PIERRE — Pierre resident Bob Hofer found Saturday evening’s conservative rally in Pierre to be a pleasant revelation.

“It’s good to know there’s other people who think like me,” Hofer said. “It’ll get the word out that there’s more ideas than we’re currently considering.”

Hofer was one of more than 100 conservatives and curious locals who filled the Capitol Lake Visitors Center Saturday for a “tea party” rally featuring prominent conservative activists and politicians. Bearing signs and clothing attacking progressive health care and environmental policies, attendees heard speakers lay into the Obama administration and the political left.

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“Today the greatest enemy of our country is not an outside enemy, it’s a philosophy — a philosophy that says the individual is no longer economically responsible for his welfare, nor is he morally responsible for his own conduct,” said Dr. Allen Unruh, a conservative activist who spoke at the rally. “That philosophy will destroy America.”

Other speakers at the rally were Fort Pierre Mayor Sam Tidball, Secretary of State and Republican Congressional candidate Chris Nelson, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Knuppe, activist Kitty Werthmann, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Munsterman, activist Nancy First and Joseph Bryant, treasurer of the South Dakota State University College Republicans.

The four-hour event was organized by Hughes County farmer Jim Sheehan.

“I thought it was a rousing success,” Sheehan said. “The speakers were very well-spoken. They seemed to have a vast understanding of the issues they spearheaded at the event. They kept the crowd interested — most of the people that came stayed for the entire four hours. I was very impressed by that.”

The rally was part of the national “tea party” movement, a network of conservative, anti-tax protests around the country since President Barack Obama’s inauguration. While tea party protests — including Saturday’s — draw on Revolutionary War themes, Sheehan branded his rally as the “New Pony Congress” after the first Dakota Territory legislature.

Underpinning many of the evening’s speakers was a sense of anger at the Obama administration.

“The federal government is out of control,” said Kevin Nelson, who traveled to Pierre from Brookings for the rally. “It’s squandering money with no real thought of what the consequences will be. It’s corrupt.”

“I see people here tonight who are simply concerned with the direction in Washington,” said Chris Nelson. “Having good folks from Pierre and Fort Pierre, South Dakota, come together to talk about balancing our federal budget, not imposing a health care mandate on the country and not taxing our country through a cap-and-trade system — if that’s found to be extreme, then we’ve got a whole different level of discussion to have. It’s not. It’s mainstream. People in America care about these things, and frankly, I think it’s the majority of Americans who care about these things.”

Scott Olson, chairman of the Hughes County Republican Party, said he believes rallies such as Saturday’s are good for democracy.

“I think it’s good any time people get together and discuss issues that are important to them,” Olson said. “Whether it’s from the left or the right, we should all be willing to listen and engage in political debate.”