OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem laid out what she sees as a winning strategy for Republicans ahead of the 2022 midterms, which they are already favored to perform well as President Joe Biden’s sinking approval ratings saps support from Democrats.
“I think Republicans and conservatives need to focus on where we’re going, what’s our vision for the future,” Noem told Fox News Digital in an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference event in Orlando, Fla., last week.
Noem, a Republican who has been mentioned as a potential presidential contender at some point, is running for reelection this year.
“We all know that Joe Biden’s a terrible president. We all know that he’s wrecking this country and that we’re against 99.9 percent of what he’s doing to destroy our freedoms. But we need to talk about what we stand for as well and what we embrace, how special of a gift this country is, and how we want to protect that for the next generation,” she said.
Noem, who served in the House of Representatives before becoming governor, is pressing Republicans to run on the Constitution and “limited government,” reminding voters that “the power’s with the people.”
“We’re going to keep taxes low, keep regulations low, give them opportunities to be successful and to partner where appropriate,” Noem explained. “For me, it is just telling the story of South Dakota … We have the No. 1 economy in the country. We’re growing, our people are thriving, they’re happier, and it’s because we’ve been following conservative principles.”
The network added:
On the subject of increasing censorship from Big Tech, Noem suggested Congress “can take action,” citing Section 230 as something lawmakers can revisit but also praised those who’ve spoken up and pushed back against the “persecution” of individuals on various platforms.
“I’m glad to see more people getting involved in these types of actions against social media platforms that do choose who can speak and who can’t,” said Noem, whose first book, “Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland,” comes out in June, which she hopes to use to introduce herself to Americans after the media attacked her for her liberty-minded policies during the pandemic.
“And through that, I think a lot of people have questions. Who I am, how did I grow up, what’s special about our way of life in South Dakota, and then maybe some of the stories that got me to where I am today and how I made my decisions since I’ve been governor,” Noem said.
“This book is just to let them know and really tell the story of our people in our state. Our people are special, and what we did through challenging times is pretty incredible,” she added.
In late December, Noem called on President Joe Biden to end all federal pandemic mandates, saying that the government couldn’t effectively legislate its way out of the outbreak.
She made her appeal after Biden himself said there is “no federal solution” that would work.
“Look, there is no federal solution,” Biden said. “This gets solved state level. My message to the governor is simple: If you need something, say something and we’re going to have your back in any way we can.”
“After a year, we finally agree @potus. The federal government isn’t the solution. That’s why from the start, SD took a different approach by trusting our citizens to be responsible and make the right decisions for themselves & their families. Now rescind all the federal mandates,” Noem tweeted.
After a year, we finally agree @potus. The federal government isn’t the solution. That’s why from the start, SD took a different approach by trusting our citizens to be responsible and make the right decisions for themselves & their families. Now rescind all the federal mandates.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) December 28, 2021
