Fellow South Dakotan here.....Your post was dead on. Another problem is the SD GOP. I can’t imagine the pressure (from the national GOP) that they would get by having someone primary Thune. I would love to see it happen but doubt that it will. I called Thune’s office on Tuesday and spoke to one of his staffers, and then commented at the end that I would never vote for Thune again. And today I basically said the same thing in an email after I said my piece about the monstrosity of a stimulus bill that he voted in favor of. He is McConnell’s boy. Bought and paid for.
There are Conservatives West River that recognize what John Thune has done to himself, and the positions he has taken during the DJ Trump presidency that place him at odds with Republican values much less those of True Conservatives and even less with stated South Dakota values.
That recognition, and the barely two years remaining before he runs again or abandons his position should be all the impetus needed to generate action toward a candidate with backbone and principles that will not be lost in Dee Cee should said candidate win an election.
Displacing an incumbent is a nearly an impossible task but in this case the attempt needs to be made. Same with Dusty. He’s a RINO of the first order, and the fact he is electable tells you what we are up against as far as general South Dakota voters are concerned.
I would hope Mike Rounds is another story, but at the moment he is just another non supporter of Donald J. Trump as President. I like Mike, and maybe the effort to remove John and Dusty if successful, could stiffen his spine and recognition that Conservatives are tired of the status quo.
I am not sure you knew that Dusty had a primary this year. The person who ran against him is now in the State Legislature for the second time fourth term. Covid had a great deal to do with the results. This may turn out to be a very interesting Session of the State Legislature. There is a very strong Conservative group in leadership, who wish to bring some sanity to the profligate spending by the free spending Republicans.
Sanity in Government is also a nearly impossible goal. Even in so called Conservative South Dakota. In the past our Legislature has been in my opinion almost a mirror of what is taking place in the Congress of the United States.
So, all that said, on which side of the river do you reside?