I do have a couple of substantive things I want to say about the couple of hours I spent over at the Legislature yesterday, but I’ve been really busy since then, and I’ve got to go to a work-related dinner now. So while a colleague who won’t be here tomorrow reads the early draft of my Sunday column, I’ll just share this:
If you want to feel like a celebrity without all that hard work and talent that, say, James Brown put into it, spend an hour commenting on election night on public television, and then walk the lobby of a legislative body the next day.
That’s the one place where you’re likely to find the highest possible concentration of people who will have watched you and dug what you were trying to say. (Don’t try this at the mall, for instance.)
As you mill through the crowd, you get various versions of "Saw you last night, you did good." Which is all celebrity-types really need for satisfaction.
But some people actually noted things I had said. That’s like — in a way; a very limited way — being John Lennon and having people quote your lyrics to you (which in his case was particularly helpful, because he couldn’t remember them himself).
OK, I admit it. I just wrote this for the headline.
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I watched ETV that night. I was in Bluffton on business and tuned you in and sat back while I cruised this website and others for election news.
Which Web sites did you find the most useful, David? Any ideas or suggestions to pass on?
That kind of stuff happened to me a lot when I covered the Statehouse for the AP during the early ’90s. I wrote hundreds of stories, but people would notice when they saw me on an ETV debate or on WIS.
At some point you’d hope they’d read…
Awww, Gary, you know I worked at the Statehouse back then, and I read your stuff every day. It was only after you went to work for the dark side that I started ignoring you.
As for Brad’s earlier question, I used the WIS and WYFF websites to keep up. Lexington County was also posting regular updates, and I was checking that one frequently to monitor the council race.
I was disappointed to see that the Election Commission wasn’t posting numbers that night – or at least I couldn’t find them
This is off-topic, Mr. W., but I’m curious: How come you think the untested Mike Campbell “could step into the top spot if he had to,” but with respect to Dr. Lovelace, you said, “But we simply cannot see handing the governor’s office over to someone who has not been tested in public service and therefore cannot have any idea himself how he would juggle competing demands from his constituents or make tough calls in the glare of the public spotlight” – ?
Great question, kc.
I’m guessing W will say it’s because the Lt. Gov.’s office has nothing substantive to do, as opposed to the state’s chief executive.
I watched ETV election night, but I have to confess, I sometimes watch their C-SPAN coverage of the GA too…what could be more wonkish than that?
Good question, kc. That seems like an inconsistency. And that’s a good guess on Mark’s part, but as kc points out, we did say “could step into the top spot.”
One of my colleagues raised the same question — after it ran. I’ll kick it around with the board on Monday; the writer of that piece isn’t here today. We’ll discuss how we ought to characterize Mr. Campbell going forward — since we have the runoff coming up.
Between the two statements that seem contradictory, I have the most confidence in what we said about Oscar Lovelace. We agonized over that more. In the case of Mr. Campbell, maybe it would have been better if we had said, “we feel a lot better about imagining Mike Campbell in the top spot than Andre Bauer.” After all, that’s whom we were comparing him to, not to Dr. Lovelace. Then again, the writer — who almost always has very good reasons for picking particular words — may give me a good reason to believe that we worded it perfectly. We’ll see.
… cannot have any idea himself how he would juggle competing demands from his constituents or make tough calls in the glare of the public spotlight…
So Doc Oscar might have– oh, I don’t know– had a break down and VETOED THE ENTIRE BUDGET?
Hey, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. It’s been known to happen.
I think Sanford is quirky enough not to finish a second term. He certainly doesn’t seem to enjoy the job. And we know he doesn’t like spending time in the Columbia Mansion. So I beleive it’s possible the Lt. Gov. could end up serving as governor. Now that’s a scary thought….