Perhaps Noem’s shock therapy description of life on the farm for average Joe and Mary was a bit rich, but life on the farm is tough. 4H kids that I knew raised their animals to win ribbons. Of course they became attached to them but everyone knew their ultimate destiny.
Rural life is rugged. At night, the baying of dogs running deer is one of the worst sounds one can hear. No need to describe what happens when the deer runs out of energy. Once you see it you don’t forget it. What to do with the dog?
So to some extent I can understand where Kristi is coming from. There are reports that the story of the dispensing of the dog was going to come out anyway, so the better to get ahead of it.
One thing for sure. She has had her “Michael Dukakis moment.” When the former Presidential candidate was seen riding around in a tank. Her time in the spotlight is no doubt about over.
Of course we have Biden’s lovely pet dogs that bite. One that bit 25 people. They get to go to a farm to “live happily ever after.” Sure they did.
But not to let a story go to waste, I picked up this Vanity Fair piece. No puff piece for sure. Even better of course, it lays it on Trump. But let’s not waste time, here goes:
Days after it was revealed that her new book includes a graphic account of her killing a pet dog (and goat), South Dakota governor Kristi Noem has doubled down on having committed pooch-icide, claiming the story is evidence that she’s an “authentic” leader.
Taking to X following deafening backlash—she was dubbed “evil,” “trash,” and “Jeffrey Dahmer with veneers,” among other things—Noem wrote Sunday that she “can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch.” She included the bizarre anecdote, though, because she believes “people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don’t shy away from tough challenges,” i.e., shooting their own dog. She added, for those wondering if criminal charges might be possible, that “South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down.”
Noem’s weekend comments followed earlier remarks addressing the dog-killing story. On Friday, she said on social media: “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.” That’s right, she added to her publicly known body count!
As we wrote last week, “while the tales of dog- and goat-killing probably won’t play well with many Americans, as most famously love dogs and regard them as family members, they might actually win her points with the ex-president, who famously hates man’s best friend.” On Monday, Semafor reported that “the median reaction when…checked around Trumpworld was ‘WTF,’ although some noted her chances [of becoming Trump’s running mate] were considered slim already—her take on abortion is to his right, and she filmed an odd infomercial for a Texas dental clinic last month, among other issues.”
Inside Edition takes a crack at the story.
Of course farmers always take troublesome destructive animals for a trip to the Vet to be euthanized. Especially in South Dakota where probably it was a worth a half a day ride back and forth.
Did she handle this half way right? Nope. What say you?
April 30, 2024 at 2:13 pm
It’s hard to say should she or shouldn’t she have written it. If it’s a known episode, it will come out. Better to drop it early. Was this the best way? How can I tell. The language quoted seems a bit harsh. But in my book it does underscore the point well, of being a leader making hard decisions.
I can tell you how the coddled citified population will react. We were having breakfast at a friend’s food cart in Venice (yes, THAT Venice, California) with Mr. B’s adult daughter. Seating was very crammed into a narrow slot, so conversations could be overheard. The daughter – a very city girl herself and married to a Google techie – lived in the countryside and kept chickens and goats. She had a problem with a particularly aggressive rooster that went after the humans, especially her husband. They can be a dangerous bird. They tried a few things to “modify” that behavior, and it didn’t work. So one day when rooster came after husband he went into the house, got his .45 and came out to meet the rooster in combat. She described in scant detail how rooster came up to him, got blown away and still couldn’t believe it was happening to him. Still, the people around who heard the story got up and moved away from us. They have obviously never experienced this normal aspect of country life, of the folks who are putting FOOD on their plates.
People who totally lack experience in a realm often react very differently from those who know a few things about it. For example, a survey of drivers and non-drivers found wide differences in how they viewed questions like “is it OK for a delivery driver to break the rules.” About 7% vs. 50%.
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April 30, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Meanwhile in the interim th rooster enjoyed a much better life than the life the chicken had which the diner dines on that night.
Never the twain shall meet.
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April 30, 2024 at 1:41 pm
RJ wrote, “Killing millions of babies would be an interesting discussion.” He/she/whatever needs professional help.
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April 30, 2024 at 12:34 pm
When I first heard of the dog killing I thought, “here we go again”, another Trump stunt that so many MAGA candidates have picked up on: spew something utterly vile, stupid, offensive or all of the above, wait for the deserving criticism from leftists, and then portray yourself as the victim being attacked by snooty snowflakes who have no understanding of how real leaders deal with such things, all while seeing MAGAnuts cheer from “owning the Dems” while fundraising from it at the same time.
This art of promoting violence against those unable to defend themselves (immigrants, gays, trans, peaceful protesters, teachers, librarians etc) has been perfected by Trump, DeSantis, MTG, Ted Cruz etc and has worked well.
But there are 2 areas that the novice Noem fell short. One is that these defenseless groups that are deserving of violent attacks are supposed to be an eminent threat. Undocumented immigrants for example are not coming for a better way of life or fleeing from political violence but rather to sell drugs to your kids, rape your wife, steal your job, and then shoot you. Gays and transgenders are here to indoctrinate and transform our children rather than simply living their lives. Even Hitler made the claim that Jews wanted to destroy Germany (the same common rhetoric used by MAGA).
The other failure is that she seems unaware that these other areas of presumed great leadership can be easily sold to certain Baskets of Gulibles because most people don’t know enough about the actual situation. For example, many can easily be persuaded that undocumented immigrants under Biden is producing a violent crime wave when in reality, we’re seeing a record decline in crime, not to mention that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes for fear of being deported. Most don’t understand the medical complexities of transgenders so they can be easily duped.
But most everyone can relate to a dog, either having one, had one, wanting one, and so on. And many of us understand that you sometimes have to put one down. But her explanation was that the dog was “less than worthless” and “untrainable”, even admitting her children asked what happened to it. So it’s clear that the dog was no threat.
She obviously also shot herself in the foot.
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April 30, 2024 at 12:42 pm
“that the dog was “less than worthless” is how rural folks talk… I know a whole lot of folks are the same way…and the dog was a threat to their livilihood. There are “outside dogs” and “Inside dogs”. The dog was to protect the chickens no doubt not kill them. Once they do it, they won’t stop. She wasn’t going to keep the dog on a leash and walk it three times a day
Anything outside you remain detached for the most part. They are just there.. Life and death happen very quickly and most days.
Yet kill millions of babies… not so bad as was commented upon.
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April 30, 2024 at 1:28 pm
I well understand inside and outside dogs. I also understand the need to put them down, sometimes simply because of population control.
Speaking of outside dogs, I always vowed there’d be no dog in my house. Period. Well, we had a dog terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks and would scratch at the door relentlessly. I caved to the wife and kids but only for the duration of the storm. Years later, I not only had that 18 year old full time canine resident in my house but was actually changing her diapers.
I have no issues with Noem and her dogs. I just see it as a political stunt that blew up in her face.
Killing millions of babies would be an interesting discussion.
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April 30, 2024 at 3:01 pm
Even here in LA county years ago people used to dump dogs at the edge of civilization in the Santa Susanna hills. A friend ranched out there. It was a problem as gangs of wilded dogs attacked wildlife and cattle. The county organized a bounty hunt – $5 a dead dog. My friend joined a group who went into the hills to kill dogs. Parked pickups at trail heads and went in on horse back. Filled pickups with dead dogs.
It makes you angry for heartless people dumping dogs to a fate like that when they could have had the decency to have a vet put the animal down.
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April 30, 2024 at 3:27 pm
B,, The underbelly of life.. Yet these same people have no problem what so ever to see the homeless, helpless die on the street right in front of them. Heartless and cruel this drug business but the Left has no problem with it.
All those murdered, raped and otherwise abused by illegals have no problem, The homeless Vets…and so on… But a dog?? Priorities.
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April 30, 2024 at 11:56 am
A voice from deep up the canyon………………… leftists bemoan the death of an errant working dog while at the same time celebrating the vivisection of 64,000,000 human beings in the womb. The biblical term ‘double minded’ comes to mind.
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April 30, 2024 at 12:26 pm
Powerfully said…
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April 30, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Thank you sir. God help us.
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April 30, 2024 at 11:01 am
What say I? Hmmm. How about this: someone should take Joey to the train station.
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April 30, 2024 at 11:08 am
Nothing like going out to the chicken pen, either by ax or by hand, dispatch dinner…
When the hard times come… hmmm.. I just don’t think most are ready
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April 30, 2024 at 11:10 am
(And set him in front of the train?)
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April 30, 2024 at 11:16 am
Mustang
Bad idea cuz then we’ll have to hear him tell how he once drove the first transcontinental choo choo up Pikes Peak by himself while shoveling coal into the tender and took naps in the caboose. No thanks.
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April 30, 2024 at 8:22 pm
We aren’t watching the same T.V. show, Peter.
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April 30, 2024 at 10:31 am
Off topic:
Seemingly forever and today New York City continues to be proclaimed as the greatest even while no longer referred to as “The Big Apple.” Kangaroo courts downtown and communist financed destruction of the Ivy League’s flagship institution uptown are doing their best to erode its image. The silver lining may be the light bulb going on for thousands when considering an Ivy League education to the tune of close to $500,000 per student. But then the opportunity for community colleges to double their tuition costs is out there like low hanging fruit. No biggie we the tax will pickup the slack. Bottom line- there is no bottom line. It’s all going to hell in the proverbial handbasket.
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April 30, 2024 at 8:49 am
My grandparents farmed. Dairy, chickens, geese, working dogs for cattle. But if a dog touched a chicken? Grandad didn’t hesitate and a new dog appeared. Or if he saw dogs running deer. He was pretty handy with his thurty-thurty..This was Northern Minnesota.
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April 30, 2024 at 9:50 am
Thanks for being blunt. I was afraid to, but that was how my world worked. 243 here…
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April 30, 2024 at 8:33 am
It’s odd how things change so quickly. I never lived on a farm (except for the summers that I spent on my grand-uncle/aunt’s ranch West of San Antonio and the other summers spent in rural Oklahoma). Still, I know that a dog or cat that kills chickens for the sport of it has to go.
As Peter says, now nobody bats an eye over “a woman’s right to choose” when it is not her body that is being killed (and often not really her choice). Nonetheless, we all look the other way and keep silent.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:08 am
She didn’t need to tell the story. Trying to prove something, but it has backfired.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:19 am
I agree AOW… I think the story was out there from before and she wanted to get ahead of it… but i gave a stab at it just for the heck of it… tired of politics per se. 🙂
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April 30, 2024 at 8:35 am
I wonder if the real point of it was to force an introspection of our view of life (just as Peter brought out).
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April 30, 2024 at 7:07 am
Surely a great percentage of Americans have no problem with dispatching a million or so unborn children every year even as they take their first breaths but putting down a rabid dog, an old goat, a lame horse that’s where we the civilized draw the line. Let’s just thank God Ronald Reagen never squashed a bug 🐞 or drowned a cat since the Cold War would be nearly 80 years old today. What’s surprising is how Biden has yet to regal us with his story about when as a five year old picnicking on a family vacation in Florida he wrestled and choked to death a nine foot alligator 🐊 and was able to go on to a 50 year political career. C’mon man it wasn’t as if he tied the family dog to the roof of is car like a miscreant republican running for president might do.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:22 am
You are at the top of your game today. Actually you really can’t change a dog who kills chickens I have found.
And ranchers are not going to keep them on a leash and take them for a 30 minute walk each day… but I thought I went far enough
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April 30, 2024 at 7:23 am
The Dems want to get rid of Grandma….dogs? Not so much
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April 30, 2024 at 7:00 am
Didn’t she originally run on a commercial about castrating pigs and making them squeal?
Oh, That was Joni Ernst.
Never mind.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:02 am
BTW, Midwesterners and rural folk can relate.
Urban folk not so much.
There seems to be a difference.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:20 am
Western ranchers might react with disgust and take umbridge upon hearing an unsuspecting 65 year old woman was killed after being pushed onto the tracks of oncoming NYC subway train by an illegal alien but can live with themselves after putting down an animal. Talk about values!
(note sarcasm)
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April 30, 2024 at 7:20 am
She should never try to relate to ranchers…
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