Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards coined one the most famous political dictums of American history: “I can only lose this election if I am caught in bed either with a dead boy or a living girl,” which we now must add, “or even a dog that I shot.”

Thank goodness, the bed is not mandatory. Knowing when to move on and take the lumps is mandatory, a lesson that Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) learned the hard way. Since Saturday, Noem’s doubled her efforts.

Noem wrote on Twitter/X, “I understand why some people have been upset by a 20-year-old account of Cricket, one working dog at our ranch. In my upcoming book, No Going Back, I will explain this. The book contains many true stories about my life. It includes good and bad times, challenges, painful choices, and lessons.”

The next paragraph is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do.

Noem reminded voters, and those who inform them about the law in South Dakota that states that “dogs that attack and kill livestock may be put down.” “I decided to do what I did because Cricket was aggressive toward people and biting them.”

“Whether I was running the ranch or working in politics, my responsibilities were never delegated to others. Even if the pain and difficulty is great. “I followed the law, was a responsible dog owner and parent, and I was a neighbor.”

Lazarus Long, the hard-living protagonist of Robert Heinlein’s 1973 sci-fi classic “Time Enough for Love”, said, “When it is necessary — and you will find out — you have to be able to shoot your dog.” Do not farm out your work. It will only make it worse.

The frontier is not for the faint-hearted. Whether you’re running a South Dakota ranch or a sci-fi world, it can be a tough and tumultuous place. Long’s advice, however uncomfortable it may be for some, is likely to be correct, especially in places where Laps of Love and other luxuries are not available. Laps of Love visited my friends, including a veterinarian, to assist with the last hours of their 17-year-old dog.

Noem’s tale reads differently. It’s a miracle it was published before someone realized that it reads as if a woman had killed a 14-month-old “less-than-worthless” pup.

Does that sound unfair? Probably. It’s the same kind of summary that people from the Left, who can’t help but take down a juicy victim, as well as Republican rivals to the right will give a story such as Noem. It’s a Hollywood cliché called “shoot your dog.” It’s a scene early in the plot — usually involving shooting a canine — when the villain acts villainously to prove that he is a villain.

Noem’s “shoot-the-dog” moment was published for all to see, fair or not. Noem’s decision to make herself the villain was a big one, and it is not something that can be undone by a few tweets. Kristi, you can’t turn back. It’s true, Kristi Noem was caught with a boy alive, a girl dead, or a shot dog.