Robin Abcarian: How many ways can a political memoir backfire? Ask Kristi Noem

Not to beat a dead, ah, horse, but how can we ignore the spectacle that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made of herself during her publicity tour for her just-published memoir, "No Going Back?"

Over the weekend, she sparred with Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation," when Brennan asked her to reflect on the wisdom of including anecdotes about killing her dog and goat, and some other egregious stories in the book.

Rather than answer simple questions about her judgment and memory, Noem proved to be a master of the kind of nonsensical pivoting segue that plagues politicians' —