Argus getting pounded for their Herseth coverage

Check out the Argus' gaggy article on the Herseth engagement:

Rep. Stephanie Herseth, 36, is engaged and plans to be married in South Dakota in the first half of 2007, her spokesman Russ Levsen confirmed Saturday.

Herseth made a surprise announcement of her engagement to former Rep. Max Sandlin, D-Texas, at a birthday party in her honor Friday in Rapid City.

"We had an update on Senator Johnson's condition, which is first in our hearts and minds. Then she said she had some exciting news she wanted to share with her friends out here.

"She was real excited. It was real fun. It was an added feature to the birthday celebration," said Judy Olson Duhamel, former chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party.

and...

Herseth rode with Sandlin in the annual Mayor's Ride at the 2005 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and he was with her in Sioux Falls in November when she celebrated her re-election.

He was not with Herseth in Rapid City, but Duhamel said Herseth's announcement brought "lots of cheers, lots of affirmation, lots of love and affection for her."

Duhamel said she also got a good look at Herseth's ring.

"It was a lovely ring. Just simple and beautiful and just gorgeous."

Read that all here. And surprisingly, their commenters don't like the article either:

"When accomplished women are being mentioned, what they look like, wear or buy is much more important than what they do and acomplish. Everybody knows that."

another says...

"I just wish we could be happy for her without reducing her to complete chickdom by talking about her ring or any other frilly details."
Ooo. I think they hit a nerve. Because in 2 out of 2 comments, they got spanked for treating this engagement as if they were commenting on Lady Di instead of a statewide elected official. And the commenters are 100% right.

They just couldn't leave the ring out, and in coming months we're going to be treated to a barrage of "what dress will she wear" articles, along with "Here's what's in Stephanie's wedding registry at Wal Mart.." Okay, maybe not wal-mart, but you get my point.

The stage has been set for an insufferable year or so of engagement as the media speculates what kind of lacy things she's going to get at her shower, and whether she's going to pick a band or a dj and.....

So state media - Just stop it now. Stop it before it gets out of control. This is your one and only caution as I attempt to save your dignity.

You've been warned.

Comments

Anonymous said…
um, maybe some of us girls ARE INTERESTED in her ring and her wedding dj and her lacy things and all that

sheesh, what a party pooper
Anonymous said…
when will a brave newspaper step up and say the obvious: "Stephanie, my dear, you're making a terrible mistake. Now we need to fix this before you ruin your life."
Anonymous said…
everyone seems to have been nice and respectful, PP. I'm not sure what you're so upset about. everyone in the world goes through the "ring discussion" -- it's inevitable. and human. not many people like this man she's marrying, it seems, so i'd like to here more about him too.
Anonymous said…
about 1% of people in South Dakota have heard of the alternative minimum tax, but about 80% of South Dakotans have married...people like this stuff, because it's interesting and comparable to their own lives. Stephanie could stand to be humanized instead of being this stick figure
Anonymous said…
so we've got Brangelina.

now i guess we've got Maxphie.

or Stemax.

or Sandseth.

hmmm, this marriage is doomed
Anonymous said…
Can someone tell me when Mr. Sandlin divorced his wife and left his 5 children behind?

seriously, Ms. Herseth voted as a member of Congress to pass a constitutional marriage amendment PROHIBITING me from marrying my partner. Now I really want to know HOW MUCH SHE HONORS THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE.
Anonymous said…
it was tacky for her announcement to be 'first, we hope Tim is ok, but second, I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!' sad.
Anonymous said…
Slow news day is it?

Guess I don't have to subscribe to the National Enquirer any more!
Anonymous said…
Herseth got elected playing the role of "Princess," now she needs to follow through, so the Lady Diana analogy is a good one
Anonymous said…
Let's just hope she spends as much time working for South Dakota as she will planning for the bridal shower, the bachelorette party, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding, the reception and the honeymoon. I think it is safe to say that she will be in cruise control as Congresswoman.

Remind me, how will that be different than the last 2 years?

Smile Stephanie, someone wants to take another picture? Say something nice Stephanie? Good girl.

Why can't the Republicans get a decent candidate for Congress?
Anonymous said…
Well, "Princess Herseth," lost her slipper and Senator Thune lost the ear! It appears that the slipper has been found and fits and now we are waiting for the Senator to find that ear.

I would much rather have the ear found then the Princess slipper!

LOL
Anonymous said…
Let's see, you were reporting "rumors" of her engagement, then criticizing the media for reporting on the announcement. Hmmmm.
PP said…
No, I was posting a rumor, and the NEWS confirming it.

I was criticizing the Non-News about her ring and all the mess that's sure to follow.
Anonymous said…
I don't think there is any slight by talking about a wedding and a ring. Let's just be happy for her. There is nothing for her to be ashamed about.
PP said…
Stephanie was fine. It was the Argus focusing on it.

And I'm telling you. It's sure to snowball into silliness..
Anonymous said…
The Herseth story was a very routine story of the "society news" variety about engagements and weddings. They used to not only describe the ring but the clothes and even the expressions on the faces of the participants.

The real story is the mean and petty resentment that courses through the good ol' South Dakota society. It's enough to make a girl want to move to Texas.
Douglas said…
Much ado about nothing.
Anonymous said…
it's a dilemma.....is Sioux Falls a small city or a really big town? Will the Argus Leader write as if it is the Ipswich Tribune or like the L.A. Times?

I don't imagine the majority of Argus readers will be raising a big fuss about the society-pages appearing on the front page w/ the Stephanie engagement.

But, then again, the majority of readers regularly settle for far less than hard-hitting journalism from the Argus. In fact, the political coverage in this state is SOFT no matter who you are (except for the occasional person who gets on their bad side...but even then, it's not "hard" journalism, it's just some petty pissing match, e.g., the Governor and his plane, or the Governor and his hunting club).

It's partly the voters fault for putting up with it, but, then again, we really don't know any better because there isn't any competition.

The Argus, the digital media, and the Journal just don't have a whole lot of bright people on staff asking hard questions and then asking hard follow up questions. It's really a press-release kind of state when it comes to journalism.

I don't know how to fix it. Blogs like PP's provide part of the answer, but they're just not enough. Very few folks would really give a rip if some newsworthy person didn't return PP's calls requesting an interview. Blogs tend to point out the holes left by the media. But they aren't a substitute. At least not yet.

But, maybe South Dakotans just don't care if this problem gets 'fixed' or not. It seems they don't care.
Anonymous said…
Congratulations to Stephanie, ring, dress, borrowed, blue(dog), honeymoon and all!

Some of us have heard Max Sandlin speak, and he is very impressive. Max got himself elected as a Democrat in a heavily Republican district, much like Stephanie. He served 8 years before Tom Delay hatched his mid-census redistricting scheme and shifted Max's district into an even more heavily Republican area.

Anyone who can get under Tom Delay's skin for winning in a Republican district can't be all bad. In fact, Max is my kind of guy. Stephanie has done well.

And those of you speculating about Stephanie not working, that's ridiculous. The Democrats just instituted a 5-day work week for Congress. It was the Republicans who were operating under the $165,000 2-day work week, automatic yearly raise plan. It's about time!
Anonymous said…
so the new criteria for selecting a spouse in South Dakota, per 1:32, are as follows:

- - impressive public speaker

- - able to win as D in heavy R district

- - subsequent inability to win as D in redistricted, heavier R district

- - can make Tom Delay mad


Boy, that sounds like the perfect mate to me!!! And thanks for those criteria...they really help quell those concerns about what kind of a person Stephanie truly is.
Anonymous said…
"- able to win as D in heavy R district"

too bad Frank Kloucek wasn't available for her
Anonymous said…
Note to all idiots, 2:32 and 2:57 included:

You don't get to choose who Representative Herseth marries.

Her choice is respectable and successful, much more respectable and successful than you anonymous idiots can claim to be.

You can whine about it anonymously as much as you want though if if makes you feel really manly.

Does it make you feel manly 2:32 and 2:57? (and don't claim to be women because nobody will believe your comments came from women - just from jealous or insecure men).
Anonymous said…
I am glad that she has found someone wonderful to marry and love. She is very mature for her years and I am not surprised she will marry someone her senior. She is a great Representative and is destined for big things. Much happiness to her and her family. You go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous said…
5:37 -

Clever ploy there, questioning the manhood of posters. Or assuming jealous or insecurity.

But thou misseth the point. Some on here questioned the character of her fiancee. The only defense of him is provided by 1:32 with a laundry list of *political* assets.

And then somebody made a joke about that insufficient list.

If the ring and the look on her face are fair game for public scrutiny, so, too, should be the qualities of the guy who gave the ring and caused the look, shouldn't they?
Anonymous said…
Let's have a post where we can all criticize John Thune's wife.

Sound ridiculous? It is.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, it does sound ridiculous because there's nothing about Kimberley there to criticize.
Anonymous said…
The differene between Kim and Max is that Max was in politics and Kim has NOT been in politics.

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