while many Republicans condemn it, how does your Mainstream Coalition make the Republican party stronger? It seems to be a dividing force as opposed to a uniting one.

Is it true you've retained the services of a Democratic political consultant? If so, what races will he be working on, on your behalf, besides your own?
And I'd query Representative Alice McCoy as well.
How much of the funding (cash or in-kind) for your upcoming primary challenge do you expect will be funded by individual donors, and how much of it do you expect will be funded by special interest PACs?
Finally, I'd probably hit Don Van Etten, a noted smoking opponent with the toughest question of the session:
In your opinion, does Government's interest in protecting its citizens outweigh an individual's right to personal liberty and happiness?
Sometimes the simplest questions can prove to be the most difficult of all.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Its good to see that your question to Don would at least have something to do with the legislative session.
Anonymous said…
You need to be in Rapid City and ask those questions. Please let everyone know that Alice McCoy will only be the second vote of Sen. Adelstein....since when do women need to be 'paid' to serve in the Senate??? Can't she win election on her own...?
Anonymous said…
Remember, pp, that these are non-partisan cracker barrels. While you might not like their answers, It'd be pretty easy to come up with vanilla answers that appeal to the majority of voters (even in a GOP primary), and don't make any news. For example --

Since Democrats are praising it while many Republicans condemn it, how does your Mainstream Coalition make the Republican party stronger? It seems to be a dividing force as opposed to a uniting one.

-- It makes the Republican party stronger by encouraging folks closer to the mainstream to run for office. It protects our values of a limited government and helps us govern practically, instead of from a far right ideology based on a single religion. I'd argue that many of the people on the far right who have tried to force moderates out of the party have been far more divisive than anything we've said or done. They've said I should get out of the party. I've never said they should get out. Who is being divissive?

Is it true you've retained the services of a Democratic political consultant? If so, what races will he be working on, on your behalf, besides your own?

-- "no idea if this is true" -- I've always thought the best policy was to hire the best person for the job, regardless of their party, race, gender or background. Not all Democrats are evil. I'll work with the ones with an open mind and a willingness to improve South Dakota. If being bipartisan is good for South Dakota, that's how I'll operate.

How much of the funding (cash or in-kind) for your upcoming primary challenge do you expect will be funded by individual donors, and how much of it do you expect will be funded by special interest PACs?

-- (again, no idea about this) I'm happy to have the support of friends and family from across South Dakota. I can't predict where my money will come from, but we're going to work hard to ensure we have the resources we need to win.

In your opinion, does Government's interest in protecting its citizens outweigh an individual's right to personal liberty and happiness?

-- Personal liberty, and personal happiness are important. But there have always been, and there will always be, limits when an action injures another person. It is undisputed that smoking not only harms the smoker, but that second hand smoke harms those around the smoker. We limit all kinds of activity that endangeres others -- drunk driving, pollution limits and building code for example. If you want to smoke in your own home, fine. But once a citizen or group of citizens engages in an activity that harms others, it is appropriate for the government to step in.

Again, you probably won't agree with any of these, but they can give an answer that doesn't exactly make news...
Anonymous said…
I also wonder if this group that Stan seems to be leading are actually Republicans? It is a well-known fact that Stan gave a LOT of financial support to Daschle. In fact, he didn’t support Thune in the last campaign. And yet, he rented Thune the same office space he rented Daschle previously. Quite interesting. What kind of sheep’s clothing is Stan wearing?

Stan is also reputed to have “donated” to Mayor Shaw’s campaign. Shaw was a registered Democrat and then switched parties. This is how they get elected folks. They can’t get elected on the Democrat ticket, so they pretend they are something they aren’t - Republicans. What a hoot. And, people in this area seem to be too naïve and fall for it because they tell the voters they are “mainstream”. They aren’t even in the creek!
PP said…
yakity yak -

Sorry, but that's the first time I've ever had to do THAT - i.e. editing a comment post.

There's even a bit of it I know to be true, but go ahead and try to verify it - it isn't easy.

For legal reasons, I'm not going to get into sexual piccadillos of candidates and officials unless I can prove something to be true.

Opinions are personal things. Ahd If I'm posting a rumor, it's because I have a source known to me.

But posting that someone is gay using a pseudonym on my blog without proof only leaves me potentially holding the bag for an accusation of slander.
Anonymous said…
No problem. I shouldn’t have been so blunt. You have an excellent blog site and it doesn’t need to be tainted. However, I am becoming more and more discouraged about how people “think” any more. If you don’t come right out and tell them that black is black and white is white, then someone like Stan can come out and tell them that it’s actually “red”, and they believe it. AND, if they don’t believe it, he will give them enough money so that they will change their mind.

You are so correct when you talk about the race between Stan and Elli. She is a wonderful lady, and the only reason she lost the last primary was because Stan (it seems) will go to any length to buy his spot in Pierre. I wonder how many Democrats switched parties so they could vote in the Republican Primary for Stan? Or, how many of his apartment tenants got free coffee if they voted for him?
Anonymous said…
For the 2nd anonymous. Please really, get your facts before you get on the internet and post anything. Alice McCoy for one can't vote for Adelstein. She was never 'Paid' The reason why she lost is because we have some stupid people Rapid that don't know their facts "you" *cough*. I'm be only a young person, but I know the facts so untill you do don't post crap!!

Popular posts from this blog

Corson County information on Klaudt Rape Charges

A note from Benedict Ar... Sorry. A note from Stan Adelstein why he thinks you should vote Democrat this year.

It's about health, not potential promiscuity.