I thought Templeton had one good idea. I was wrong…

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When I saw that Catherine Templeton had put out a “Conservatives Issues platform” on Monday, I assumed it would be more of the same. Which is to say, another instance of an intelligent woman trying to appeal to the most atavistic blood-and-soil reflexes of a traumatized Republican Party, in keeping with her strategy of trying to out-Bannon Henry McMaster.

Templeton

Templeton

But then I was delighted to see one good idea — or at least, to see what I initially thought was a good idea: The State reported that she wanted to protect “Home Rule.”

I was impressed. Too few people understand the problem of the Legislature’s utter failure to fully implement the Home Rule Act of 1975, maintaining its feeble influence over local matters and keeping local governments weak.

If she was standing up for Home Rule in South Carolina, it would be the second time in a week that someone had stood up for a long-overdue “Power Failure” reform — the other time being the freshmen’s proposal for a constitutional convention to address fundamental structural problems in our state government.

But I was wrong, as I realized when I saw a release in which Jim DeMint (remember that guy?) was praising her position. This was NOT a case of someone standing up for fixing an actual problem that plagues South Carolina (and which far too few people understand). Nope. She was just touching another far-right base, trying to get the ganglia to twitch.

She was sticking up for “Home Rule” in a way that only makes sense to people who keep up with the latest fetishes of the far right. She, too was seeking a constitutional convention — only in her case on the federal level, and to address nonexistent problems:

  • Make South Carolina a signatory of the Convention of States movement.

“Our Founding Fathers intended for this government to be of the people, by the people, for the people,” Templeton explained. “The U. S. Constitution gives South Carolina the right and duty to make sure the federal government doesn’t interfere where it is not welcome. Today, the federal government exercises control over our very livelihood.  Every day Congress takes more and gives us less. As governor, I will support the current push by conservatives in South Carolina’s General Assembly who are fighting to take back states’ rights from a bloated, bureaucratic, overbearing federal government. While the President fights top down, I join him in our fight from the states up.”

Today, former United States Senator Jim DeMint commended Catherine Templeton’s courage in fighting for conservative values.

“States must do more to chart their own course for the future and reign in the out-of-control federal government.  I commend Catherine Templeton for her wisdom and courage to support the Article V Convention of States Project.  It is the only constitutional way to save our country and our state.”
-Jim DeMint, March 5, 2018

Remember the recent resurrection of Nullification? Well, it receded for awhile, but apparently it’s back. You just can’t keep a bad idea down in South Carolina.

What does it tell us that a bunch of House freshmen can take a bold and risky stand in favor of a sweeping, needed and too-little-understood reform, but a viable candidate for governor of the whole state sketches out a vision that is nothing but one knee-jerk pander after another?

Anyway, she got my hopes up for a second, but then crushed them…

4 thoughts on “I thought Templeton had one good idea. I was wrong…”

  1. Brad Warthen Post author

    Y’all, since I can’t seem to find a link anywhere to her entire “conservative issues platform” — which seems odd — I’ll just share her email release in its entirety:

    CATHERINE TEMPLETON UNVEILS
    CONSERVATIVE VALUES PLATFORM
    Former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint commends Templeton

    (Greenville, S.C.) Conservative outsider and Republican gubernatorial candidate Catherine Templeton unveiled her Conservatives Issues platform during a speech on Monday.

    In the first of several upcoming addresses on different issues in the 2018 campaign, Templeton shared her conservative vision in a talk to the First Monday Club in Greenville.

    During her time as the head of two state agencies, Templeton fought big labor and won, stopped the Obama Administration from killing South Carolina jobs, called out corruption, and fired state bureaucrats who were wasting taxpayer money. She is equally committed to defending conservative values that are important to South Carolinians:

    As governor, Catherine Templeton will:

    Respect our Flag and National Anthem.

    Pass legislation requiring entities that receive public funds to start public events by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
    Require the playing of the National Anthem at state-funded athletic events.
    “You just stand up – out of respect for our country and the men and women who fought to give you the right to freedom,” Templeton said. “And I believe that groups receiving our tax dollars should stand for the pledge when they are conducting public business.”

    Protect Our History.
    Vigorously support legislation protecting South Carolina’s historical monuments from being torn down by radical out-of-state interests or misguided instate political correctness.
    “I won’t sanitize history for the sake of political correctness,” Templeton said. “It is what we do with our history going forward that is critical.”

    Protect South Carolina’s Home Rule.

    Make South Carolina a signatory of the Convention of States movement.
    “Our Founding Fathers intended for this government to be of the people, by the people, for the people,” Templeton explained. “The U. S. Constitution gives South Carolina the right and duty to make sure the federal government doesn’t interfere where it is not welcome. Today, the federal government exercises control over our very livelihood. Every day Congress takes more and gives us less. As governor, I will support the current push by conservatives in South Carolina’s General Assembly who are fighting to take back states’ rights from a bloated, bureaucratic, overbearing federal government. While the President fights top down, I join him in our fight from the states up.”
    Today, former United States Senator Jim DeMint commended Catherine Templeton’s courage in fighting for conservative values.

    “States must do more to chart their own course for the future and reign in the out-of-control federal government. I commend Catherine Templeton for her wisdom and courage to support the Article V Convention of States Project. It is the only constitutional way to save our country and our state.”
    -Jim DeMint, March 5, 2018

    Pass Constitutional Carry.
    Challenge the Concealed Weapons Permit so that we don’t have to pay a fee to the government to exercise our constitutional right to carry and our God given right to protect ourselves and our families.
    “When I worked for Governor Haley, SLED suggested I carry to protect myself from all the entrenched bureaucrats I fired,“ Templeton said. “I still carry today because I am not finished doing the right thing, but as a mother and responsible gun owner, I think it is government overreach to require us to pay a fee to the government for our Constitutional right to carry and our God given right to protect ourselves and our families.”

    Reduce Abortions.

    Sign any legislation that will reduce the number of abortions.
    “Politicians will tell you they support family values,” Templeton said. “I value family. When doctors told us our twins may be in danger, Morgan and I trusted God’s will for their lives over all else. So I support the Personhood Bill, and anything else that reduces the number of abortions.”

    Protect our Primaries.

    Protect the integrity of our elections by closing South Carolina’s primaries.
    “We are under attack from the Democrats – nationally,” Templeton explained. “In fact, personally, the Democratic Governors Association has released press hits on me. And the Unity Reform Commission of the Democratic National Committee has declared that growing grassroots participation and developing state party guidelines for easier access is a national priority. Look at the early voting in Texas this weekend where they have a semi-open primary. It is critical that we only let conservatives vote in a Republican primary and stop the manipulation from the enemies of conservatism.”

    Templeton will continue to discuss her positions on a variety of issues that are important to South Carolinians in the coming weeks.

    ###

    Reply ↓
    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      By the way, I was also initially intrigued by The State’s report that she wanted to “reduce abortions” — something that could mean almost anything. It could even, conceivably, encompass something that pro-choice people could get on board with, given their mantra of “safe and rare.”

      So I went looking for details, and found that… there were no details. Instead, the opposite of details. Just a blanket, undiscriminating, promise to “Sign any legislation that will reduce the number of abortions.” Without even a nod to, “Well, let me at least READ it first…”

      Presumably this was meant to pander to people like ME. Of course, it assumes I’m someone who doesn’t actually stop and think about legislation. Which is insulting…

      Reply ↓
  2. Barry

    Catherine Templeton unveils plan to take South Carolina back to 1865, when her family was just a regular slaveholeimg family.

    Ah, the good ole days…..

    Reply ↓

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