Just saw this e-mail that Joe Azar sent out to his list:
Today The State editorial board endorsed Cameron Runyan over incumbent Daniel Rickenmann. Read it below. From all I can hear and see, Runyan should become our next city councilman. But don’t sit back and wait, forward this to everyone, call all your friends, and make sure to get everyone out to vote Tuesday, April 1. That is the only way to win, so do it!…
You should take note of this moment, because you won’t often find Joe so heartily agreeing with us. I for one intend to enjoy it while it lasts.
Here’s the editorial to which he refers.
Related Posts
Joe who?
Cameron who?
Daniel who?
Who outside of Columbia cares?
Here’s hoping McClatchy opts for a little belated honesty and changes the name of The State to The Columbia Record or The Gamecock Gazette.
Here’s also hoping The State slaps its own heavy hand and stops endorsing candidates in local elections.
Glad to make your day, Bradley. But I do believe I discovered Mr. Runyan’s intense character and uncompromising ethics long before you really started to pay any attention to him. I have quietly worked to help this gentleman with a heart of gold very shortly after I met him nearly 6 months ago, as he and I share the same passion and love for Columbia, and strongly desire to see our city not just change, but improve and progress. It has been many years in coming, and i thought it never would, but I have found someone who burns with the same desire, integrity, ideas, and motivation as I to help our citizens and open our government to be fair, impartial, and beneficial to all.
I have always said that this is not about ego, and if I ever met a person of strong character, uncompromisable ethics, analytical, compassionate, and highly motivated, I would step aside and help them rather than run myself. I thought that would have been Rickenmann, who got into the race in 2004 after I did, or I would have stayed out and helped him (please remember I did nothing to criticize or disparage him in that race). But he has failed to grow to the hopes and promise attributed to him.
In Cameron Runyan, I have met that man and purposely stayed out to help him. I can offer no greater admiration than that.
Thanks for agreeing with me one time in your life. It will be for the betterment of Columbia when Mr. Runyan wins. Now, do go read what else I had to say about your comments at The Azar Newsletter on Google Groups. I don’t want you to get to mushy and accustomed to this.
Joseph
I wholeheartedly agree with Joe’s and The State’s endorsement of Cameron Runyan. I’ve found his written material to be highly professional and well thought out and in one brief meeting I noticed the energy that has been mentioned. During the course of the last couple of years I have emailed my council members about several issues and I have to say that the responses from Daniel Rickenmann have been poorly written with many spelling, punctuation and grammar errors and were excessively informal. As a business owner I would expect Rickenmann to be better versed on the use of spell check and grammar check.
JOE AZAAAAR??!!!!!!
“Everybody get outta here,there’s a lobster loose!! Holy Cow,he’s loose! Quickly,everybody,spread yourselves with hot butter! And carry lemons just in case!…ya’ have ta’ squirt em ‘n’ so forth n’ repel ’em! Quickly everybody…there’s gonna’ be a tragedy!”
Wait, wait…I thought that the cabinet form of government was the perfect form. That with one person, the Governor, in charge there would be more accountability.
Now we see that Sanford’s highway patrol is poorly trained, the wrong size, and regularly runs down or tazes black people…and no one seems to connect Sanford to the agency.
So tell me again, why is the cabinet form of government so good?
Joseph Azar? Whu cares? Lobster with budder is mo bedder!
Bon Appetit!
Eric, your off-point comment makes no sense. Even if the Highway Patrol were a Cabinet agency, it would make no sense.
But it isn’t. The Legislature deliberately kept it OUT of the Cabinet.
weldon, try to step back and get a little perspective. Is it that you would like me to ignore Columbia politics, or what? You certainly can’t look at my blog or the editorial page and say we write about the capital city to an extent that is out of proportion.
If you’ve got a problem with the news pages or sports or anything else that has nothing to do with me, talk to somebody else. I have enough on my own plate.
Just wanted to express my opinion on newspapers endorsing candidates in local elections, Brad. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Your endorsement is a big, fat, free ad. The other candidates might not be able to afford advertising in The State in order to counter the effect of your endorsement.
A tangled web of advertiser, candidate, reporter and editor can also develop. Pockets as deep as McClatchy could effort to control local elections for reasons that amount to a conflict of interest.
Not that I’m accusing you of that or that I care who gets your nod. As I think I made clear above, I know not one of the people involved. I just like the idea of newspapers being neutral observers.
Presidential politics is one thing. When neighbors are running against each other in city elections and you pick one of them, that’s something else.