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Randy Rickman Publisher 701-572-2165
Williston Herald publisher@willistonherald.com
Wednesday April 29, 2015
Today in History Today is Wednesday, April 29, the 119th day of 2015. There are 246 days left in the year. Today’s Highlights in History: On April 29, 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp. Adolf Hitler married Eva Braun inside his “Fuhrerbunker” and designated Adm. Karl Doenitz president. On this date: In 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a French victory over the English. In 1913, Swedish-born engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken, New Jersey, received a U.S. patent for a “separable fastener” — later known as the zipper. In 1946, 28 former Japanese officials went on trial in Tokyo as war criminals; seven ended up being sentenced to death. In 1957, the SM-1, the first military nuclear power plant, was dedicated at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In 1968, the counterculture musical “Hair” opened on Broadway following limited engagements off-Broadway. In 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of some secretly made White House tape recordings related to Watergate. In 1983, Harold Washington was sworn in as the first black mayor of Chicago. In 2011, Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in an opulent ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey.
Williston Herald An Independent Newspaper
RANDY RICKMAN Publisher JERRY BURNES Managing Editor MARK JONES Sports Editor TAMMY BRITT Circulation Manager LAURI HELLER Business Manager BRIAN LAW Production Manager AARON HANSON Composition Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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WICK COMMUNICATIONS
Opinion Syndicated columnist
Cartoon Gallery
Yes, it’s early but pay attention now It’s conventional wisdom that the 2016 Republican presidential race is at such an early stage that the polls don’t matter. They’re just a measurement of name recognition at this point, some observers say, and the only people really paying attention to the campaign are reporters and hardcore party activists. Maybe that was true in earlier years. But it doesn’t seem to be the case now. “One thing about this election -- Republicans are paying attention,” says a GOP pollster not affiliated with any campaign. “They are very concerned about who the nominee is going to be, and the idea that what a candidate says now doesn’t matter could not be further from the truth.” Look at the recent CNN/ORC poll. First of all, it’s a huge field, and no candidate domiGuest nates -- Jeb Bush is in the lead with just 17 percent. But nearly all the respondents surColumn veyed have picked a candidate to support; add together every candidate’s little share Byron of the vote and the total nears 100 percent, York with few undecided. There’s Bush’s 17 percent, followed by Scott Walker with 12 percent; then Rand Paul and Marco Rubio with 11 percent each; Mike Huckabee with 9 percent; Ted Cruz with 7 percent; Ben Carson and Chris Christie with 4 percent each; Rick Perry and Rick Santorum with 3 percent each; and Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal and John Kasich with 2 percent each. Then there are 5 percent who say they support some other candidate. Add it up, and that’s 94 percent of Republicans who say they support a specific candidate now. The rest -- a pretty tiny number of undecided -- say they can’t make a decision or have no opinion. Of course, that’s just for now. Many will change their minds, but they are already taking the race seriously. At this point, many voters are likely making preliminary decisions based on very little information. They know Scott Walker fought unions in Wisconsin. They know Jeb Bush is George W. Bush’s brother and George H.W. Bush’s son. They know Ted Cruz was involved in the government shutdown. “That’s why these announcements are important,” says the pollster, “because it is the first time to associate more facts with each candidate. And you’ve seen each candidate get a little bump when they announced.” Some analysts describe this period as the “pregame.” The real game starts at some point in the future, perhaps in August when the first Republican debate takes place in Ohio. But the pregame, if that’s what it is, matters too. Candidates are getting their only chance to make a first impression. In the 2012 campaign, the first Republican debate was held May 5, 2011, in Greenville, South Carolina. The participants were Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty and Gary Johnson. (Don’t remember Johnson? He’s the former New Mexico governor who ended up running as a Libertarian.) The big question that night was whether Pawlenty could ascend to the top tier of candidates. (He couldn’t.) But the real lesson of the evening, at least in retrospect, was that the GOP field was still remarkably unformed at that stage. This year’s field seems much more stable at an earlier time. Yes, Kasich might enter the race -- he certainly sounded that way last weekend in New Hampshire -- and yes, perhaps another candidate will give it a try, too. But the basic structure of the Republican field seems nearly set. And strong, too. Back in 2011 and 2012, it was common to hear Republicans complain about the weakness of their field. Some complain today -- some always do -- but the fact is the 2016 GOP field is a pretty impressive group. Governors with solid records, senators who have made their mark in the Senate, plus intriguing figures who come from outside the world of politics. Not all of them will make it even to the Iowa caucuses. And they’ll drop off like flies after that. The key thing for the winning candidate is to realize that he will have to be able to assemble a coalition of those voters who support other candidates in the current 14-candidate field. That’s what it will take to win. One thing a candidate -- or anyone else, for that matter -- should not do is dismiss what is going on in the race now as meaningless because it is so early. Plenty can change, but it might be that when February 2016 comes around, and the voting begins, some themes (and front-runners) in the race will look a lot like they look now. Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
Letter to the editor
Time to change the tune Perhaps, we need to change the monologue. Instead of "God Hates Fags!", "God Hates [name of family member or friend who is LGBT]!" Instead of "It goes against my religion to photograph a homosexual wedding", "It goes against my religion to photograph [name of family member or friend who is LGBT]'s wedding." Instead of "Lawmakers rejected a bill that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation", "Lawmakers rejected a bill that would outlaw discrimination against [name of family member or friend who is LGBT]." Instead of "But speaking for myself, I will not support any agenda that speaks in favor of homosexuality. We are all about human rights in light of what the Bible says.", "But speaking for myself, I will not support any agenda that speaks in favor of [name of family member or friend who is LGBT]. We are all about human rights in light of what the Bible says." Instead of "We do the right and moral thing to defeat the "special rights" for homosexuals", "We do the right and moral thing to defeat the "special rights" for [name of family member or friend who is LGBT]." Instead of "There are many people in this state who believe homo-sexuality is a sin condemned by God", "There are many people in this state who believe [name of family member or friend who is LGBT] is a sin condemned by God." We are humans -- your family members, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers; not an issue, nor a sin, nor a political topic. Kevin Tengesdal Bismarck
Letter to the editor
N.D. made the right choice on concealed carry I would like to thank our North Dakota Legislature and Governor Dalrymple for their common-sense expansion of Concealed Carry rights. I was, however, disappointed to read the Bismarck Tribune’s editorial urging the Governor to veto HB1241. I support a citizen’s right under the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms. I also support concealed carry laws, and the minimal expansion, under this bill, of locations where carrying concealed is allowed. I’m also okay with the Bismarck Tribune taking the opposite position. But I am disappointed that a news organization would resort to hyperbole and factually incorrect claims to support its political agenda. The Tribune has already
corrected one mistake. They originally reported that this bill would allow concealed carry in bars, which isn’t true, and they may now be responsible for people breaking! the law as a result of their shoddy coverage. Several other items also need clarification. First, there is no permit simply to own a gun in North Dakota. That law is the same today as it was before the bill passed. The required training and testing relates only to concealed carry. Second, the Tribune is demonizing the wrong people. Citizens who apply for a concealed carry permit are the good guys–responsible firearms owners, willing to submit to training, permitting, background checks, and fingerprinting in order to exercise their constitu-
tional rights. Why would a criminal–who by definition breaks the law–ever seek a permit to carry a firearm legally? I am most bothered by the Tribune’s outlandish claims that “Every day someone gets shot in this country by ‘one of the good guys.’ Someone who was issued a permit to own and went mad at a later date.” If the Tribune remains interested in reporting the news, then it needs to back up these claims. The facts! would show that concealed carry permit holders are law-abiding citizens who prevent many violent crimes each year. This editorial is inaccurate and inflammatory. Your readers expect more.
Nels Christianson Grand Forks
Odd news Miss Piggy is recipient of prestigious New York museum award NEW YORK (AP) — A prestigious award from the Brooklyn Museum honors women who have made outstanding contributions in their fields.
This year's surprise honoree is ... Miss Piggy. The Muppets character joins a distinguished list of recipients of the Sackler Center First Awards.
They include theater director Julie Taymor and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.