The Blogland of Earl Capps

Monday's music

2008-11-17T05:55:00.000-05:00

We've had a pretty busy last few days, and to be honest, we're off doing stuff non-political (which is a healthy thing - we recommend it highly).

Until tomorrow, we'll leave you with a promise that we'll be back with more substantive content tomorrow and this YouTube video of Sum 41's parody of the 80s metal scene with this video of their performance of "Pain for Pleasure":

We have it on good authority two of these guys were reprising roles played by Mike Reino and Brian McCarty.

Working for the weekend

2008-11-14T04:32:00.000-05:00

We want to thank our readers for tuning in this week. Tomorrow, we'll be teaching a Red Cross First Aid & CPR class down in Bluffton, as well as catching the new James Bond flick. But don't worry, we'll be back on Monday.

Until then, here's a little Loverboy for ya:

Rob Halford's Metal "Resurrection"

2008-11-13T03:46:00.000-05:00

After a long streak of thoughtful and profound postings, it's time for something a little less political. Since yours truly will be busy doing safety compliance site visits and teaching First Aid and CPR to employees today and tomorrow, it seems like a good time to start getting back to the heavy metal album reviews that inspired some of our readers to throw up clenched fists and call out "Blogland" when we've seen them over the last couple of years ...

At the end of a long musical journey that lasted throughout the 1990s, where he left Judas Priest in a rambling solo journey which turned in a number of music directions, in 2000, Rob Halford returned to his metal roots with his kick-ass solo 2000 album, very fittingly entitled “Resurrection”.

While I couldn't find any YouTube stuff that links to anything from this album, here's a link to a video of him performing the Judas Priest classic "Delivering the Goods" with Skid Row:

A bit ironic that since this, Halford's band wanted him back and Skid Row has moved on without Sebastian Bach, ain't it?

Winning and losing in the Blogland

2008-11-11T23:33:00.000-05:00

Now that the dust has settled, let's look at how some of the races we've look at fared.

Blogland Races to Watch: We predicted a number of legislative races were going to be close, with the winner coming in under the sixty percent mark.

Senate District 10: Democrat Nicholson holds an open Dem seat with 51 percent.
Senate District 11: Democrat Senator Glenn Reese wins re-election with 57 percent.
Senate District 16: Republican Mick Mulvaney holds an open GOP seat with 54 percent.
Senate District 25: Republican Shane Massey wins re-election with 54 percent.
Senate District 28: Democrat Dick Elliot wins re-election with 57 percent.

House District 29: Democrat Dennis Moss wins re-election with 53 percent.
House District 45: Republican Deborah Long holds an open GOP seat with 57 percent.
House District 49: Democrat John King holds an open Dem seat with 68 percent.
House District 60: Republican Phil Lowe wins re-election with 57 percent.
House District 79: Democrat Anton Gunn wins this open GOP seat with 54 percent.
House District 97: Democrat Patsy Knight wins re-election with 54 percent.
House District 108: Democrat Vida Miller wins re-election with 53 percent.
House District 115: Democrat Anne Patterson Hutto ousts GOP Rep. Wallace Scarborough with 51 percent.
House District 124: Republican Shannon Erickson wins re-election with 58 percent.

... of the 14 races we called as being close, all but one was. But there were a few that we missed:

GOP Senator Kevin Bryant (Dist. 3), who held on with 57 percent,
GOP Rep. Don Bowen (Dist. 8), who got 53 percent,
GOP House candidate Mark Willis (Dist. 16), who got 53 percent,
Dem. Rep. Olin Phillips (Dist. 30), who got 54 percent,
GOP Rep. Derham Cole (Dist. 32), who got 54 percent,
GOP House candidate Steve Parker (District 37), who got 57 percent,

We want to thank our readers, whose helpful intel helped us assess what was going on out there and make our calls. Hopefully next time around, we can get a little more input from people who live along the I-85 corridor, where we missed a handful of close races.

Blogland Endorsees: Six out of our nine endorsees won their races:

Nikki Haley, House District 87 - Wins with 83 percent
Sabrina Gast, York County Coroner - Wins with 64 percent
Shannon Erickson, House District 124 - Wins with 58 percent
Phil Lowe, House District 60 - Wins with 57 percent
Dean Fowler, Florence County Treasurer - Wins with 57 percent
Shane Massey, Senate District 25 - Wins with 54 percent
Dee Compton, Senate District 10 - Loses with 48 percent
Jill Kelso, House District 108 - Loses with 47 percent
Marvin Rogers, House District 49 - Loses with 32 percent

"GOP in dire straits" ... ?

2008-11-11T21:49:00.001-05:00

To that question, we say yes, responding to concerns raised in an article posted on Politico.com, where Jonhathan Martin takes a good look at the GOP's present woes, as well as offers some guidance as to fix them:

Thumped convincingly in consecutive election cycles, the Republican Party now finds itself in its worst straits since the rise of the conservative coalition — a minority party without the White House, fewer seats in the House and Senate, only 21 governors and full control of just 14 state legislatures.

Most ominous for Republicans, the GOP is increasingly becoming less grand than old — and outdated. As reflected in Tuesday’s results and exit polls, it’s a party that is overwhelmingly white, rural and aged in a country that is rapidly becoming racially mixed, suburban and dominated by a post-Baby Boomer generation with no memory of Vietnam or the familiar culture wars of the past.

The article offers some good advice on where to go to fix the problems, including this advise from former Governor Jeb Bush:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the party should take four primary steps: show no tolerance for corruption, practice what it preaches about limiting the scope of government (“There should not be such a thing as a Big-Government Republican”), stand for working families and small business, and embrace reform.

“I hope there is a strong focus on recruiting candidates for governor as a top priority for 2010,” said Bush. “A reform conservative agenda can be shown at the state level regarding education, health care and environmental policy while the liberals advocate the status quo, just more of it, in Washington, D.C.”

It's worth a look, so go check it out.

GOP eyes on the 5th?

2008-11-10T23:19:00.000-05:00

Rumors hint that 5th District Congressman John Spratt may get an appointment early in the Obama administration. Given his seniority in the House and his long-time service in the House Budget Committee, it's a no-brainer to see him get a lot of consideration for a slot such as OMB director. Since he's held the seat for since the early 1980s, and it would likely be a long time before he could climb higher than the chairmanship of Budget, it's easy to see him wanting to make a change.

Since 1994, the GOP has made several strong challenges to Spratt, most notably Larry Bigham, who got 48% in 1994 and 46% in 1996, and Ralph Norman, who got 44% in '06 in spite of running in a bad year for the GOP with a poorly-run campaign. Should Spratt vacate the seat, you can bet the GOP will do their best to take it. Towards that end, several GOP names come to mind as strong potential contenders:

Ronnie Cromer, State Senator from Prosperity - he easily replaced Lt. Governor Andre Bauer in '03 and has won two strong re-elections in his Newberry County-based district. This swing area will be a must-win area if running for the 5th.
Wes Hayes, State Senator from Rock Hill - he's well liked and respected by people on both sides of the political fence and securely anchored in York County, home to nearly half the district's residents.
Glenn McCall, RNC Committeeman - a rising star in Palmetto State politics, this Bank of America VP is also the popular chair of the York County GOP. His national connections would allow him to draw resources that would quickly bolster his candidacy.
Tommy Pope, former 16th Circuit Solicitor - a record as a no-nonsense prosecutor and charismatic oratorical style would play well with the district's rural white Democrats. Rumor has it that he's eyeing opportunities to re-enter politics. While he'd be a strong AG candidate in '10, this race might be too good to pass up.

While David Beasley and Ralph Norman are certainly potential candidates, we'd be suprised if they show up in a 5th District special election, or if they'd fare well should they enter the race. Norman bungled his campaign by making an ill-advised key stand on the immigration issue, a vulnerability which his opposition easily feasted upon. Beasley lost the 5th district in his 1998 Gubernatoral re-election bid, and again in his attempted '04 Senate comeback bid - after two high-profile defeats, we don't see a comeback in the cards.

While the GOP has a deeper bench of candidate prospects than the Democrats and numbers suggest the seat is winnable, especially without an entrenched Democratic incumbent, a strong financial disadvantage by the NRCC will be a handicap. This was a key factor in at least half a dozen of the House races carried by Democrats, possibly more, and it'll likely continue to be a hurdle to overcome in the near future. Whoever carries the GOP banner would likely face a crowded primary field, and then face a Democratic candidate with little or no national-level assistance.

In any event, it's race worth watching if it comes to pass. If Spratt doesn't leave for a Washington career change and Democratic polling numbers drop going into the '10 mid-term, any of these candidates would be strong contenders for the seat then.

Legislative Republicans at a crossroads?

2008-11-09T17:08:00.001-05:00

This sign contains two messages: the first warns of a a turn to the left, and the second of an upcoming crossroads. It seems an appropriate to what is going on in the State House.

Our state finds itself confronted with a budget crisis, which is nothing new. Our state's budget has a history of going from boom to bust, yet while many of our legislators were around during the last budget crash, we saw billions of dollars of recent surpluses squandered with little effort to set aside reserves.

Last fall saw our state's House Speaker upset when a legislator proposed requiring putting votes on the record, which is commonplace in many other states. The excuse of "if we want you to know, we'll let you know, otherwise get lost" smacks of the same kind of good ol' boy leadership that was reminiscent of the old days of South Carolina's Democratic majority rule, where cover-ups, corruption, investigations, and convictions - culminating in Operation Lost Trust - were commonplace.

Now we see the House leadership proposing a rule change that would consolidate power into the hands of the House Speaker, by allowing the Speaker to appoint committee chairs, instead of allowing the committee members to select their own. We've heard excuses that this is intended to protect the power of the GOP majority in the House, but we're skeptical.

We're concerned these changes will make the legislature less accountable to the public and empower those who wish to operate in the shadows, even if that's not what those backing the rules desire. These same kinds of tricks had much to do with the upsetting of the scandal-ridden Republican majority in the U.S. House. Once the now-former Speaker Dennis Hastert and others in the Congressional GOP leadership began changing rules, cutting deals for campaign cash, and spending money like drunken sailors, under the excuse of protecting the Republican majority, it was only a matter of time before it hit the fan.

We find ourselves confronted with eerie parallels with what cost Republicans in control of Congress. This puts us at a crossroads and makes us ask ourselves where we're headed, and how long it will be before voters decide they're ready for a change.

We hope grass-roots Republicans will be asking their leadership the same questions, as well as holding them accountable for what they're doing.

(Pocket) Change we can believe in

2008-11-07T14:43:00.003-05:00

Obama's selection of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff is hardly a good first step, but hey, it's not like we were one of the ones who got suckered by all that whole "Change" BS the man was throwing about.

President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot "red flags," according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com. Collapse

According to a complaint later filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Freddie Mac, known formally as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, misreported profits by billions of dollars in order to deceive investors between the years 2000 and 2002.

... Read more of the ABC News.com story

If this is how the first week starts out, then hold on folks.

2008 electoral gains limited for Democrats at the state level

2008-11-07T04:46:00.007-05:00

While we're having a great time at the annual Workforce Board planning retreat, we decided to take a break to crunch some numbers and share some electoral data with our readers, this time looking at the nationwide outcomes in the state races.

While Democrats fared well at the national level, most notably in their bid for Electoral College votes for Barack Obama (you don't hear Democrats complaining about it this time around ... ) and Senate seats, the state level picture wasn't as impressive.

While the GOP had finally reached relative parity to Democrats in the number of legislative chambers held (about half of the total of 98 partisan chambers), they lost control of a number of legislative majorities in the midst of the 2006 Democratic electoral wave. While one might have expected state races to again mirror the federal races, it seems as if the GOP was able to dodge this bullet, only losing one Governor's office and a very minor number of legislative seats to the Democrats nationwide.

According to state election data from the NCSL - the National Conference of State Legislatures, the GOP's legislative seat losses in 2008 were much less than those seen two years ago:

Nationwide partisan Senate seats, by election year:

2008: 1026 (53.5% ) DEM / 891 (46.5%) GOP - Change in share of seats: 0.8%
2006: 1011 (52.7%) DEM / 906 (47.3%) GOP - Change in share of seats: 3.0%
2004 : 953 (49.7%) DEM / 964 (50.3%) GOP

Nationwide partisan House seats, by election year:

2008: 3064 (56.8%) DEM / 2330 (43.2%) GOP - Change in share of seats: 1.6%
2006: 2975 (55.2%) DEM / 2410 (44.8%) GOP - Change in share of seats: 5.1%
2004: 2708 (50.2%) DEM / 2687 (49.8%) GOP

The slight difference in the totals is because non-partisan and third party legislators were not included.

It's interesting to note that there was very little in the way of losses in what was supposed to be a bad year for the GOP, especially since many of these legislators will be casting votes for reapportionment plans

Phil Bailey, the state's best Democratic campaign operative, felt this outcome reflected a trend among independent voters to split their tickets:

The Republicans had a hell of a 72-hour operation in South Carolina. Nationwide, I think the middle-of-the-road voters wanted to balance their votes by voting for change in national races, but then voting for some incumbents, which favored the status quo at the local level.

Jim Merrill, the outgoing State House Majority Leader, felt voters assessed state races differently than national races:

Voters more closely scrutinize local races. They were mad at the national-level Republicans, but on the local level, many voters still saw the Republicans they knew in state offices weren't part of the problem.

For a little broader perspective, we talked with Mark Lisella, a Lowcountry native Republican strategist who consults state legislative and congressional races nationwide. He believed a news media bias existed towards upper-ballot Democratic candidates, thus helping convince voters who normally voted for the GOP to split their tickets:

The depravity of the mainstream media rarely shocks me, but their behavior this election cycle was astounding. They abandoned any pretense of impartiality or journalistic integrity to ensure a Democratic victory in competitive races.

This bias is clearly reflected in the election results of the higher profile campaigns. Generally speaking, the campaigns with more media exposure benefitted the Democratic candidate.

Missouri is typically considered a bellwether state. This cycle, no Republican seats in the Missouri State Senate were lost, and three were picked up -- enough seats to override the new Democratic governor. This was the largest increase in the country for a Republican-controlled chamber. The Democratic candidates at the top of the ballot received a disproportionate amount of media coverage, which was more favorable than unfavorable, and that's reflected in the election results.

Ok, now that the experts have spoken ... what do YOU, our readers think ... ?

The long road back

2008-11-05T18:11:00.001-05:00

In spite of an 11th hour rally by GOP voters, Tuesday night was another stunning defeat for the GOP.

While a McCain victory would been a symbolic victory, it is hard to see what it would have accomplished. Both the Bushes who sat in the White House contended with Congresses run by the opposition party, and spent those years unable to push through agendas or get the American people to hold Congress accountable for their role in the nation's problems. It is hard to see how McCain's experience would have been much different had he won.

For McCain to win on Tuesday, he had to run against both the perception of the GOP as a party of corruption as much as he was running against the Democrats. It was a task which was far more than he - or anyone else - could have accomplished. Over the last two years, many Republicans have lost for the same reason, and until things change - and convincingly so - more will likely lose in the future.

There is now a certain simplicity as Republicans will no longer have to play political defense or try to convince voters to split the blame amongst a divided government. If the economy is slow, foreign conflicts drag out, deficits persist or tough cuts have to be made to stem the growth of the national debt, voters can only blame the Democrats. But if Republicans wish to settle to play the kind of "blame and wait" game which the Democrats played for the last eight years, it might be a long time before they'll return to majority status.

The last two times the GOP suffered staggering setbacks, in 1976 and 1992, Republicans recovered fairly quickly when they presented pro-active agendas - Reagan's campaign messages in 1980 and Gingrich's Contract with America in 1994 - which focused on a few very simple themes, including fiscal restraint, ethical reform and sound foreign policies. In light of this, Grover Norquist's advice to "politely step away from the Bush presidency and say we're going back to basics" seems wise counsel.

In our humble opinion, the downward slide began the day former House Speaker Dennis Hastert repealed term limits for House committee chairs - the first of many ethical and fiscal sell-outs by Hastert and company, who were soon running interference for a handful of outright crooks and helping themselves to pork earmarks and bridges to nowhere. Even many Republicans disagreed with this direction, like an absentee corporate board of directors, they allowed the company to be taken over by scoundrels, and over the last two years, have paid the price. To change course, they will first need to clean house from within, and then challenge the Democrats and offer voters positive visions of what can be.

There lies a long road ahead before Republicans can return to majority status, but perhaps now the path is finally clear for that process to begin. We agree with Dick Morris' take on the present situation:

The Republican Party's role is to rebuild in the shadow of the frustrations of the Obama presidency. Just as MoveOn.org built the massive grass-roots base that yesterday impelled the Democrats to victory, so Republicans must go down to their grass roots, get in touch with their base and rebuild an opportunity to win national elections.

Power has been bad for the GOP, sapping the party's soul and eroding its purity. But opposition, especially when a socialist like Obama wrestles with the practical problems of capitalism, will be a heady experience for the Republicans. The conservative movement can be reborn in opposition in a way they never could have been as the governing party.

Towards this end, we've been outspoken about the problems we've seen, as well as ideas that can offer positive solutions to problems. We intend to continue doing so, because we believe the future of our state and our country is too important for us to sit on the sidelines.

We hope you'll join us.

What now?

2008-11-04T04:48:00.001-05:00

Today, we're sure a lot of you are going to vote, and we hope you do. Especially if you're a Republican.

But no matter who wins or who loses, the world is gonna be here tomorrow, so where does the Blogland go from here? Well, our official position is that we're gonna get a life. To that end, there's a lot planned for the Blogland's "Straight on to Gettin' a life Express" ...

Tomorrow night, it's off to Myrtle Beach for a Workforce board planning retreat for the rest of the week.
Volunteering to teach Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes two Saturdays in Bluffton between now and the end of the year.
Lots of work on the Interstate 26 project.
Catch the new James Bond movie.
Spend more time at church.
Figure out how to use up the last stray vacation days left before the year is up.
Get ready for the evening adjunct professor gig, which starts in January.
Increase the weekly cycling time from four to seven hours a week.

... those are some of the personal things on our plate for the rest of the year. But don't worry, we're gonna include some agenda items that the Blogland's politically-obsessed readers should find of interest:

Begin talking about important issues for next year's session of the General Assembly, including getting roll call voting reform passed, calling for real budget reforms, as well as renewed attention to the issue of predatory lending ... with more issues to come as they develop.
Welcome the new faces, returning friends, and follow the upcoming legislative leadership races.
Watch the upcoming judicial elections, feature some candidate interviews, and as before, bring you news you won't find on other blogs and MSM outlets along with our endorsements for deserving candidates.
Bring you more of the Inside Interviews that helps our readers take a closer look into the many facets of government and politics in the Palmetto State.

Whatever happens tonight, there's nothing to worry about here, except how to juggle all these balls that life is throwing this way. One of the nice things about being a politico with a full-time job in the private sector is that the bills get paid no matter who wins.

At the risk of starting another Splatter the Shatner round with Mike Reino, we'd like to share this sage advice from Captain James Tiberius Priceline:

GOP wins landslide victory in the Blogland

2008-10-31T17:04:00.001-04:00

Early voting numbers are in for the Blogland precinct, and ... yep, you guessed it - the GOP ticket won in a landslide, including:

John McCain
Senator Lindsey Graham
Representative Henry Brown
... and the rest of the Republican ticket.

We've also endorsed the following candidates for various offices across South Carolina as being worthy of your vote:

State Senate races:
Dee Compton, District 10 -Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens Counties
Shane Massey, District 25 - Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick & Saluda Counties

State House races:
Marvin Rogers, District 49 - York County
Phil Lowe, District 60 - Florence & Sumter Counties
Nikki Haley, District 87 - Lexington County
Jill Kelso, District 108 - Charleston, Georgetown & Horry Counties
Shannon Erickson, District 124 - Beaufort County

County offices:
Dean Fowler, Florence County's Treasurer
Sabrina Gast, York County's Coroner

In any event, we encourage you to not punch the master party button. Instead, use your head, think a little, and go for the sick and twisted pleasure of punching each Republican spot on the ballot.

For a little fun ... if there's an uncontested Democrat on the ballot, remember the write-in feature is easier to use than ever, with the touch-screen keyboard. In those cases, you may want to consider having a little fun by typing in the names of movie or cartoon characters.

As for uncontested Republicans ... what the heck - do it to them too.

But if you haven't already cast your ballot, please take a moment to watch this video, and be sure to share it with any of your friends who have yet to vote:

WASP on Barack Obama: "Call him what he truly is… a Marxist, in Socialist clothing!"

2008-10-31T01:45:00.005-04:00

While we haven't always agreed with his political insights, we've found the frontman of Tipper Gore's favorite band - WASP - Blackie Lawless to be outspoken on issues. Us 80s headbangers remember how he took on that Democratic fascist pig and her PRMC gang. Here in the Blogland, we've talked about the WASP album, "Dying for the World", which was inspired by Lawless' rage over the attacks of 9/11.

Now, he's standing up to the latest fascist pig to rise up on the national political scene, Barack Obama, challenging the dangers that lie just below the surface in a posting on his website entitled "Read in case of National Emergency":

The books Obama has written about himself are very clear as to his true ambitions concerning his Leftist, Marxist views but the average person will not take the time to read them, In the 1920’s while in prison, a young Adolf Hitler wrote “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) which outlined his entire plan for World Domination and the extermination of the Jewish race. No one would read it, and then when they did it was too late…. any book that was not approved by the Nazi Party was burned. The “Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx at one time, was required reading in our schools. This book is Obama’s “How To” guide with his ideal of the “Redistribution of Wealth”. If you don’t think so, go back and look at the above radio interview. Somewhere Karl Marx with his Godless, Utopian vision is laughing in delight.

If it is true that “What is Past, is Prologue” then we need look no further than Obama’s books. His blueprint is there in black and white. Literally and figuratively.

I will vote for McCain, not because I believe in all he stands for, but as a mandate against Obama, to keep him from becoming President. Yes, I will cling to my guns and my religion, and continue to believe in the Constitution, the Cornerstone of our society and trust that this is STILL a ”Government of the People, By the People, For the People”.

The point of all this is, that no matter whatever any of us encounter in life, look for the truth. The truth can and will stand up to anything. If that truth cannot stand up to scrutiny then you must see it and call it for what it truly is.
If any would be Messiah comes along and he looks like it, acts like it and smells like it then you call him what he truly is… a Marxist, in Socialist clothing!

Amen, brother.

This'll be our last post on the subject, because for the next few days we here in the Blogland are gonna be doing all we can to stop that lying SOB and his militant cohorts from winning the White House.

They wanted a fight, so we're gonna give 'em one!

Sic Willie had a good idea

2008-10-29T17:35:00.001-04:00

Some Blogland readers have noticed we've made a couple of changes. For those of you who haven't really noticed, or wondered why we changed, we'll tell you what we did, and why we did it:

The advertising sidebars which provided nothing more than visual clutter are gone. The Adsense service was paying so little for ads that we figured it would be another year or two before we saw our first $100 check for ad revenue. That blows.
There are now featured videos in the place of the ad sidebars. Those will feature various cool music performances, along with the occasional video from stuff like the big Master's graduation.

We figured you, our loyal readers for whom we are eternally grateful, would appreciate the reduced visual clutter and find the new content more entertaining than the ad boxes.

But we won't lie - it's not our idea. One of the beautiful things about the net is that no idea is too good to be stolen, and smart ideas are viral. This revamp was inspired by seeing Sic Willie add video content when he revamped his blogsite. We thought it was cool, so we decided to do it too.

But rest assured we have no intentions of trying to move in on his soft porn business. We've got that much respect for the guy.

Elect Jill Kelso - A fresh new voice in the State House

2008-10-28T04:25:00.001-04:00

Voters along the South Carolina coast have an opportunity to shake things up and send a great new voice to the State House by electing Republican Jill Kelso to House Seat 108, which covers the lower Grand Strand, the city of Georgetown, and much of northern Charleston County.

The incumbent, Democrat Vida Miller, has held the seat since 1997, appealing to crossover voters as a self-identified independent. Thus far, it has worked, but Kelso has worked hard and presented herself as a candidate whose affiliations and political philosophies are not in conflict. From what we've been told, she's made considerable headway in her candidacy.

Kelso has taken Miller to task for ignoring issues in the district, including being an absentee board member of a non-profit whose director had raided them for over five million dollars, and has campaigned hard on a platform based upon strong constituent outreach, supporting restructuring and challenging Columbia's pork barrel culture. While we see these as good things, the incumbent doesn't seem to think fixing the tax-and-spend culture that has created a state budget which roller coasters into disaster during every economic slowdown is that important.

When we talked with Kelso, she didn't take the conventional partisan tack, but rather talked about issues and ideas with an eye on solving problems, not scoring political points. That is just the kind of leadership our state needs.

We would never presume to call someone with Miller's record of community service unethical or corrupt because such charges wouldn't be true. But sooner or later, mistakes are made, and when that happens, it's time for a change.

The time for a change has come, and Jill Kelso has shown us she's up to the task of representing District 108, which is why we're endorsing her.

Keep Dean Fowler Treasurer - Florence County's fiscal watchdog

2008-10-28T04:10:00.003-04:00

Today, we couldn't help but notice our good friend Mike Reino actually beat us to the punch with something we were meaning to get around to writing when he endorsed Florence County Tresurer Dean Fowler for re-election.

While Mike captures what Fowler does at the local level, we'd like to take this to another level and tell you that Dean Fowler is recognized around the state as a go-to guy when it comes to running an efficient Treasurer's office with great customer service. That level of trust is an honor accorded to few people who hold such offices around the state.

But while many County Treasurers are content to sit back and collect taxes, that's not enough for Fowler, who has been a long-time critic of taxes and spending in local politics. He sees the real world impact taxes have upon Florence County residents, and he's not afraid to speak out to help protect them from excessive taxation.

Fowler's opponent was dismissed from his job as the Florence County Tax Assessor after an investigation turned up a wide range of problems with his office:

Florence County documents show there were numerous financial, legal and other concerns with former Tax Assessor Leval Williams who said charges during his grievance hearing were based on “misinterpretations and lies.”

The documents, released to the Morning News under a Freedom of Information request, also provided details of his grievance process which has upheld Williams’
dismissal.

Williams, now running for county treasurer, was fired March 14 from the tax assessor’s post.

- Documents detail concerns with former tax assessor, Florence Morning News, 10/25/08

Such allegations are troubling and Florence County voters can ill afford to take a chance on Williams. Especially when they have a strong incumbent in Fowler who knows the job and has done an outstanding job.

Doing your job well, and then going above and beyond the call of duty ia what real leadership is all about. That's what Florence County has in Dean Fowler, which is why Florence County voters should vote to give him another four years in office.

Re-elect Nikki Haley - A rising star and a leading reformer

2008-10-27T05:14:00.001-04:00

Several years ago, Nikki Haley arrived in the House with a big splash when she knocked off the senior House member to win her Lexington-area House seat. Since then, she’s continued to draw attention as she’s aggressively pushed a reform agenda and challenged the status quo in Columbia.

More than once, we’ve helped promote her current reform effort – requiring roll-call voting in the General Assembly. Since she came out for it, a wave of support has built up behind it so big it’s hard to see this issue not moving forward when the General Assembly returns in January. Once that mission is completed, we expect she’ll move onto another issue which has long been overlooked. Fixing problems is what she enjoys doing, which makes her extremely valuable in the State House.

Given the district’s strong lean and the fact that this district hasn’t been represented by a Democrat in over three decades, we’re a little puzzled as to why someone would want to challenge her in the fall. But it’s a free country, so her challenger has every right to run. But running for office doesn’t mean one should win. Voters have a proven workhorse and reformer in Nikki Haley, and they would be wise to send her back to the House to continue doing what she’s been doing – working for to make our state friendlier for business growth, as well as fighting for much-needed reforms in state government.

Keep Shannon Erickson working hard in the State House

2008-10-27T05:09:00.001-04:00

We’ve seen a lot of freshman hit the House with overly-high expectations, only to hit a brick wall when they realize how big a place the House can be. When Shannon Erickson hit the House last year, she didn’t let the task at hand discourage her, or buy into the school of thought that says freshman legislators are supposed to sit back, watch, and do little else.

We awarded her the Outstanding Freshman Representative award for this term because she has shown outstanding initiative and leadership. Combined with her tireless work ethic which has made her a successful businesswoman, Representative Erickson did something few legislators do in their first year – she pushed a bill through to the Governor’s desk. The Lauren Gentry Act was a real solution to a real problem in her district, as well as in schools across the state. Such vision and effectiveness in a first-year House member is rare indeed. If returned to the House, she’ll build on this record of hard work, smart legislative leadership, and solid attention to issues in her district to become a fast riser in the House.

Her opponent’s pending criminal charges of causing a disturbance at Ladys Island Elementary, in the heart of District 124, are concerning. While the charges haven’t gone to trial, we know that they haven’t been dropped either, which gives us reason to view his candidacy with some caution. To be honest, we’re curious as to why he’d even run for office with such charges unresolved. The voters of District 124 should ask him to bring some resolution to this case.

Representative Erickson has a record that clearly makes her the choice for the seat. We’ve seen amazing things from her, and if the voters of her District give her another term, we know they won’t be disappointed.

Re-elect Shane Massey – Fresh new leadership worth keeping

2008-10-27T04:49:00.001-04:00

Last year, in the special election fight to replace Democratic Senator Tommy Moore, few people expected Shane Massey to emerge from the pack, but he did, scoring an impressive landslide run-off win and then he prevailed in a tough fight against a veteran Democratic House member. We endorsed him in that race, recognized him as the Outstanding Freshman Senator from this four-year legislative term and he hasn’t disappointed us.

One of his first acts was to sponsor legislation to put an end to earmark spending in the state budget, a key campaign promise which he eagerly kept. He is also a hard worker back in his district, eagerly giving out the number to his cell phone, which he calls a “24-7 constituent service hotline”. With a passion to address big problems, as well as pay close attention to matters back home, Massey has a balanced perspective towards the job of being a Senator which has received considerable praise.

Senator Shane Massey has met and exceeded expectations for a freshman Senator, and has earned the respect of many both inside and outside of the Senate. He’s worked hard for his district, as well as the best interests of the state as a whole. These are all good reasons why voters would be wise to vote to keep him in the Senate.

Send Dee Compton to the State Senate

2008-10-27T04:46:00.000-04:00

The race to replace Senator John Drummond has been a close race since the spring, and two good candidates have offered for the seat: Republican Dee Compton, a member of Greenwood County Council, and Floyd Nicholson, the Mayor of Greenwood.

With a record of fiscal conservatism backed by no less than S.C. Association of Taxpayers President Don Weaver, Compton has consistently voted against raising County residential property taxes. Not only that, he worked to find ways to consolidate departments, implementing hiring freezes, and privatize those county services which could be done more for less by the private sector. In a rural area in which attracting new industry and jobs is a challenge and money can be tight in many households, this kind of fiscal responsibility is exactly what the District needs.

Compton brings a record of leadership in both Greenwood City and County, and his hard-working candidacy enjoys the support and respect of regional and statewide leaders. While the Democratic candidate has been a good citizen with a commendable record of service to the people of Greenwood, Compton's record and broad base of support from both citizens and community and political leaders makes the difference in this race.

Next week, we’re asking the residents of District Ten to trust Compton to be their next outstanding Senator. We believe he is best-qualified to get results for them in Columbia.

Keep Sabrina Gast – York County’s proven and hard-working Coroner

2008-10-27T04:40:00.001-04:00

We met Sabrina Gast last spring for the first time. As the Governor’s interim appointee to the job, she brought tremendous credentials, as well as respectability to an office which gone through considerable negative publicity.

We encouraged Governor Sanford to pick her for the job because of these outstanding qualifications, as well as her strong willingness to serve the people of her county with competence, professionalism, and compassion. Her qualifications, her record of service, and commitment to an often-thankless job have proven her appointment to be a wise choice. The voters of York County would make an equally wise choice by voting to keep her as their Coroner.

Re-elect Phil Lowe – A hard worker in the State House

2008-10-27T04:38:00.002-04:00

The race for House District 60 is likely to be a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish. But two years ago, when the seat was vacant and Phillip Lowe was running to replace retiring Rep. Marty Coates, we thought the same thing, but he proved us wrong when he scored a twenty-point win.

Usually there’s a reason a candidate pulls a blow-out victory in a tough race. We know why - Lowe's work ethic and willingness to focus on issues stands out.

In talking with his colleagues and getting to know him, we can see why he impressed the tough customers that are the voters of House District 60. In an era of well-packaged politicians, backed with slick and elaborately-spun messages, Lowe believes getting results requires hard work, instead of big talk or back-room deal-making. In his first two years in the House, he’s taken that outsider take on real-world leadership and put it to work for the Pee Dee in the State House.

In a district like this, there are a lot of people who like to take a long hard look at a candidate before they cast a ballot, which is commendable. We believe when they people of District 60 kick the tires and look under the hood to see what kind of Representative they presently have, they’ll find Lowe’s solid work ethic and willingness to see things through is worthy of their vote. If they want to keep a good thing going, they should send him back to the State House.

Vote for Marvin Rogers – The right voice for real change

2008-10-27T03:43:00.000-04:00

For a long time, York County’s legislative delegation has seen little change. Senators Gregory, Hayes, and Peeler, along with Representatives Delleney, Kirsh, and Simrill are all into their second or third decade of legislative service. The departure of Rock Hill State Representative Bessie Moody-Lawrence, who has held Seat 49 since 1992, has created a rare opportunity for York County to send a new face to Columbia. While replacing that much experience would seem to present a tough challenge for voters, the choice is easier than one might think.

Our choice for the seat is Republican Marvin Rogers, who will face John King, the Democratic nominee.

In a district which is almost evenly split between rural and suburban mostly-white areas and mostly-black urban areas, Rogers has worked to reach all voters with an inclusive political agenda based upon addressing common concerns about economic development, promoting the quality of life, and bringing the district’s diverse communities together. While representing such a broad constituency might make him a wild card in the House, a little political independence can be a good thing.

It’s important to note that King’s family is a long-time family in Chester County politics. He moved to the district several years ago after his political career stalled in his home county. We think the voters deserve someone who wants to serve the public, not someone who sees them as stepping stones on the path of ambition.

The differences between Rogers and King are clear – honest and inclusive vision over blind political ambition. Rogers is the honest choice, and that’s why we’re supporting him. We hope the voters of District 49 will join us in doing so.

Beyond Election Day 2008: Declaring a winner

2008-10-24T02:31:00.004-04:00

Regardless of who wins the White House next Tuesday night, the biggest winner of Election 2008 won’t be John McCain or Barack Obama, nor the party which controls Congress. The biggest winners of the 2008 election will be those whose pioneering efforts shifted political campaigning on the Internet from the fringes of American political culture into its mainstream.

In the 2004 elections, those who waged politics in the virtual world, such as Howard Dean and the blogger that debunked Dan Rather’s now-infamous Bush memo were like the Phil Sheridans and J.E.B. Stuart of the American Civil War - raiders who struck at the vulnerable flanks and rear of the battlefield, sometimes affecting the larger picture, sometimes not. This year, they are now among the Shermans and Stonewall Jacksons of the American political landscape – the leaders and orchestrators of powerful forces whose ranks and operations played key roles in the overall plans of the war.

We should not be surprised those who campaign via the Internet become the Grants and Lees of the 2010 and 2012 elections – the overall commanders of all the forces fighting for their cause. As with any profession, those who are successful at the lower levels – who often pioneer new tactics and approaches – ascend to the higher ranks. Someone who started as a blogger become a national campaign manager, or someone who started out organizing via MySpace or Facebook chair the DNC or RNC.

In his book “Being Digital”, penned in the mid-1990s, Nicholas Negroponte described the early years of the Internet explosion, in which he predicted that these changes were inevitable and that radical changes upon how people communicate were soon to come:

The change from atoms to bits is irrevocable … Why now? Because the change is also exponential - small differences of yesterday can have suddenly shocking consequences tomorrow.

The difference between the electronic world and traditional campaign methodologies is stark – television ads and direct mail pieces which take days to produce and distribute to audiences are losing their influence upon voters, as web-delivered content, which can be rolled out in a matter of hours, wields increasing amounts of influence. While television campaigns have gradually shrunk from minutes in length to thirty seconds or even less, web videos on campaign websites are often one to three minutes long. This suggests that voters who skim newspapers, toss the direct mail pieces after a cursory glane, and won’t sit still for a 60 second tv spot will go online and spend several minutes watching an online video or reading a blog posting. This shift represents a profound change in the landscape of political communication.

The other effects of political activity on the Internet have also matured: the ability to recruit, organize and rally supporters of candidates, serve as primary sources of fundraising, and to influence the agendas of both traditional and new media outlets. It’s now difficult to imagine how today’s political candidates for offices higher than county dogcatcher can wage successful campaigns without incorporating internet tactics and tools into their campaigns.

In looking at the South Carolina political landscape, few will likely remember when yours truly authored the now-forgotten Evacuate Hodges website. While that website represented something new to South Carolina politics in its time – the use of the internet as a primary source of information dissemination – blogs, aggregator websites, comment sections in the web-posted new stories of traditional media websites are now commonplace, wielding considerable influences upon electioneering and public policy in South Carolina.

When you think about it, this rapid evolution and growth of influence sounds a lot like the changes Negroponte predicted. Today, Palmetto State politicians, strategists, lobbyists, and interest group leaders routinely seek the support of online political activists, and seldom a day goes by without some traditional news media outlet quoting (often without due credit) some website author or blogger.

The consequences of these changes are not just important for our own nation. American political tactics and strategies have both direct involvement and indirect influences upon campaigns waged in many of the world’s democracies, as what is proven effective in American campaigns is quickly exported elsewhere to win elections. Those who change how campaigns are waged here will end up influencing how democracy is practiced on a global scale.

Whether you’re talking about South Carolina, or the national political scene, this is the year the change from atoms to bits produced fundamental changes upon how we campaign for public office, as well as how we govern. These profound and lasting effects which will reach farther and last longer than the tenure of the next President. While John McCain or Barack Obama may shape the course of a nation, netroots culture will shape the future of democratic governance on a global scale. In doing so, those who have moved internet-based politics from the fringes to the mainstream have won the greatest victory of the 2008 elections.

Beyond Election Day 2008: A tough act to follow

2008-10-23T02:17:00.002-04:00

In modern times, same-party Presidential succession has been a difficult task. Since FDR, no American President has succeeded a President of his party and went on to serve two full terms.

While Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and George Bush were able to follow Presidents of their own party, all of them struggled in their administrations: after ascending to the White House after the death of FDR, Truman barely won election for his full term, Johnson was soon mired in Vietnam and dropped out of the 1968 election, Ford lost his bid for a full term, and Bush struggled through a wildly-swinging ’88 campaign, only to lose re-election. Adalai Stevenson, Richard Nixon (1960), Herbert Humphrey, and Al Gore all lost their efforts to keep the White House in the hands of their party.

That’s not a very good record, but there’s may be a good reason. In his book “Tides of Consent: How Public Opinion Shapes American Politics”, James A. Stimson looks at American attitudes on issues, as indicated by research data obtained from decades of American voter opinion surveys. His findings show a clear cyclical pattern in the mindsets of the American public, showing a

Based upon overall identification on issues, his research indicated that voters shifted towards the left on positions by just under 15% during the Eisenhower administration, 12% during the Reagan-Bush tenure, and towards the right by about 8% during the Clinton years. While it suggests voter opinions shift gradually under GOP administrations, they shift more quickly under Democratic administrations – which might help to explain the electoral romps of the GOP in the 1978 and 1994 elections, both presidential first mid-terms.

In looking at the average of polling data on public support for spending for education, health care, urban programs, and welfare programs, as well as increased taxes, voter support for these positions dropped to an average in the low 40s in the latter days of the Carter administration, then peaked near sixty percent when Clinton took office, only to shift back below the fifty percent mark at the end of the Clinton administration.

Stimson’s findings point out a major reason for these shifts: when a Presidential administration acts on an issue, voter opinions on that issue begin to shift away from that position. Stimson provides plenty of data to back up this position. We can see wide swings over a number of issues, typically shifting only when the party in the White House changes or significant actions like the 1982 tax cuts or 1996 welfare reform take place. Typically once an action is taken to address an issue where voter support has soured, or an administration has been seated which promises action on those issues, voters feel less averse to that issue.

While the Bush administration was often not very conservative, it was perceived as that. Domestic spending, long a concern of fiscal conservatives, skyrocketed, swelling the national debt and annual deficits and souring voters on the GOP brand name. But Stimson's data shows the same shift away from the Presidential party post-Watergate for Republicans and during the Carter and Clinton years for Democrats.

Those who argue the best thing for the GOP would be for McCain to lose may be right. The GOP quickly recovered from the post-Watergate years thanks to Carter’s blunders, but its party ranks withered and it lost considerable ground between the second Reagan mid-term and the election of Bill Clinton. If McCain pulls off a small win, a battered GOP may not be of much help to him, or be able to regain ground lost in recent years.

However, there is not a single Democratic President since FDR whose administrations went smoothly – Truman lost Congress and struggled to resolve the Korean War, JFK dealt with the Bay of Pigs, a growing Vietnam War and divides in his party over civil rights, Johnson with Vietnam, civil rights and widespread urban violence, Carter with foreign and energy policies and a massive recession, Clinton with his bungled first two years and the Monica Lewinsky affair. This doesn’t bode well for an Obama administration. Not only that, but history usually dictates that a party’s upswing will not last for long – typically two election cycles before stagnation sets in or the course reverses itself.

This should give both candidates, and their parties, much to think about and watch out for over the next two and four years.