Welcome to ‘So, You Want a New Governor’

A lot of us out there, Republicans, Democrats, independents, anarcho-syndicalists — we’d be pretty happy if Gov. Mark Sanford was shanghaied to the Arctic Circle, where the only thing he could bother would be the ice. Right now, that’s not looking very viable. But, what happens if Sanford comes to his senses and steps down as governor?

A mess, that’s what.

First, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer moves on up to the political deluxe apartment in the sky, serving as caretaker or getting a jump on taking over the office, whichever will work at the time. If the South Carolina constitution was like the national document, Bauer would be able to appoint a new lieutenant governor. However, like most things in the Palmetto State, it isn’t that easy. Indeed, the chain of governance would mandate that Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell take over the No. 2 spot. Hence the rub.

“Right now the prevalent thinking in the legal circles is that if something like that were to happen, I could refuse it,” McConnell said to The Post & Courier.

Naturally. Why would McConnell, arguable the most powerful senator, with no term limits, want to take a largely toothless job like lieutenant governor? He wouldn’t. Fortunately for the Charleston Republican, there’s precedent. In 1965, when Gov. Donald Russell resigned to fill South Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, Lt. Gov. Bob McNair took over. But, since the Senate President Pro Tempore wanted no part of being SC2, the position was vacant until the next inauguration.

Could that be possible? No. Since the General Assembly decided to give the lieutenant governor something to do by sticking the Office on Aging there, somebody will need to be tasked with taking care of the agency. Back to square one.

Even the senators aren’t sure what to do. But, for what it is worth, the legislative session doesn’t start up again until January 2010, and if Sanford is hounded out of office, it will be sometime fairly soon.