The other day, a former Democratic Party executive committee member warned me not to speak as though Dick “The Once and Future Chairman” Harpootian’s candidacy was a sure thing — because, after all, Phil Noble and that other guy were running, too.
Well, first, I don’t think I said it WAS a sure thing (I said Dick returning to this arena should be fun). And second… well, now that you mention it, maybe it IS. This just in, from Jim Clyburn and Vincent Sheheen:
Dear Fellow Democrats, Please join us in supporting Dick Harpootlian’s candidacy as the next chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.
We believe Dick is who and what the party needs right now — a proven leader. He’s tough. He’s articulate. He’s a proven fundraiser. He has the experience to get our party back on track and start winning elections again. We can’t afford to wait until the next campaign season to hold Republicans accountable for their failures. We must start immediately, and Dick shares our sense of urgency.
We believe Dick is uniquely suited to ensure that our party secures the resources not just to compete, but to win. Under his prior leadership as chairman of the state party, South Carolina Democrats had a very successful coordinated campaign, and Jim Hodges was elected governor by defeating the sitting Republican governor.
Thank you for your commitment to our party and to our state.
Sincerely,
Congressman James Clyburn
Sen. Vincent Sheheen, 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Former Gov. Jim Hodges
Sen. John Land, Minority Leader
Sen. Darrell Jackson
Sen. Gerald Malloy
Sen. John Matthews
Rep. Harry Ott, Minority Leader
Rep. Jimmy Bales
Rep. Boyd Brown
Rep. Bill Clyburn
Rep. Todd Rutherford
Rep. John Scott
Rep. Bakari Sellers
Rep. James Smith
Rep. Leon Stavrinakis
Richland County Councilwoman Bernice Scott
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
Former SCDP Chairman Joe Erwin
And the fact is, Dick had most Democrats at “Jim Clyburn and Vincent Sheheen.” Personally, I’m impressed by the last name on the list. While I hate to praise ANY party official, as party chairs go, Joe Erwin was a good one. He’s the guy who managed to stop his own party, at the last minute, from having an effectively closed presidential primary in 2004. My kind of partisan, that Joe Erwin.
Anyway, in endorsement terms, this is looking like the state political equivalent of Blitzkrieg.
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Indeed, Phil, indeed. But I don’t think Dick is resting on his laurels, either. Looks like he’s gathering chickens pretty aggressively.
May the best man win. As unlikely as that tends to be in party contests.
Thanks for joining the conversation!
No one should count thier chickens before they hatched, much less before the bardyard gathering…i.e. the convention.