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Saturday, September 09, 2023

Friday event, Kristi Noem bets her future on a maybe thing. Breitbart features it big time, lead headline, the guv endorses the indictee. Woo, woo.

 Woo, woo. Indeed!

Sorry, but it seems - somehow, some way - artificial. This from Breitbart's homepage, today -

 

lead item, featured, BIG NEWS?

And, as unforgetable a photo as the Iwo Jima flag raising,

https://media.breitbart.com/media/2023/09/Kristi-Noem-Endorses-Trump-640x480.jpg

An anorexic hello to you, big fella. Excuse my disdain.

Strib today carries the AP feed coverage of the event, stating in part:

WASHINGTON — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem endorsed former President Donald Trump at a party fundraiser in Rapid City Friday night that doubled as an opportunity for Noem to showcase herself as a potential vice presidential pick.

As his rivals held town halls and meet-and-greets in early voting states, Trump headlined the South Dakota Republican Party's ''Monumental Leaders Rally'' in Rapid City, where Noem, once considered a potential 2024 candidate in her own right, instead threw her support behind the former president.

''I will do everything I can to help him win and save this country," Noem said as she formally offered her endorsement before Trump took the stage. She said all the other Republican presidential candidates had been invited to the event. ''All of them told us that they had better things to do. But when President Trump was invited to come be with you tonight, he said, 'I will be there,''' she said.

Trump, for his part, praised Noem as ''one of the most successful governors in the entire nation'' and said her endorsement ''means a lot.''

Trump's decision to headline the event underscores his dominance in the early stages of the GOP presidential primary even as he faces four separate indictments and 91 felony counts. South Dakota holds a late primary and isn't a competitive general election state. But with a huge lead, Trump is skipping much of the traditional primary campaign.

Instead of the large-scale rallies that dominated his past runs, he is this time relying on state party events that offer large, friendly audiences at no cost to his political organization, which is facing millions of dollars in legal expenses. Friday's event looked like a typical Trump rally, but was paid for by the state Republican Party. Those in the audience purchased tickets and paid to attend.

The visit was also something of an audition for Noem. She planned the event as a way to both offer her endorsement and maximize face time with Trump as he considers potential 2024 running mates and cabinet members, according to two senior Republicans familiar with her thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement.

Noem will be term-limited in 2026 and, after declining to run for president this year, is eyeing her next move to maintain prominence in the GOP.

That is more or less the way Crabgrass figured it from headlining alone. Differing from the commentary accompanying the Breitbart headlining.  Nothing there so cynical as speculating about motivation, sincerity, calculation, opportunity. 

Just, vanilla Breitbart. As expected. No mystery. No surprise.

_________UPDATE_________

NYTimes, no surprises either. 

She isn’t running for the White House, and she recently told Fox News that “of course” she would consider joining a ticket with Mr. Trump.

Ms. Noem, 51, fueled further vice-presidential conjecture by endorsing the former president at a rally on Friday evening in her home state.

“Tonight, Mr. President, my message is clear: It is an honor to have you with us in South Dakota,” Ms. Noem said in front of a crowd of thousands in Rapid City. “You made America great again once. Let’s do it again.”

Mr. Trump took the stage, briefly hugging Ms. Noem and exchanging words. Then, for a quick second, a graphic reading “TRUMP NOEM 2024” flashed on the giant screen above the stage.

“Kristi is a warrior for American values,” Mr. Trump said, going on to compliment her handling of the coronavirus pandemic and her policies in South Dakota.

“I get endorsements, some good, some bad,” he said. “Some don’t mean anything. Hers means a lot.”

While South Dakota holds little sway in the Republican presidential primary contest — and even less in a general election — Ms. Noem’s endorsement is noteworthy, because only eight of the nation’s 26 Republican governors have publicly picked sides so far.

Beyond Ms. Noem, just three — Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Jim Justice of West Virginia and Henry McMaster of South Carolina — have backed Mr. Trump. Two others — Ron DeSantis of Florida and Doug Burgum of North Dakota — are running against him.

“Everybody should consider it,” Ms. Noem told Fox News about a potential vice-presidential slot. “If President Trump is going to be back in the White House, I’d do all I can to help him be successful.”

If President Trump is going to be back in the White House, I’d do all I can to help him be successful.” She said that. That causes one to ask, "If Donald J. Trump ends up in prison, would she bake him a cake with a file in it?" Helping him to be successful in a differing context? Would she drive the getaway car? How loyal is loyal? (Ask Rudy for a weather report.)

Politics is getting a slime patina these days. Due, of course, to social media. 

Example: social media

 That's your wages, bucko! What you gonna do when they come for you?

Vanilla Breitbart - anti-social media? 

All we know is what we read on the web. Thinking it over; Optional.