The Scouting Report: A weekly digest

Election glam, dirty Big Sioux, river otters, courthouse bats, City of Hustle

The Republican Party’s election night victory party in Sioux Falls was a choreographed affair complete with a professional production team aimed at giving Gov. Kristi Noem maximum exposure during the celebration of her landslide re-election victory.

Noem took the stage as the last speaker following victory speeches from Sen. John Thune, Rep. Dusty Johnson and other constitutional officers, who all enjoyed landslide wins of their own.

Before the governor appeared, supporters pressed close to the stage with AC/DC’s rock jam  “Thunderstruck” playing on the speaker system. A staffer affixed a seal to the lectern that read: “Kristi Noem America’s Governor” around an eagle that looked suspiciously like the presidential seal. Alas, “America’s governor” is the unofficial title of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who also won a landslide victory on Nov. 8.

As she walked to the lectern to deliver her speech, Noem stopped in front of an American flag and waved at supporters. She then delivered a speech that blistered the Biden administration.

All of the choreography got her what she wanted: National coverage on Fox News.