By Denise Ross

Mr. Hoghouse Blog and I no more than entered the Stevens High School gym on Saturday than we noticed a familiar face: SD Dems’ national committeeman and super-delegate Nick Nemec, who lives more than a 3-hour drive away in Holabird.

And then we saw Jack Billion, SD Dem Party Chairman and super-delegate, who lives 5 hours away in Sioux Falls. They were there for Bill Clinton’s campaign rally for Hillary Clinton - and they’ve announced their support for Barack Obama.

         (Photos by David Larson)  

Members of the press quickly swarmed the two geographically suspicious super-delegates.

They got the call about 5 p.m. Friday that the former president would like to speak with them - even though, or maybe especially because, they had already publicly declared their support for Barack Obama.

Said Billion:

You certainly don’t turn down the president when he says, ‘Look, I’d like to explain our position to you.’

We’re thrilled that Hillary and her people are out here campaigning.

We have to look at how the candidates campaign in South Dakota, in particular, and what their message is. It’s our responsibility as officers of the party to build a strong state Democratic Party.

After the meeting with Clinton, Nemec said the former president did not engage in “heavy-duty” arm-twisting.

He said no matter how things turn lin up in June, the party’s going to unite behind whoever the candidate is.

My impression was that the Clinton camp is not planning a big floor fight (at the national Dem convention in August).

Also after the supers met with Clinton, Sharon Stroschein (Johnson staffer and super-delegate from Aberdeen) said that she was glad she made the trip.

She said:

It’s hard not to be swayed. He’s a very good messenger for Hillary.

It was very worthwhile. We’re very pleased that he requested a visit with us.

Meanwhile, Stroschein’s husband, Larry Stroschein, is all for Hillary.

Larry Stroshein said:

I am a Hillary person. All my family is for Obama.

All the changes and ideas and everything, she has a way to finance it. It’s not going to be borrow and spend. It’s pay as you go.

Meanwhile, Cheryl Kandaras Chapman, a super-delegate from Rapid City, was first on the list of supers that Bill Clinton thanked from the podium. The last I heard, she had not officially announced her support for a prez candidate. However, her husband Malcolm Chapman introduced Hillary Clinton in Sioux Falls this past week, and he was with Bill Clinton on Saturday in Rapid City.

As the Stroscheins prove, couples can split on this issue. Just sayin’.

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