Spotlight@Northern greets Noem, Marking, & Herseth Sandlin UPDATE

Today Professor Schaff and yours truly interviewed Kristi Noem for our political TV show, Spotlight@Northern. Next week we will interview the independent candidate for the South Dakota at large U.S. House seat, B. Thomas Marking, and incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. Our special House Election show will probably be up on channel 12 by Friday or Saturday. We are devoting thirty minutes to each candidate. The whole show will probably run about two hours.

If you are in the Aberdeen area you can watch on channel 12. If you are out of that area or wish to watch online, you can view the show at this link: Spotlight@Northern.

Spotlight is the brainchild of the NSU TV technomages. Professor Schaff and I had a hand in planning it. If you are interested in seeing the candidates for state and local offices explain themselves, we have a show for you.

Spotlight now has two interviews in the can with the third scheduled.  The show will probably not be available on Friday, but I hope it will be up over the weekend.  If not, look for it on Monday. 

Comments

[jana]

Given your partisanship, did you have a problem with having taxpayer dollars support your little publicly funded venture into the campaign scene?

Do you think that given your outspoken support of the extreme right that you might have recused yourself from the discussion...or was it just too good to pass up?

Were you directly or indirectly paid for this gig by taxpayers?

Not saying that we shouldn't have our academia involved in educating the electorate, but you sometimes seem to cross the line in terms of advocacy.

[Miranda Flint]

Jana: If you take the time to watch the show, I think you may find it more to your liking than you expect. Both Democrat Al Hoerth and Republican Al Novstrup came out looking very good. Neither professor endorsed or attacked either candidate and both candidates were able to shed some light on the crucial issues facing the area. I learned a lot from both discussions and I suspect that you might find them interesting as well.

I am curious as to what you think the moderate part of the right-wing looks like. Dr. Blanchard is willing to compromise more than most conservatives I know. He is a staunch defender of Darwin and evolution, he has defended gay marriage and he is not as fiercely pro-life as those of us who are wish he were. Where is the extremism? Can anyone be at all conservative in your view without being extreme?

[Mike Quinlivan]

Miranda,

You have just stated that by many so-called conservative's standards, that the good Doctor is a liberal. I don't find Dr. Blanchard extreme. I don't find him anything actually. Don't care. Go Augie!!! Boo NSU!!!!!!

[KB]

Jana: On Spotlight Professor Schaff and I acting in a professional capacity. We are not "venturing into the campaign scene" in any partisan way. We do not take sides.

I thank Miranda for her description of the show, which is what we have striven for. When we interviewed the District 3 Senate candidates, we asked both of them the same questions. Our only goal was to give both a new forum to speak to the voters and inform the public. We are following that same procedure in interviewing House candidates.

Spotlight has involved a lot of work and time, but no, Professor Schaff and I are paid nothing at all for doing it.

On this blog I freely express my political opinions. I also try to see things as they are. I am not a political activist nor am I very interested in advocacy.

I am on record as favoring same sex marriage and hate crimes laws. I believe in Darwin's theory of evolution and I am opposed to teaching creationism or Intelligent Design Theory in the public schools. I am not in favor of the death penalty. Given that list of positions, it is manifestly inaccurate to say that I have given "outspoken support [to] the extreme right."

[caheidelberger]

Sounds like a heck of a program. Two hours! Love it! I look forward to seeing the whole thing.

[KB]

Thanks, Cory. We have been working for weeks to put this thing together. I am hopeful that it will offer voters a good look at the three candidates.