Friday, January 29, 2021

GET ME REWRITE: South Dakota governor Kristi Noem puts on a happy face



New York Times, 1/27/2021
Throughout the pandemic, Gov. Kristi Noem has advised South Dakotans to exercise “personal responsibility” and said she “trusted” her citizens to make the right decision when it came to coronavirus precautions. At the same time, she imposed almost no restrictions on the state and remains indifferent to low-stakes safety measures like mask wearing. As a result, South Dakota’s Covid-19 death rate is one of the worst in the nation — but Governor Noem’s approval ratings remain high. In this video, we unpack her deadly playbook for how to handle a pandemic all wrong while preserving a reputation for being credible and competent.



9/4/2020 update, " Kristi Noem, unmasked", starts here



Reported in South Dakota dismisses 'elite class of so-called experts,' carries on with state fair after Sturgis rally fueled COVID-19 surge.  (USA Today, 9/4/2020)



Related reading:
Gov. Noem urges state residents to 'put our positive pants on' during pandemic.  (Rapid City Journal, 8/28/2020)


Original 8/29/2020 post, "With weekly virus cases at a record level, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem puts on a happy face", starts here


Among Noem's actual accomplishments:
  1. has never issued a stay-at-home order
  2. disparaged face mask requirements for students
  3. encouraged attendance at superspreader bike rally in Sturgis

Heckuva job, Kristi!

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