Here’s some stuff that didn’t make it into my column. This originally came after the paragraph that ended with "believes ‘in compromise:’"
Mr. Clark does not. As a young Navy officer in the 1960s he wrote the
wrote the specs for, built and ran the computer system that ran the war
in Vietnam for Gen. William Westmoreland. Maybe we didn’t win that one,
but Mr. Clark’s machines saw to it that troops, ammunition, supplies and
intelligence got to where they were supposed to be.
He felt guilty being in a safe zone, so he would go over to the 7th Air
Force hospitals and write letters for the severely wounded. It wasn’t
part of his job, but he felt compelled to do it.
Captain Clark, USN-retired, is a problem-solver, and he works at an
exhaustive pace, doing far more than most representatives would say the
job demands. Some lawmakers can’t be found when it’s time to vote, much
less do the hard work in committees. Mr. Clark goes to the meetings of
every committee that touches on an issue that he’s studying. And he’s
interested in everything that would improve the health, wealth and
wisdom of South Carolinians.
Mr. Spires, by his own account, is interested in cutting property taxes. But he hasn’t taken the trouble to study any of the options, or even what the Legislature has actually DONE already to address the one part he articulates — his concern that old folks will lose their homes paying property taxes for schools.
Here’s another bit that just was too long and involved to get it to work into the thing. It came from Mr. Clark’s experiences doing something that would be utterly alien to Mr. Spires’ financial supporters — substitute-teaching in the schools:talking about poor, black mothers
One reason Mr. Clark is at a disadvantage is that while he’s a great representative, he has his weak spots as a politician. For instance, he cares too much about things that really matter. Instead of starting with "look how I’ve cut your taxes" (which he eventually did mention, but only because he felt the need to counter the lies from the fliers) when I walked into the room where the meeting was, he was talking about … teen moms, and the way they lead to problems in the schools.
"…these are not bad girls," he was saying. But they haven’t got a clue how to raise their kids. They work all day, come home exhausted, have nobody to help them with anyting, and not knowing any better, they park their kids in front of the TV.
"And what do they see? Sex, violence, vanity, pushing, shoving — and that’s what they bring into the schools." And that’s what he has to contend with when he teaches.
"I taught at the Naval Academy, where I’m used to seeing people who say
yes sir, no sir." The realities of what our society sends into the school doors is a profound contrast.
I’ll have more coming up from my interview last week with Mr. Spires later in the day. I left the notes in my briefcase, which isn’t with me. But I’ll have it later. (As it turned out, it was the NEXT day. Sorry.)
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This sort of hagiography must have come straight from Ken Clark’s campaign materials, right?
Clark’s concern for teen moms is touching but note that it’s in context with public schools. In other words, he’s just making yet another excuse why our public schools are failing so badly.
There’s really no need to push Clark’s candicacy any further. As your column notes, he’s toast. If you really want to give him some support, just be quiet about him. There are quite a few people who will vote against him simply because you and The State are so obviously pushing his candidacy.