People are upset at South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem because in ranch country she shot a stock killing work dog and bragged about it in a self-promotional autobiography. Shooting the dog wasn’t wrong, bragging about it was.
The real problem with Ms. Noem as a politician isn’t brutality. Her failure is not understanding how her behavior will be perceived by others, by the public at large whose dogs are companions.
Comedians call this ability "reading the room," recognizing different audiences have different sore points. Psychologists call it having empathy. Most would say women are better at it than men, Ms. Noem appears to be an exception.
By my count this is the second time she has 'shot herself in the foot.'
