Driving home, listening to Sanford and Moore. Fascinating contrast in the wildly differing perspective on what has really transpired the last 4 years.
Moore has it right, but Sanford’s version will sound plausible to the politically uninitiated — a category that encompasses most of the electorate.
Oh, well. Better get back to driving…
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Hey, it worked! That’s the first time I’ve ever filed a blog post from a PDA. The paragraphs all ran together, but other than that, it worked.
Not what I’d call in-depth analysis, though. I did this standing in the Publix parking lot, leaning on the hood of my car — the very picture of Geek Cool, I’m sure.
The rest of the debate went pretty much in that vein. And to reinforce my impression that no matter what they said, my wife called to say how awful Tommy Moore sounded.
Of course, she wasn’t watching to the same debate. She’s out of state, and was watching an earlier debate on C-SPAN. But her point is taken. Nowadays, it doesn’t much matter what you say, if you look and sound better doing it.
That’s why Sanford’s going to win. That, and his $8 million warchest.
I don’t think the term “politically uninitiated” describes most of the electorate at all. I think the people today are much more politically informed and sophisticated than people like you in the heirloom press want to give them credit for. I believe that you all in the msm would LIKE it to be as it once was…when people had to pretty much depend upon newspapers and CBS/ABC/NBC for their information, because that situation certainly put you in a more powerful position than is now the case. But those days are over, and wishful thinking won’t bring them back Brad. Doesn’t it just tear you up that we know what we want, and we know who to vote for to get it without asking or looking to you? Ed
Yes, poor Old Journalism has lost control of information. The New York Times continues with its slanted stories and pictures of our fallen soldiers in Iraq, right on schedule to warp the view of voters just before the election…. but they are preaching to a smaller and smaller choir of like bigots.
The rest of America can read 100 other newspapers, magazines, independent reporters and blogs from around the world. Millions of us know far more about political issues than the fossilized journalists.
Ed, that’s an illusion.
Tell me this: Who was right when Moore said that a number of the “accomplishments” Sanford claimed were more due to his work than to Sanford’s?
Each of them presented a plausible-sounding reason why he was right and the other was wrong. But I submit that the way it SOUNDED is all most onlookers have to go on in terms of making a judgment.
You won’t find the answer to that question on any of those media outlets you cite. You pretty much have to know how these people interact day in and day out. My own knowledge of such things is far from perfect. Cindi Scoppe’s is much better than mine, but not as good as it was when she was a reporter and could afford to spend every day at the State House. But even a desk man like me has much more to go on in assessing these men’s performance than about 95 percent of voters do.
When I say Sanford is a guy with lots of ideas (some good, some bad) who can’t get anything done, and Moore is a guy with no particular vision who can flat get a bill passed, this is not just some phrase I came up with that I thought sounded good. It’s the distillation of years and years of fairly close observation and experience.
This is not to insult the public. The reason we have representative democracy instead of the direct kind is that most people have real lives, and can’t afford to spend much time really getting inside politics.
Do you realize that even in these days of information revolution, name recognition remains a huge determinant in who wins elections? If you are really, truly informed as a voter, you should look about you and be appalled at the degree to which politicians are able to get away with gross oversimplifications and misrepresentations. People do the best they can, but they just don’t KNOW.
It’s scary. Of course, as the cliche has it, when I come up with a better system than this scary one we’ve got, I’ll let you know.
Lee and I crossed messages there, but he helps me make my point. Look at all those news outlets. How many cover the S.C. State House. Two or three, to varying degrees of depth. Any others you may think of (TV, blogs, radio) get their primary info from those two or three.
And in this case, one tends to dominate.
Ultimately, will probably get most of his information on this campaign from us, and from political ads on TV. Once again, the idea that you are informed beyond that is an illusion, fostered by the 24/7 examination by many, many media of the minutia of what goes on on the national level (most of which is BS that’s overhyped to get the two partisan camps whipped up, rather than being about substance). Practically no one follows doings over at the State House. You, and I, and everyone else have few options there.
Tommy Moore is one of the mossbacks who blocked every reform of Sanford’s, then cries that, “Sanford can’t get anything done!”
Tommy Moore has never stood up to the abuses of office by other Senators and Representatives. That is why they want him as governor. He never saw a piece of pork he didn’t like.
More has 24 years in office and no track record of anything but uncontrolled spending.
Anyone who depends mostly on information from The State paper should not be allowed to vote.
Moore is rough. There is no doubt. However, the “slickness” of Sanford rivals that of Bill Clinton.
For me it gets down to one point. Sanford is dishonest about his intentions with education reform. His proposals will create a resegregation of public schools – more so than they already are.
The fact that he gets nothing done in government while wasting tax payers money not providing leadership is just a second factor.
I care too much about ALL of the children of our state to cast my vote the way I did 4 years ago.
Just another thought – for someone who says they are not a politician – Marky Boy sure does sound more like a politician than “his opponent.”
This debate was rough and tumble, no doubt about it. I think they both scored points.
The candidates spent most of the time accusing each other, and I just wish the press would hold the candidates more accountable for their false statements and misleading advertisments.
Unfortnately, most people learn about the candidates through thirty-second commercials, not public TV debates or newspaper coverage. And that probably explains Sanford’s lead.
I caught nearly all of the debate and Moore didnt help himself by pulling a sort of Algore type sourpussing while Sanford spoke. He also referred to Sanford as “the gentleman” instead of calling him either Mr. Sanford, Gov. Sanford, or just Mark. Very odd debate behavior. Sanford won the episode hands down. Andy Gobeil jumped in near the end when Moore repeated a claim that Sanford cut education by $500mil and actually told Moore that “I cant let you get away with that”. Sanford came across as the class act overall. The moderators, not Sanford, brought up the fact that Moore’s son is a lobbyist, and Moore said they never discuss state government business. Now that is truly laughable. Here is a lifelong pol who has made his daily bread working the system but he never discusses the ins and outs with his son. Believe me, NONE of us are that stupid. All in all, both came across as competent but Moore hurt himself with the grimaces and in part with his statements.
Brad, again I think people recognize oversimplifications, misrepresentations and lies to a much greater degree than you evidently believe they do. I think people these days pretty much know exactly who’s telling the truth and who is spinning, and they do not depend upon ‘The State’ or the others I mentioned above to point out the spinning any longer. Granted there is a shrinking minority that still lives by sound bite and votes for the best hairdo, but by and large I still think these days are fading and will soon be over. Ed
Brad, it is newspapers themselves who claim to write for a low level of literacy, yet their editors claim to be so knowledgeable – they just can’t share their great expertise and insight with their lowly audience.
What baloney!
I say Cindy Scoppe on ETV the other night with Howard Duvall and others discussing property tax reform. Duvall kept repeating slogans without ever being challenged by Scoppe to explain his claims. She seemed to be spinning, unable to keep up with the topic.
South Carolina cannot continue to increase taxes and spending at a rate 50% greater than the increase in personal incomes. It has been doing that for over 20 years. All that spending needs to be rolled back in order to reduce taxes and spending to levels that do not stifle our economy.
The editors of The State fail to grasp that basic economic reality. They continue to beat the drum for more taxes, more spending without accountability, and support the deadwood who put our ox in the ditch.
Skilled wages in Charlotte are 40% higher than in Columbia for the same jobs. In Atlanta, they are 60 to 100% higher. That is why our best young people are voting with their feet.
Newspapers as a whole are becoming less and less important in the overall scheme of information distribution. The circulation numbers for major newspapers dropped significantly (2.8% across the country in September) according to a news report yesterday. Sunday papers were down 3.4%.
I believe I also saw a statistic recently that the average age for a newspaper reader was somewhere around 53 years old and getting older. These are not good trends for the newspaper industry.
I, for one, hope that newspapers recognize the trend and start adapting as soon as possible. The newspaper is a key part of my day. The dog and I go fetch The State from the box every morning. Scan the frontpage as I walk up the driveway, read the opinion pages and sports over breakfast. Several good breakfasts have been spoiled by an ill-conceived op ed piece. 🙂
With half the students leaving public schools unable to read a newspaper or magazine, what do they expect to happen to their circulation?
The younger generation is getting their news online (I include myself – we don’t have TV reception and we don’t get a newspaper) – hence a blog is going to carry more weight – all the more reason to discuss things intelligently AND politely – showing the younger generation how we should treat one another!!
I read a Churchill biography a few months ago – funny how that guy could rip someone to shreds and still sound intelligent and respectable….not that I’m condoning ripping someone to shreds – but I was impressed at what a Wordsmith he was.
And Brad – as rude as some bloggers get, I’m not sure what they would do if the morning news indicated that we lost our State editor BECAUSE HE WAS TYPING AS HE WAS DRIVING!!!!! Ok, I’m a Mom, I had to say that.
Moore wasn’t great but he certainly was better than this hilariously incompetent candidate.
Annee, I stopped at the grocery store, and typed that in the parking lot.
I am only a man, and can’t multitask as well as the ladies do. Thank the Lord I don’t have to wear makeup — except when I’m on TV.
I should have said “I hope you weren’t” instead of assuming you were!
I know too many people that DO – so anyway – yes, makeup – it’s our burden to carry!
Heh. Just last week I saw a sheriff’s deputy cruising down the road while deeply engrossed in some huge tome and clearly not paying much attention to the road.
This actually happened. I almost got run off the road the other day. Once I had tooted the horn to wake the bonehead up, I proceeded to pass the vehicle. In the drivers seat was a woman with a newspaper draped over the steering wheel. That’s right friends, she was reading ‘The State’ while driving at 60+ mph on I-20! I don’t know which was worse…her crappy driving or her choice of reading material. Ed