Want to save South Dakota? Help stop Doeden

I voted today.

If you asked me 10 years ago if I would be a registered Republican doing whatever I could for damage control, I would have told you no way, but here we are.

Honestly, I was originally registered as an independent. Although I vote for a lot of Democratic candidates, it is not very often that I do so out of genuine wild enthusiasm. I have been voting damage control “lesser of two evils” for the vast majority of my voting life. I’ve genuinely voted for some Republican candidates previously and not for damage control, so I am most definitely not a party line voter. Almost two decades ago, when I first joined Facebook, it asked if you wanted to list your political affiliation and I listed “exhausted,” so I’ve been concerned with political and economic trends overall for a long, long time.

Like many, many of you, I’m sick of politicians, lies, dirty campaigning, corporate influence on elections, cronyism and graft, and people who are so far from what I would consider a good leader, it’s crazy. And the number and general awfulness of bad leaders has become wildly mind-boggling in the last decade.

When I think of what makes a bad leader, here is my comprehensive list, some of which are part of Doeden’s persona:

A - Narcissistic/Egotistical

B - Impulsive/Low Emotional Intelligence/Infantile

C - Low Agreeableness/Confrontational/Argumentative

D - Divisive/Polarizing (especially when engaging in culture wars or performative politics for political gain)

E - Lack of Empathy/Not truly caring for ALL people

F - Contempt for Established Norms that provide genuine stability/confidence/security

G - Incompetent/Unable to Get Things Done/Rhetoric v. Meaningful Action

H - Corrupt/Using Govt. Resources for Personal Gain/Gifts

I - Unfit Commander in Chief or Emergency Responses

J - Discrimination/Racism/Intolerance to People’s Differences

K - Engages in or Condones Sexual Harassment, Immoral (ex: sex with minors, sexual assault, adultery)

L - Insecure/Inadequacy Overcompensation

M - Not Trustworthy/Liar (even by politician standards)

N - Name Calling/Poor Manners or Temperament/Bullying

O - Anti-Intellectual/Ill-informed

P- Lack of Genuine Patriotism

Q - Lack of Business or Budget/Debt Management Skills, Cheats or Defrauds

R- Poor Advisor/Team/Cabinet Selection Skills

S- Weaponizes the Law

T - Lack of Transparency or Communication

U - Poor Diplomacy Skills with Other Leaders or Governments, Adoration of Poor Leaders

V- Prioritizes Power or Big Campaign Donors over Average Citizens’ Needs or the Rule of Law

So, if a lot of politicians are demonstrating traits like this, one would think — let’s try something fresh — a political outsider! Well, we definitely have a national level example of one person, Trump, who came on the scene with his “outsider” persona and brash style, which, while outlandish at times, appealed to people tired of canned politicians who did not sound genuine at all.

The problem here is, that person came with the entire panoply of the worst leadership traits from A-to-U. I cannot believe we are here where we are today. The majority of people are coming around to this same conclusion as Trump’s approval ratings tank and then tank some more, but there are still many die-hard and vocal supporters of this A-to-V bad leadership style.

So, when I voted in the South Dakota Republican gubernatorial primary run-off today, I had to focus on these traits for two reasons: First of all, I think Toby Doeden exemplifies a number of these traits that I find problematic. The ones that bother me the most are as follows:

Egotistical: I’m the only one that can save South Dakota? Every time I see those signs …

Low Agreeableness or Argumentative: One only had to look back at Toby’s social media where he was arguing on his business social media about masks during COVID or when he revived Scotty’s diner for a few months and did not agree with people’s comments about food availability or service and just hammered them back in the comments. It was pretty wild.

When someone acts like that so publicly, I’m terrified of what else they might be capable of when nobody is watching. Big red flag for me.

Name-calling/Bullying: Toby claims to not be running a dirty campaign, but it is so totally clear this is such a lie. It won’t be soon enough where I don’t have to see goofy and childish things like “Rhobiden” again or dark and evil Dusty. It’s just silly.

Some of you have heard me say this, but I was having what I thought was a pretty polite debate with Toby on social media in recent years, which he confronted me first because he did not like something I was saying and called me directly a “lost soul.” You guys who know me know I am the furthest thing from a lost soul. So this one, I directly have a problem with for obvious reasons. 

That and the overlap with the argumentative comments above — bullying is a thing here and I do not approve.

Divisive/Polarizing: He keeps saying he’s for the people, implying he’s going to be watching out for all of us, but then trashing “liberals” over and over again when South Dakota is over 40% liberal or liberal-leaning individuals according to data from the University of South Dakota. You can’t say you’re for all people and trash liberals at the same time.

Along this same line, on the eve of Trump’s election, Toby said anyone who didn’t vote for Trump among his friends and even his family was dead to him. Dead to him. Stated publicly. Over 34% of South Dakotans voted for Kamala Harris. We cannot have a governor who discounts this many South Dakotans.

Lying: Again, overlapped with the claims of being for all the people while trashing liberals or non-Trump voters or saying you’re running a clean campaign and then resorting to the name-calling, etc. Textbook definition lying.

Then the clear fact-checking on a number of claims from the Doeden camp in the homestretch here where he’s making claims about Rhoden that are either easily shown to be untrue or some “spin” without full context. I’ve had about enough of that style of campaigning from all the politicians, including the ones who claim to be “outsiders.”

I’ll stop there for now, those are the big deal-breakers for me and I’m not saying Doeden has all the worst traits that Trump has, but here’s my second deal-breaker regarding Doeden in my voting decision today. Trump is a bad leader. He’s got all the worst traits a leader could possibly have. All of them.

When Doeden is campaigning with Trump fliers and “I love Trump” videos and bragging about his customized Trump arcade game? I really have a problem with anyone who wants to lead major decisions and resources that may affect me and the people I love when their idea of a good leader is the worst leader I’ve ever seen outside of a straight-up dictator.

I have to really question their judgment, and I absolutely question it here. This was definitely not my most enthusiastic vote for someone today, but it was absolutely the right one.

Vote Rhoden any time between now and Tuesday, July 28, if you really want to save South Dakota from problems we don’t need.

Dani McQuillen is Oneida (enrolled) and Oglala Lakota and was raised in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. She is an Indian law attorney, graduate of Oglala Lakota College and USD’s School of Law, and frequent speaker and teacher on a number of Indian law topics. She is married with five daughters and two grandsons.

Photo: John Tsitrian

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