Ok, someone has to ask this:

[Boris]

He should appoint Stephanie Herseth, as she is a moderate Democrat, and a Democrat was elected to that seat originally and recieved a mandate.

It wasn't exactly a mandate it was a ridicuously close election

Well still, 500 more south dakota voters wanted tim johnson so technically he had a mandate.

A mandate is at least over 50% of the vote, if I remember my terminology correctly. Johnson did not receive 50% of the vote in 2002.