Tuesday, June 29, 2004
South Dakota Republicans, angered by their loss in the the June 1 special congressional election, are seeking to move their party to the right to distinguish it from the Democrats.
The impulse to purify is a common one, but somehow I doubt that South Dakotans see their GOP as insufficiently conservative. South Dakota contributes disproportionately to the American armed forces - at least 8 South Dakotans have died in Iraq - roughly one percent of total U.S. fatalities so far, and a share four times South Dakota's proportion of the American population (around .2%). Around 3400 South Dakotans have served in the military in the past two years. When the election cycle began, annoyance over Tom Daschle's criticism of Bush's conduct of the war was thought to pose a vulnerability for the incumbent. At this point, Daschle's concerns look to have been prescient to an electorate where most voters probably know or know of someone in harm's way.
A swing to the right, however gratifying, may not help the Republicans unseat Daschle.
The impulse to purify is a common one, but somehow I doubt that South Dakotans see their GOP as insufficiently conservative. South Dakota contributes disproportionately to the American armed forces - at least 8 South Dakotans have died in Iraq - roughly one percent of total U.S. fatalities so far, and a share four times South Dakota's proportion of the American population (around .2%). Around 3400 South Dakotans have served in the military in the past two years. When the election cycle began, annoyance over Tom Daschle's criticism of Bush's conduct of the war was thought to pose a vulnerability for the incumbent. At this point, Daschle's concerns look to have been prescient to an electorate where most voters probably know or know of someone in harm's way.
A swing to the right, however gratifying, may not help the Republicans unseat Daschle.
