POLITCIAL WHISPERS: The Capricious Gods of Politics

Brendan Johnson and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin are the two luckiest Democrats in South Dakota.

For whatever reasons, the fact that they didn’t end up running for the U.S. Senate against Republican former governor Mike Rounds is the best thing that could have happened to their political careers.

As polling shows, South Dakotans were in an anti-Obama mood in a year when the state Democratic Party had a weak ticket (or no ticket) from top to bottom. While Sandlin or Johnson would have made the race much closer and the Republicans would have had to spend more money and had to work harder, the results in all likelihood would be the same: Mr. Rounds goes to Washington.

Meanwhile, Sandlin’s political career would probably have been over—two losses for statewide office are not good and Johnson’s would have been crippled before it began.

So, ala Jimmy Fallon’s Friday night comedy bit, they should be writing Rick Weiland a thank you note that goes something like this:

“Dear Rick: Thank you for throwing yourself on countless Republican hand grenades and even some you threw at yourself this past election. That way, we didn’t have to get blown up ourselves. Sincerely, Stephanie and Brendan.”

But Sandlin and Johnson didn’t stay out by choice. The capricious gods of politics had their backs in 2014.

According to one Democratic insider, this is how things played out and how Weiland got what he wished for—the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination and the chance to get slaughtered by Rounds.

Brendan Johnson wanted to run for U.S. Senate. Washington, D.C. Democrats (I read Harry Reid) said no. They wanted Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. This honked off Senator Tim Johnson, Brendan’s dad, and former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle.

There is apparently no love lost between Daschle and Sandlin. In 2004, when Sandlin won and Daschle lost re-election, Sandlin distanced herself from Daschle. Daschle didn’t forget.

So, the elder Johnson and Daschle made common cause against Sandlin and backed Weiland, Tom’s former state director, in order to block the risk-adverse Sandlin and poke those Washington, D.C. Democrats (read Reid) for blocking Brendan’s entry into the race.

So, everyone wins! Or everyone loses! I’m not sure I’d call it a victory but some pretty nasty politics.

So, Weiland goes on Rickapalooza across South Dakota with his guitar and ultimately, Rick is a loser against the Obama-disliking, Grandpa Don-loving, teflonesque Mike Rounds, where nothing, including the EB-5 scandal, sticks.

So bitter intra-Democrat squabbling ultimately saved one or both of South Dakota’s brightest and best Democratic stars to run and fight another day when Obama is no longer the President and the state Democratic Party is not so inept.

Oh, and Brendan and Stephanie might also want to send Sen. Reid a thank you note as well for saving their political careers as well.