If there’s a Democrat in this state that is actually optimistic about the party’s chances in Congressional elections, they’re probably on drugs. Wednesday, the Democratic contender against U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, pulled out of the race unexpectedly. We thought Chad McGowan was going to go all the way as the sacrificial donkey, but he made the right decision.

In a statement released during the afternoon, he said:

I’ve come to the conclusion that now is the wrong time for me to mount a successful campaign for the United States Senate. The demands of a young family place a premium on every minute. There is nothing more important to me than my wife and three small children. In order to fulfill my duties as a husband and a father, I’ll be leaving the race for United States Senate effective immediately. A few years from now, the kids will be older and in a phase of life that can tolerate the demands of a successful run. In the meantime, I’d like to thank my supporters for standing tall with me thus far, but ask that they understand that my kids come first and they need me at home. I am still very much committed to the cause of fixing our broken political system, and will be fighting from the sidelines to defeat Jim DeMint and others who think South Carolina’s best days are behind us.

We thought McGowan never had a chance. Success for him, in our book, would be getting the spread under 10 points, and even that was unlikely. As of the last disclosures, he had about $91,000 in the bank, compared to DeMint’s $3 million-plus. Facing a 33-1 money disadvantage and running against a popular Republican in a conservative state in a Republican cycle all added up to epic failure.

If we were McGowan, we’d sit out this cycle, too.

The past week has seen some interesting polls put into the field, one by the Republican-leaning Rasmussen and one by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. Depending on who you believe and what you believe, you’ll come out from looking at the polls with your own idea about South Carolina’s U.S. senators.

The Rasmussen poll took a look at the dichotomy between U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham. For almost five years, it’s been pretty clear that the Palmetto State’s representatives in the nation’s most deliberative body are fairly different fellows. You can explain it this way and that, but it comes down to this: DeMint won’t compromise with Democrats. Graham will. Everything beyond that is spin for whichever side you support.

According to the poll, which has a 4.5 percent margin of error and a sample of 500 people, 38 percent want the S.C. Republican Party to be more like DeMint. About 32 percent want it to be more like Graham. The balance doesn’t know or doesn’t care. The favorability/unfavorability ratings for both men are about the same — which is to say, they’re both a little more than 60/30 positive, with the difference between the senators being within the margin of error.

According to Real Clear Politics, that looks good for DeMint keeping his seat in next year’s election.

DeMint’s favorable rating in this survey is 63 percent, while 25 percent have an unfavorable view. That number is certainly in the range where incumbents can be considered safe.

But hey, PPP is giving Democrats some hope. That poll had a margin of error of 4.1 percent and a sample size of 570 people. The rub here is that President Barack Obama, DeMint and Graham are all below 50 percent approval (O: 46, D: 44, G: 43). The real difference is that Obama’s negatives are pegged at 49 while the GOP senators have much lower negative ratings (D: 29, G: 35). Also, support for the Democratic health care plan is just getting hammered here, 53-35 against.

Democrats looking for a positive outlook could play up the 47-38 advantage DeMint has over a generic Democratic opponent. That gets donkey types breaking out their “The Candidate” DVDs to analyze the McKay-Jarmon race. We’re still extremely suspect of any chance a Democrat has of defeating DeMint next year. The “generic Democrat” number is bolstered because Democrats really don’t like DeMint, and there’s an anti-incumbency vibe going down (like ‘92, ‘94, ‘06 and ‘08).

Unless there’s a seriously game-changing event in this race, we’re still putting the over/under at DeMint by 10.

The elections to the U.S. Senate of Lindsey Graham in 2002 and Jim DeMint in 2004 sent men with decidedly different styles and base constituencies to Washington. Graham, his power play as a House manager in President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial notwithstanding, has an m.o. for working across party lines and drawing support from moderates. DeMint has a reputation as a standard-bearer for activist conservatives.

The foundation has been laid for tension, and Graham’s consultants’ blog, The Palmetto Scoop, went after DeMint in comments on a post about Graham’s support, or lack thereof, of cap-and-trade legislation.

Ouch. Does Graham approve of this? And if so, what does it say about the current state of relations between South Carolina’s senators? Also, there could be spillover into next year’s state elections. You would think that Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster’s people wouldn’t be looking to rip into and freeze out the guy who will be at the top of the GOP ticket, and someone who’s pretty popular with the type of Republican voters who show up for the primaries.

We’re pretty skeptical of any Democrat who thinks they can knock off U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint — if former Supt. of Ed. Inez Tenenbaum couldn’t do it with an open seat, battling incumbency with a bare cabinet of Democratic candidates looks like a fool’s errand. But, as we’ve been watching the build-up, Rock Hill attorney Chad McGowan appears to be the odds-on favorite to win the nomination and challenge DeMint in November 2010.

McGowan officially kicked off his campaign today, saying in a statement, “Right now, we have a government of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists and for the lobbyists. It’s time to put middle class families first. In the last 10 years, our national debt has doubled to nearly 12 trillion dollars. It keeps going up no matter which party is in charge. It’s wrong. And if we don’t stop it, this debt is going to wreck our great country.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. DeMint and McGowan are against deficit spending. They’re both for gun rights. They’re against the bailouts (or so it seems from McGowan’s statement). Hm.

McGowan said he was registered as a Republican in North Carolina before he moved to South Carolina in 2003, where party identification is not required, and said he has voted for a mix of Republicans and Democrats over the years. “I have always tended towards the person and not the party,” he said. “I’ve never voted straight party in anything.”

He told CNN he cast his ballot for Republican Lindsey Graham in 2008 and even chose to vote in the state’s GOP presidential primary last January instead of the Democratic contest. He voted for John McCain in that primary, he said, because he was the “least objectionable” Republican, and he viewed a vote for McCain as “a hedge against extremists that I saw at the time” seeking for the GOP nomination. But McGowan voted in favor of Barack Obama last November, and for John Kerry in 2004.

We’ve got a few questions about the support of Kerry, but we don’t have enough information to answer those questions. Frankly, the more we’ve looked into the matter, the more it’s seemed that McGowan is a Republican looking for an easy primary to win than a Democrat genuinely seeking the nomination. Granted, we don’t believe in DINOs or RINOs, but we do believe in opportunism. Of course, maybe we’re just cynical like that.

Slate’s irregular indulgence in graphic design and whimsy known as “Barack Obama’s Facebook Feed” is one of the best parts of the weekend. The online magazine’s Christopher Beam and Chris Wilson manage to distill recent political happenings into a hysterical political satire in the style of your average Facebook news feed, without all the posts about FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

The entry from Aug. 21 was another out-of-the-park effort, including bits like the jokes on the continuing misadventures of Vice President Joe Biden.

Of course, the health care debate figured prominently, since President Barack Obama seems hell-bent on recreating former President Bill Clinton’s first term. Even U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint’s tweets came in for a feature.

In case that was too Dennis Miller-esque for you, the Siege of Petropavlovsk (which you should never have heard of) occurred in the Pacific theater of the Crimean War in the 1850s. That naval and land battle was a smashing victory for the Russians, who inflicted five times as many casualties as they received against the British and the French. It was also full of gray areas: when his ship opened up its cannons on the town, British Admiral David Price shot himself. And, a while after repulsing the allied forces, the Russians ended up evacuating the garrison at Petropavlovsk during the winter. This has been your obscure history lesson for the day.

So, yeah — Slate’s got jokes.

The cheese, and Gov. Mark Sanford, stands alone. Wednesday brought more statements from S.C. Republicans, with the sentiment going from obliquely asking him to resign to outright demanding it. According to a top state Republican in Politico, “His support has collapsed. … He was made aware that his support is getting to be dang-near nonexistent.”

That response was in reference to phone calls to Sanford made by U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham, and U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett. DeMint made an appearance on “Fox & Friends” this morning, saying that the Governor should “make the right decision about what needs to be done,” but didn’t want to elaborate beyond that. If DeMint stepped away from Sanford, which is what it looks like, it would be a body blow to to the Governor’s credibility. Both largely share the same policy positions and political constituencies. DeMint is quoted in South Carolina Radio News all but advocating for Sanford to go.

“I’m concerned that he’s no longer in a position to lead the state,” DeMint said. “A number of us are talking to him quietly and we hope it can be resolved.”

State Republican Party chair Karen Floyd echoed the sentiment, saying, “For the past two days, I have been speaking with Republican leaders across South Carolina. There is clearly a growing view that the time may have come for Governor Sanford to remove himself and his family from the limelight, so that he can devote his efforts full-time to repairing the damage in his personal life.”

Rep. Dan Hamilton went a step further, encouraging Sanford to take a serious look at leaving office and letting the state move on from the mess he’s taken from his private life and put in the public eye.

“Unfortunately, in light of recent less than candid and contradictory statements, it has become clear that Gov. Sanford has lost the ability to effectively govern at this time,” he said. “I regretfully ask the Governor to consider resigning his position and take the time to focus on his personal well being and his responsibility as a husband and father. The job of Governor is temporary in nature and can be passed on to other people. The role of husband and father is permanent and cannot be done by anyone else.”

Rep. Nikki Haley, who is seen as Sanford’s heir in her run for governor, broke her week-long silence by saying, “What we do need to hear from the governor is an explanation as to how he can lead our state going forward. He has a responsibility to outline what he wants to accomplish over the next 18 months and how he intends to accomplish it. I remain willing to listen to that case, but if he cannot make it convincingly, then he must move on.”

And, it seems that Sanford has totally lost the Republicans in the Senate. Last night, a number of powerful GOP senators signed a letter asking the Governor to resign. As the hours have moved on, four more Republican senators (Sens. Danny Verdin, Ronnie Cromer, Shane Martin and Wes Hayes) have come out publicly for resignation, representing over half of the caucus. Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, highest-ranking senator, has come just short of advocating Sanford’s resignation, instead leading with the fact that the Governor has lost any support he once had.

“Neither I nor my colleagues in the General Assembly can require that the Governor resign,” McConnell said in a statement. “That decision is his alone. I do believe, however, that the Governor has lost the support of the people that is needed to govern. Therefore, I would ask the Governor to look in his heart and decide whether with his family situation and the public uproar over what he has done and said locally and nationally whether he can lead our state for the remainder of his term.”

Now, even Sanford pal and former chief of staff, Sen. Tom Davis, put out a statement saying that he has yet to make up his mind on the matter. When you can’t even get your boy to back you up, it’s probably time to pack it up and hit the dusty trail.

Sen. Brad Hutto, in his third term from District 40, is considering taking on U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint next year. The Orangeburg Democrat said in The Post & Courier that he will make a final decision around Labor Day.

“A lot of people have asked me about that, and I have responded to them that I would consider that,” he said. “I’ve been in the process of talking to people about that, but I haven’t made any decisions yet.”

According to the latest disclosure report, Hutto has $71,712.90 on hand. That total is massively dwarfed by DeMint’s war chest, which tops $2 million. If he makes it past the unknown Mike Ruckes of Summerville, Hutto would need more than one miracle to even pull close on money and votes. In 2004, DeMint beat the best statewide Democratic candidate in some time, former Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, by almost 10 percent.

Last cycle, state Democrats failed to recruit a solid candidate to take on U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in what will probably be Graham’s most vulnerable election, in a major Democratic year. If the SCDP couldn’t do it in 2008, it’s highly unlikely that Hutto, or any other Democrat, could pull the money and ground game needed to unseat DeMint next year. After all, South Carolina is a state populated by base Republicans, and DeMint is beloved by the GOP base.

Hutto would be better served by staying put in the Senate and letting someone else take the slings and arrows of that campaign. It’s better to never have run and maintain your dignity than to slog out a statewide effort and lose 2-1.

In an unusual change from the norm, a powerful Democratic entity, in this case, the Democratic National Committee, came into South Carolina and got state Republicans to do something different — ally with each other.

By putting a picture of Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell on its ad, perhaps the DNC did not know what sort of hornet’s nest it stirred up. But, for anyone around here who saw the ad, it was only a matter of time until the DNC got a response.

“I did not give the DNC permission to use my picture, and I am requesting that they remove my picture from their political attack commercial immediately,” Harrell said in a statement. “Just weeks ago, the S.C. Democratic Party was sending out press releases condemning me and other S.C. Republican leaders for our criticisms of the irresponsible spending included in the so-called stimulus bill passed by Congress. These inconsistent actions should show the public the steps Democrats are willing to take in order to protect their pork projects included in this spending package.”

And, the Republicans in the Senate weighed in, as well. On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler responded to the ad, also.

“Washington liberals are exploding our budgets, growing government by leaps and bounds, and putting us even more in debt to nations like China,” he said in a statement. “Now they are attacking anyone with an opposing idea. We may have our disagreements as Republicans, but we won’t take having extreme liberals telling us what’s best for S.C. taxpayers. Maybe they should spend less time attacking our Governor and more time explaining how we are going to pay down all this debt they’re creating.”

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint also gave his two cents.

“After years of losing elections here, the DNC should know better than anyone that spending lots of money to try and brainwash SC voters with misleading ads will not work,” DeMint said in a statement. “South Carolinians are worried about the economy and their jobs but they have little faith in Nancy Pelosi’s desire to spend our way back to economic success. Instead of wasting George Soros’ fortune bashing conservatives like Mark Sanford who are right to question further deficit spending, maybe the DNC should focus on some other state where they have more friends.”

And, lastly, Gov. Mark Sanford fired back.

“My opposition to the stimulus bill,” he said in a statement, “was based on the merits as I saw them and has been well-chronicled, but rather than engaging our administration in that debate, Obama’s Democratic National Committee instead chose to launch a political attack ad against us for not supporting the stimulus plan exactly as the Obama administration saw fit. What may fit in one state may not fit in another, and accordingly I think tailoring stimulus responses makes sense.”

So, if to prove what may be possible, nothing organizes S.C. Republicans quite like a Democrat.

In what amounts to the next bombshell move in the race for S.C. Republican Party chairman, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint is personally calling up party activists on behalf of SCGOP chairman candidate Kevin Hall.

According to a source close to Wolfe Reports, DeMint just started whipping votes for Hall recently, following up on the endorsement letter he and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham sent out in the second week of February.

“It’s not unusual for an elected official to endorse another candidate,” the source said. “But for a U.S. senator to put in the time to personally call activists urging them to support Kevin Hall for state party chair, well, that’s a big deal and it illustrates how badly DeMint wants Hall running the party during his 2010 reelection campaign.”

Other currently announced candidates are former Superintendent of Education candidate Karen Floyd and Spartanburg County Republican Party chairman Rick Beltram.

According to a widely-circulated letter that was leaked today, U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham have endorsed Columbia attorney Kevin Hall for chairman of the S.C. Republican Party. The move is a bombshell of sorts in the race, coming at the same time RNC committeeman Glenn McCall announced that he had no intention of running for the post.

“Throughout all of his service, he never made a dime from the campaigns he’s helped,” the letter read. “He does it because he is a true believer in our party and in the conservative cause. He does it because he understands that if we’re going to reclaim our credibility as Republicans, we must recruit and support candidates who will be true to our ideals and principles.

“Kevin’s philosophy of volunteerism is exactly what built our Party’s grassroots organization. Who better to recruit and organize new volunteers for our party than someone who has volunteered so much of his own time and talent.”

The endorsements put the momentum firmly behind Hall, who is up against Spartanburg County GOP chairman Rick Beltram. Though McCall has taken himself out of the running, others may still jump in. According to SCHotline, Karen Floyd is seriously considering a run and could make her decision within days.

Sunday night, Jeffrey Sewell started up a Facebook group to back Floyd, “Karen K. Floyd,” to draft the former Superintendent of Education nominee to lead the party.

As of Monday afternoon, however, the group seemed to have disappeared from the social networking site.

A new chairman will be chosen at the party meeting in May.