For nearly two weeks, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has doubled down, even tripled, on what she shares about shooting and killing a 14-month-old cricket in her upcoming book. Dangerous to her children.
The governor immediately faced backlash and harsh criticism from Republicans and Democrats, but chose not to ignore, retract, or apologize. Instead, Noem continued to talk about it publicly for days.
The fact that this story went viral and struck a nerve with people shows what people think about candidates like Noem and the type of news they consume.
surprise! Americans love dogs. This is not partisan or gender specific. It turns out Americans have special feedback for people who clearly mistreat their dogs. Few people are able to cross this ground without serious backlash or consequences. Noem reacted defiantly after trying this.
The media isn't giving Nomu a pass because she won't stop talking about it
In her new book, No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward, Noem says she “hated” Cricket and found the dog “untrainable” and “dangerous.” He said he dropped him off at the time. A “worthless” hunting dog.
Apparently, Noem's team advised her to omit the dog murder from the first book, but she did not omit it from this book. Now, when asked about the incident on several news programs, Noem continues to fire back, over-explaining why she killed the dog, saying she felt he was a danger to her children and that she They reminded viewers that they are tough and protective parents.
On Sunday's talk show “Face the Nation,” Noem was asked about another dog line, saying President Joe Biden's dog Commander shouldn't be alive because his German shepherd has bitten numerous people. I joked that there wasn't. “Commander, please say hello to Cricket on my behalf,” Noem wrote.
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She also highlighted this story, saying the president should be held “accountable.” After her interview, Ms. Noem complained that she had been interrupted as part of a liberal conspiracy. Unfortunately, conservative news outlets have also not given the governor permission to do so.
In another interview, FOX Business host Stuart Barney asked Noem if President Donald Trump had told her about the dog. She is said to be on his running mate list.
“Enough, Stuart. This interview is ridiculous, what the hell are you doing now? So it should stop,” Noem said. “Let's talk about real topics that Americans care about.”
The “media” gets very heated for creating a circus. But in this case, it's just an example of when they saw an interesting story, they knew about it and took advantage of it. Despite Noem's efforts, she continues to walk through the gunfire yelling, “Good luck!” She starts shooting herself by shooting herself in the leg. Pardon the pun.
It takes two people to dance the tango, but everyone is still dancing. She's not left alone by the press, but that's also because she doesn't seem to be. Her response is strange, convincing, and very Trumpian. no thanks.
Noem thinks defending dog killing is the bravado voters want
The problem is: To begin with, Noem's dog-killing story is so unnecessary. I wonder why she wrote it down, much less chose to keep it against advice that suggests otherwise.
Like most politicians, she is calculating. She has her own PR team. (Full disclosure: One of them asked me to write a 2021 book about South Dakota, but I did it with another author.)
Noem seems to believe that MAGA Republicans want a vulnerable but tough, cute but gritty vice president who will stand by Trump's side.
I don't see how this will earn Noem any respect, votes, or likeability. I feel like she's trying too hard to be the female version of the Bush/Trump mashup.
enough. Who are you, really? I can imagine getting rid of a puppy for humane reasons, but doing so, or being rude, unruly, or showing off, crosses the line. Noem doesn't seem to know where that line is, and he doesn't seem to care right now.
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It's easy to see why she thinks it's best to double down on the bad news. It effectively kills the story and leaves it with nowhere to go.
But lately, she seems to have poor judgment or an inability to admit when she's wrong. Standing for what you believe in is admirable, but what if it's downright awful, inhumane, or just plain weird? Except, of course, for the millions of MAGA voters who prefer the arrogant bastards There are no people.
Noem is right about one thing. This is both a story and not a story at the same time. She was vying for her vice presidential nomination, and Trump's chances of victory were increasing, so this was important in some ways that might not have happened if she hadn't been part of that conversation. It became something.
But America doesn't want a female Trump. Even Republicans don't seem to want women acting with bravado. Women are more likely to own guns. But owning a gun to protect yourself is one thing, and treating it like an accessory for bravado is another. Trust me, Trump has enough of this for his entire ticket combined. But also, Americans generally don't like women cosplaying as teenage boys. I said what I said.
Do Americans prefer skimming superficial news to understanding important news?
Is Noem's dog murder terrible? yes. In a broader perspective, what could be more important to discuss than Noem's bizarre home life? Yes. In fact, there is an even more important, life-or-death, place: Gaza. Israel. Ukraine. American economy. crime. The list goes on. This is why the viral nature of Noem's story is her fault and ours.
News media no longer tells people what to think. We listen to our viewers and strive to give them the meals they want. Sure, sometimes they want to eat filet mignon, but often they just want to eat McDonald's and sometimes just fries. (It's very salty, very delicious, and very bad.)
The world feels heavy and dark at times, but the focus is on the stupid, tragic, bizarre, and mind-boggling story of a Republican who rode horses, wanted to run for vice president, and killed a puppy because he couldn't train it. is a kind of superficial story. I find it easier to digest than the anti-Semitic ranks that fill American schools.
We can all stop hating dog killing stories. We all know where we stand in that regard. While we know there are probably more pressing issues at stake, we can't help but feel annoyed, and maybe even a little angry, that the Republican Party has chosen to pass on her as a good example of a running mate. I can't help but feel it.
Noem's story was very shocking. Because once and for all we agreed to something. This is nothing to brag about, even though there are worse things going on in the world.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children.