By Denise Ross

Sure, Sen. Tim Johnson’s speech is thick and sometimes halting. We’ve gotten used to that, due largely to his campaign’s willingness to take the issue on directly and not try to pretend like everything’s A-OK on that front.

However, simply continuing to repeat the statement, “My speech isn’t 100 percent, but I’m getting better,” in scripted, controlled settings is not enough to deal with questions voters have - and believe me, they do have them - about his recovery from a brain injury.

Johnson needs to prove that his brain did not slow down with his speech - and believe me, his brain did not slow down. While I was reassuring  a concerned voter that his mental acumen remains intact, it dawned on me.

No matter how many times the tiny number of people, like me, who are allowed direct interaction with the senator in the form of press conferences or round table discussions, reasurre others that the senator remains the studied policy wonk he always has been, voters won’t be convinced until they see Johnson perform for themselves.

While Johnson campaign staffers are touting the success of Johnson’s first TV ad, in which he says, “My speech isn’t 100 percent …”, that ad is exactly what prompted the question from a concerned voter. This person heard his stilted speech and got nervous.

“Personally, I’m not concerned about his capabilities, but a number of people in this state seem to be,” BHSU poli sci professor Pam Carriveau said.

Just as Johnson can adroitly field wide-ranging questions from reporters during press conferences - albeit with an occasional pause while he searches for the right word - he can handle debates. And when voters see him in that uncontrolled setting answering questions without the help of staffers, they’ll breathe easier. They will forgive the slow speech; really, they already have.

Debating the GOP candidate, Joel Dykstra, won’t make rock-ribbed Republicans who would never vote for a Democrat switch sides. But it will remove the doubt that seems to be mounting like an afternoon thunderstorm cloud.

The risk is that Johnson’s performance might be poor, that he would flounder without a safety net, even briefly. And then that moment would be re-broadcast hundreds of times in a TV ad courtesy of the opposition. That is a risk, but it’s a greater risk to let that cloud build up until it bursts. On top of that, the money doesn’t appear to be there to mount such a TV campaign, and even if it were, that’s the kind of thing that can backfire like a poorly constructed homemade potato cannon.

The Johnson campaign should not wait until late October to join in a single debate. The senator should be at Dakotafest in a few weeks and somewhere else a few weeks after that. Show ‘em what ya got, senator. Elections in South Dakota are still won on retail politics.

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