Well, it was nice while it lasted — writing about the presidential contest between two guys I liked. It was the first time in my career that had happened, and I got as excited about it all as anyone did, I suppose.
But now I turn back to South Carolina, where our last election for a chief executive was between Mark Sanford and Tommy Moore. Fortunately, we don’t have Tommy to kick around any more, since he went to work for his pals in the payday industry.
But we’re stuck with Mark Sanford. I was unpleasantly reminded of this by the op-ed piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal last week. It was classic Sanford posturing, another sequel of his personal movie, "Me Against the Big Spenders." It was headlined "Don’t Bail Out My State." It’s filled with the kind of self-aggrandizing, Look At ME stuff that drives others at our State House bonkers.
Anyway, I wrote about it for Sunday, but I’ll have you know I didn’t enjoy it. The prospect of anything positive happening at the State House is just so dim, that it’s depressing.
Back on this post, Doug asked who I believed in the conflict between Nikki and the speaker. Oh, Nikki, of course, I said.
That doesn’t mean I don’t fully understand how it must frost the speaker to see members of the House joining the governor in his holier-than-thou posturing. But you see, like the broken clock, sometimes Sanford postures in favor of the right thing. That’s one of the really disappointing things about him. He’s made so many enemies in the Legislature that it has doomed the causes he was right to advocate, such as government restructuring. We’re at the point now that we’re WAY past the Legislature’s ingrained resistance to reform. Now, they’ll oppose it just for the pleasure of frustrating HIM. It’s an unhealthy situation for us all.
And Nikki’s campaign for recorded votes is the right thing. Sure, there might be practical reasons against making ALL votes recorded, but the House can do an awful lot better than it does.
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So Sanford’s wrong to be right.
You heard it here first, folks.
And had the governor backed a bailout, Brad would have spat at him for that, too.
So, no, Brad, you don’t have to write about Sanford.
You’re way past crying wolf now.
I generally tend to vote for the Democratic candidate though in SC I consider them to be to right of center. But when Mark Sanford first ran for Governor I voted for him twice in the primary and then in the General Election against Jim Hodges. I was very disappointed in Hodges leadership and though I am philosophically far left of Mark Samford, he seemed to be a breath of fresh air. But I could not support him as he sought his second term.
Though the members of the General Assembly are quite capable of mind numbing dumbness and love to protect their turf, Mark Sanford is a case study in how not to make friends and influence others. He seems to go out of his way to irritate Members and then wonders why his priorities get no respect. He doesn’t seem to understand that the classic definition of politics is the “art of compromise”. Mark Sanford wants things done his way or not at all.
I still admire Gov. Sanford for his enviormental positions, his stand on executive pay, and I believe he was right on in vetoing the DNA bill as being unconstitutional. But to change our historically antiquated political system a Governor has to be able to work within that system and use it to change itself. You have to be able to play well with others. Gov. Sanford does not play well with others.
Brad Warthen shows just how unacquainted his is with Governor Sanford when he mischaracterizes Sanford’s refusal to take federal money the state doesn’t need as being all about him.
Sanford is all about doing the right thing.
He realizes that if being honest makes enemies, those are people you don’t want as friends. If you compromise your principles, you really don’t have principles.
Brad do you ever think that you might be the one who’s wrong?
Brad please do something that I rarely tell people to do… “Shut up”? You sound like an old lady who has nothing to talk about so you start complaining like a broken record. Brad, “Shut up”.
Wow. It’s going to be a good day. Mr. Lee Muller, you make a lot of sense when you steer clear of [that other subject]. You summed up the reasons our good governor keeps fighting the good fight — better than most!
🙂
It will be interesting to see what Sanford does now since there is a huge void of any national figures for the GOP.
Anyone who served under Bush is tainted for life and will never see the executive branch again.
Conservatives are still trying to maintain their death grip on the GOP thus thrusting Sanford up the ladder, if you will.
It will be interesting if the sparkling lights of (anywhere but South Carolina) draws Sanford’s attention and asperations while the state faces real problems that need strong leadership and focus.
We shall see.
The worst thing that could happen w/ sparkling lights is he gets entranced by Sarah Palin — the ‘aurora borealis.’
Let us pray he averts his eyes.
Sanford is a quality individual and a great governor. I think he would also make a great president.
I am not disappointed in what Sanford has not gotten done because that is not why I voted for him. I’m glad he stops things from getting done. Being in opposition to politics as usual is a positive thing in my book.
We shouldn’t measure politicians by how many deals they cut in a backroom but by fidelity to principles. Mark Sanford is better than most, and I appreciate the stands he takes. His libertarian leanings are what make me like him.
“Fred” Sanford has not cut any deals in backrooms. He doesn’t even get along with SC Republicans. He has even put out “hit contracts” on Republicans in the House and Senate.
Sanford prefers to govern by press release and theatrical stunts, such as the piglets in the State House (which I thought was funny, but Sanford didn’t clean up their deposit) and the “horse and buggy” photo op at the State House (though I think a donkey was used). I would be interested in seeing Sanford’s appointment schedule. He probably doesn’t meet face to face with members of the House and Senate.
Governor Sanford operates on principles, which history has proven to be good principles.
His opponents in the legislature don’t operate on principles. They operate on their personal ambition. They trade tax money which is not theirs to buy votes that enhance their personal power.
It is the legislature which refuses to discuss issues with Sanford in an open, adult manner. Instead, they talk obliquely, spin yarns, and try to work around him. They are simply the typical, dishonest people who like to run for office.
you don’t think career politician Mark operates on personal ambition???!!!???
Of course Mark Sanford has some political ambition, or he wouldn’t have bothered to run for office.
But Sanford made his money in the business world, and can now be a hobby politician, whereas most politicians do nothing else with their lives. They run for office in order to gain power which they can use to become wealthy, by graft and bribes, or using their influence to promote a law practice or lobbying business when the voters reject them.
Competition is good so please adopt the competition
Christena
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