Responses to Dykstra's Announcement

Now that my state representative, Joel Dykstra, has decided to run for Tim Johnson's Senate seat, I've been browsing the internet to see the reactions to that announcement. I imagined it would've gotten a "who cares?" from most non-South Dakotans, except something interesting happened. The same day he announced, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a quote that Dykstra said last year during the abortion ban debate.

Here's the quote:

"I think 'rape and incest' is a buzzword. It's a bit of a throwaway line and not
everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to
define that?”

I mentioned his quote last year. At the time, only a few bloggers picked up on it. But now that Dykstra is trying for a U.S. Senate seat, it's drawing a lot more attention. Here are some of the blog posts I've seen on this topic:

1.) how's this for "buzzwords": joel dykstra is a [expletive deleted] - The title was funny, if a bit naughty. This blogger points out that you CAN define rape and incest. You'll see that a lot in these blogs.

2.) Where do they find these guys?

3.) Bottom of the Barrel - This is just a copy and paste of the Crooks and Liars blog, but I like that its title tried to answer C&L's question.

4.) Just when you thought it was safe to be from South Dakota! - Another C&L copy and paste, but I like how they added "As if we need another reason for Tim Johnson to marshal his way back to full health."

5.) Senate 2008 Guru's Week in the Senate Races - "How are you going to define "rape" or "incest"? Seriously? I don't know many people from South Dakota, but I would imagine that many South Dakotan women, however socially conservative, would be a bit offended by somebody who suggests that "rape" is simply an indefinable buzzword. Surely, that statement will re-emerge in the South Dakota press. We'll see if Dykstra has found definitions for "rape" and "incest" in the last year-and-a-half."

6.) Republican Senate Candidate Trivializes Rape and Incest

7.) Rape and incest: just undefinable buzz words - "Something tells me he's an extremist who shouldn't even be in state or local government, let alone Congress."

8.) [Expletive Deleted] Roundup - "Meet state representative Joel D. Dykstra. He is a complete religious nut job, but that is what the Republicans love these days. Dyksta received a degree in business from Oral Roberts University in 1980. He then had a delightful 19-year career in the oil and gas exploration industry. He is like a Republican wet dream."

9.) Rape and Incest are Buzzwords? Your kidding right? - "We must work to stop men like this from holding elected office. Ignorance has many faces, but none so disgusting as Joel Dykstra."

10.) Ha! Rape. There’s no such thing. - "Yeah. He really said that. It’s like when Dan Quayle tried to spell “potato,” only scarier."