This morning, I taped a segment for ETV Radio with Mark Quinn, and while I was doing it, I thought that for once, I’d give y’all a heads-up ahead of time about where you can see and hear me over the next few days. So here goes:
- The ETV Radio segment will air on Friday at 1 p.m. Mark and I talked for 15 minutes, mostly about the gubernatorial election. I worried a bit that I did an uncharacteristic thing: Rather than speak as the detached observer the way I usually do on radio, I spoke as the blogger who very much hopes Vincent overcomes the odds. I apologized to Mark for that after, but he said it was OK, so maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought…
- Speaking of ETV, a program called “How We Choose” will air on the TV version at 9:30 p.m. Friday, and again on Monday, election eve, at 7 p.m. There are some clips from the program up on the ETV election blog. I was one of a bunch of people interviewed for this, and it was so long ago I don’t know what I said, but it was very Civics 101 stuff about democracy and voting and the like. You know — educational.
- Remember that “party politics” primer I did on the city election for the Shop Tart, specially crafted for her particular audience? That was well received, and she wants me to do another, and I have promised her I would. So repeating the promise in writing to y’all is my way of making myself write it and get it to her sometime this week. If I fail, I fail in the world’s eyes, not just the Tart’s…
- I’ve manipulated the Health & Happiness schedule so that it will be my turn to do it at the Columbia Rotary Club on Monday, election eve. If I can’t come up with decent political material for that day, I never will. That’s at 1 p.m. at Seawell’s. You have to get a member to host you if you want to be there. (So now, I’ve just put EXTRA pressure on myself to come up with something good. Sheesh. Comedy is hard.)
- Nov. 2 — On Election Night, I’ll be on WIS. Judi Gatson has asked me to appear along with Sid Bedingfield (Political analyst from USC) and Douglas Wilson (a blogger at politicsispower.com) to talk election results. I said OK, so guess I won’t be doing my usual roaming that night, but will be in a fixed location. I THINK I’ll be able to blog during that, but if I don’t, and you wonder where I am, turn on the tube.
- On Nov. 4th, I’ll be speaking to the SC Telecommunications Association’s Fall Conference at the Radisson, about election results.
- On Saturday, Nov. 6, I’m the featured entertainment for the Lower Richland Dem Breakfast out on Garners Ferry Road. They, too, want me to talk about election results.
So, I’m busy doing a lot of stuff besides earning a living and blogging. But you might say that I’m blogging by other means — and of course wherever I go, I give ADCO a plug…
Related Posts
So you haven’t been invited by any Republican organization to speak?
Fred, I’m 57 years old, and this is the first time I’ve been asked by an organization affiliated with EITHER party to speak to them.
I imagine they’ve made this mistake because they’ve made the same assumption that you have — because I’m clearly for the Democrat in the most visible election in this particular cycle, they’re assuming I’m on their side.
If that’s correct, they’re as wrong as you are in the assumption you expressed earlier.
Perhaps they wouldn’t have invited me in one of those years when I backed mostly Republicans. But I don’t know. Maybe they’re broad-minded.
I’ll listen Friday at 1pm. I catch Mark’s show on Fridays at least a few times a month. I try to listen to Dr. Edgar’s program at 12 noon on Fridays – which is quite good.
Brad, I can’t help but notice that even though you say you are not affiliated by either party that you tend to have a lot of friends who’ll do you favors in the Democratic party. When is the last time a Republican let you used their office or invited you to one of their functions?
Sorry Fred, Brad is no Democrat. I’m a Democrat and I don’t claim him as one of us. Frankly he comes much closer to being a Republican than a Democrat, although I’m sure he would dispute that. Just check out his presidential endorsements over the last 20 years.
Actually, yesterday I met with a good friend and leading Republican of the Sanford persuasion. He bet me that Nikki will win by 8 points or more. I said if that happens, I’ll take him to lunch at Cap City. If SC is going to burn, we might as well eat, drink and be merry, right?
But FAVORS? Let’s see… Well, the first year of this blog, a Republican friend hosted it for me for free, which I deeply appreciate. I can’t think of any favors of that magnitude that any Democrat has done me.
But then, I don’t keep a tally sheet. You ask me a question like that, and I just sort of go “Huh?” Because I don’t think in party terms.
Fred, since you’re evidently new to reading me, I suggest you read me through a couple of election cycles before you decide you know my mind. You’re coming to me in a year in which, as I’ve written here, I’m rather stunned at the degree to which the GOP has driven off the rails. After my man John McCain lost the election, they’ve been wandering into disturbing territory. What’s worse, after they win next Tuesday, they’re going to think it’s because of the extremism they’ve embraced, instead of realizing its the usual midterm pattern. So it will take a while for them to moderate. But they will, eventually, or spin off into irrelevance…
“Rather than speak as the detached observer the way I usually do on radio, I spoke as the blogger who very much hopes Vincent overcomes the odds.”
There comes a time in the politics of this state when to stand neutrally on the sidelines would be a crime and a sin.
If anyone wishes to come hear Brad–always worthwhile!–I’ll be glad to host you. Be warned the food makes airline food look gourmet!
Brad, I’ve read for a while, I’ve read about how Democrats let you use their offices or conference rooms for your blog. I’ve read about how you are invited to different functions (all Democratic sponsored). One thing that I’ve noticed is that you rarely if ever mention Republicans in either instance.
This kind of ties into what I’ve written above. As you mentioned in another posting that you’ll be making your rounds on Tuesday evening, after admitting that you’ve done everything in your power to pull voters away from Haley, do you see yourself trying to enter her party on Tuesday?
Fred, what does “a while” mean? Four years? 8 years? 15 years? Because anything less than a couple of election cycles would not be helpful. I have years when I’m overwhelmingly for Republicans, and years when I’m overwhelmingly for Democrats, and years when I’m 50-50 — all of which depends upon the individual candidates and what’s going on with them. There are years when Democrats all seem to go kind of nuts. This is a year in which Republicans seem to be going nuts — and the ones who are NOT going nuts, or not going nuts enough, are being swept aside.
What do you mean about “let you use their offices or conference rooms for your blog?” The only thing remotely like that that I can think of was the other day, when the closest Vincent Sheheen was going to be to my office was over at James Smith’s office, so we taped there. But while I appreciate James being accommodating, that wasn’t what I wanted — I wanted Vincent to come to MY office; I just couldn’t get him there. Going over there was an INCONVENIENCE to me, although not a great one.
If you think I’d hesitate for a second from running to GOP HQ or anywhere else if Nikki (who has been dodging media as much as possible) agreed to the interview I’ve requested, you are deeply and profoundly confused.
That’s what journalists do — they go to where they can get the candidate, when they really need the interview.
As for your last remark, again, you’re very confused. Normally, I try to hit as many spots as I can on election night unless I’m tied up. Sometimes I stay in one place. For instance, I spent ALL evening at Jim Hodges’ celebration the night that he won after a campaign in which he and his team had come to the conclusion that I deeply hated him and all he stood for (the prelude of four years of his avoiding speaking to me). Why? Because that was the place to be. You go where the story is.
On primary night, I went by Nikki’s briefly (although before the party got rolling — Nikki was there somewhere, but I didn’t run into her), then ran over to Camden to see what was going on at Sheheen HQ. My intent was to get back to Columbia for Nikki’s celebration at the height of it, because I thought SHE was going to win it all that night.
But I was wrong. About the time I got to Camden, it became apparent that Vincent was the one who was going to win outright without a runoff, so THAT was the place to be that night — and I stayed through the speeches.
That’s how it works.
And now, Fred, I bid you adieu. I see that you HAVE been reading me slightly longer than I had assumed going by when the name “Fred” started showing up.
But then, you used to go by “Michael P.”
Did you think I wouldn’t notice that “Michael” suddenly stopped trying to post?
@ Brad
you ever think it ironic that the people that are the most partisan always complain the loudest about someone else being a closet Democrat or closet Republican (depending on what fits their agenda).
I was on another site stating my support for Senator Sheheen. Predictably a few started calling me a “liberal” (without any facts to back it up I must add). I am not remotely close to a Liberal. What Liberal votes for Mark Sanford twice? Or David Beasley? Or Tommy Hartnett way back?
I then asked them what “Liberal” would be voting for Alan Wilson for Attorney General, or Ken Ard for LT Governor?
and as you can imagine, they wouldn’t respond to my question (asked it 2-3 times). I guess the egg on their face was too thick.
Brad would likely attend a Republican meeting, but the weird robes and blood-oathing and guttering candles atop human skulls freak him out.