Getting up close and personal
with the candidates

By BRAD WARTHEN
Editorial Page Editor
JOIN ME on a quick tour of our most recent endorsement interviews (and then you can check out longer observations on my blog —– address below):

Sept. 20, 10 a.m.  This race would be a yawner if Drew Theodore had not revealed that incumbent Comptroller General Rich Eckstrom used a state vehicle and state gas card to take his family on vacation. But Mr. Theodore seems to have his own affinity for old-time politics-as-usual, from back when the great lubricant that made South Carolina’s crazy system of government work was the power of personal relationships. He defends the hermaphroditic Budget and Control Board on those grounds: "When the system and everybody is getting along, it’s a good thing to have." He’s sure he can get along with others better than that socially awkward travelin’ man, Rich Eckstrom.

Monday, 11 a.m. — If you’re looking for the anti-Andre Bauer, it’’s his challenger, Robert Barber. Unlike the incumbent Gov Lite, he says grownup stuff like "I think I bring a level of maturity and judgment to the office that will hold me in good stead." Not that he’s saying anything about his opponent. Maturity and judgment are so-o-o-o boring, don’t you think? After our meeting, I stepped over to turn out one of the table lamps in the boardroom. Without saying a word, he did the same with the lamp’s twin on the other side of the room. No candidate’s ever done that before. Maybe he really is a responsible grownup.

Tuesday, 1:15 p.m. — South Carolina will be farming — and eating — in a whole new way if Emile DeFelice has anything to do with it. The agriculture commissioner candidate’s enthusiasm for change is infectious. He says things like "America is falling in love — again, I should say — with agriculture. And food. Farming. A lot of people are discovering their inner farmer," and it doesn’t even sound particularly weird. Think of him as the Oliver Wendell Douglas in this campaign. (You know — "Green Acres.") When he talks about farming and America, you can hear the fife playing "Yankee Doodle" in the background. And he’s got a great slogan: "Put Your State on Your Plate."

Tuesday, 4 p.m. — "I may not be on the right track, but this is where my spirit leads me," says Cheryl Footman of her quest to replace Mark Hammond as secretary of state. She says the Lord inspired her to run. She also believes it would be important, for the "message it would send to the nation," for a black woman to be elected to the statewide post. "Cheryl Footman would be a step in the right direction — it’s sort of a slogan that I use."

Wednesday, 10 a.m. — OK, voters, sort this out: Democrat Glenn Lindman, unlike incumbent Adjutant General Stan Spears, believes the head of our National Guard should be appointed — as in every other state — instead of elected. He says the appointment should be based on strict criteria. The standards should include being either a federally recognized general officer, or promotable to that. The highest rank the Iraq veteran and Bronze Star recipient achieved was first sergeant. But there’s nothing stopping an NCO from holding the job now, and the only way that’s likely to change soon is if we elect the NCO. Weird, huh?

Wednesday, 11 a.m. — Is there more to Jim Rex than not being the official "voucher" candidate for superintendent of education? Well, yes. He says he appreciates those of us who have been sticking up for the hard-won progress that our public schools have made, but the improvement is only incremental. "What our state desperately needs a comprehensive plan to reform, improve and support public education." And you need all three — you can’t reform without support, you can’t improve without reform, and you won’t get support without improvement. That sounds better than the last time someone running for office said we "desperately needed" something — that was about the lottery. Mr. Rex agrees that the lottery is "not too dissimilar from saying, ‘Let’s have a voucher.’" Both approaches are about saying we can’t do this together.

Thursday, 10 a.m. — Republican agriculture chief Hugh Weathers acknowledges that his opponent, the enthusiastic Mr. DeFelice, has good ideas — as far as they go, but "I bring the big-picture perspective." His focus extends far beyond the niche of organic farming. And Mr. Weathers has at least tried to come up with "my version of a slogan." You ready? It’s "Agriculture delivers." As they say in the advertising biz, "What else have you got?" (I’ll be participating in these guys’ debate, too — same night, same place, only at 7.)

Thursday, 1 p.m. — Our latest interview with the breezy Thomas Ravenel provided another portrait of the classic confidence — some would say arrogance — of the self-made young man. He made it on his own, so all we really need for everyone to be prosperous is to remove obstacles (such as taxes), and everybody else can do the same. "Everybody talks about ‘education, education,’" he says, in a way that indicates that he believes its value is overrated. Look at Cuba, he says — it’s loaded with highly educated people, and the economy is pathetic because of the lack of opportunity. Asked about the controversial Rod Shealy, he says, "I have a lot of consultants." And then he brings up the fact that he’s got Will Folks, admitted woman-batterer, helping him too. "I believe in giving Folks a second chance," he says, enjoying his pun. "(I)n politics, you have to deal with some unsavory characters."

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