Back during the Republican gubernatorial primary campaign, after one of the many debates someone asked us if we watched. Internal response was, “Why the fuck would we?” External response was, “No.” It might have had a little bit to do with the candidates, but a whole lot to do with the office and level of political polishing. For most debates for higher office, they’re totally stone-cold boring and contain no new information. Just a competition to see who could most artfully chop up their stump speeches into timed segments. So let’s kill the debates.
Most of the presidential debates, and they began in the summer of 2007 for chrissakes, were just exercises in waiting for the freak candidate to say something weird or drinking games for people who find it hard to get obliterated without rules and points. In races with a lot of people, many candidates say very little and even less of actual import. They would be better served with covering themselves with bumper stickers and turning about for the cameras.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vince Sheheen decided to a new twist on an exceptionally old trick — did the staff get high and approve this? — by challenging GOP nominee Nikki Haley to fucking Lincoln-Douglas debates. A whole mess of ‘em! And stories were written far and wide. This comprises the vast majority of all action regarding debates. Candidate A proposes something a little out of the ordinary. Candidate B says bah to that. Then so many news stories. It’s just a method to generate news coverage. As a result, most of the people who actually give a damn are those who are directly involved, and nobody else cares.
In that way, more than 90 percent of all political debates between candidates are little different than the presidential nominating conventions. No, they’re actually very much worse. Conventions have political memorabilia to buy, the occasional famous person sighting, entertainment by famous people (this applies mostly to Democrats, or to your definition of “famous”) and those wonderful hospitality parties thrown by big corporations and special interests that have the open bars and free food. Debates, even high-level debates, don’t come close. The best swag you’ll bring home is a press pass bought off some writer at the hotel bar. And about 90 minutes of sheer boredom.
Lower ballot race debates could be worthwhile, but if you’ve had to sit through multiple city council debates or watched State House candidates go at it in some back room in BFE with 11 people attending, you’d agree that the news value is negligible. Columbia would be better served by having the city candidates debate in front of the Metro desk reporters and save everyone else the trouble.
But here’s the connection between the debates and the conventions: as former DNC chairman Don Fowler taught us at Carolina, conventions never help a campaign and if they have effect, it’s bad. Fowler pointed to RNC ’92 in Houston and his own DNC ’88 in Atlanta as examples. The same goes for the debates. They’re only particularly newsworthy and have an effect on the campaign if somebody seriously fucks up, as in George H.W. Bush in ’92 in Richmond (looking at his watch) or Al Gore in 2000 (le sigh).
Discussions, like among the Pub Politics crew or the fabulous C-SPAN broadcast of William F. Buckley and George McGovern from several years ago are different matters altogether. People sitting down with different points of view and talking about them can elicit interesting commentary and analysis. And jokes that aren’t pre-scripted. Operatives, former pols, reporters who are allowed an opinion — Lee Bandy at the Dan Rather thing in ’08 was great — these are people close enough to the action to really know what’s going down, but removed enough to actually say something worth listening to.
But these candidate debates, they’re moribund, they’re out cold. It’s toe-tag time.
Rep. Nikki Haley‘s release of her legislative emails on Friday was disappointing on several different fronts. From what we know about legislators and their emailing habits, most, if not all, are extremely careful about doing nothing but official business through their legislative accounts. Despite the special exception the General Assembly has given itself in regard to releasing said emails, there can be a strong case made in the court of public opinion to have such emails released if it’s deemed to be in the public interest. Across the country, most other communication media owned by the government and used by government officials and staff are up for public examination. Just ask Houston Nutt about the incident coming from extensive text messaging from a University of Arkansas-owned cell phone.
And with Haley, the intersection of her transparency crusade and two very believable allegations of sexual indiscretions obviously led to a request for emails from her legislative account, exceptions be damned. But Haley bollixed it up from Day One, especially with Democratic nominee Vince Sheheen releasing so much information that about the only thing he didn’t do was invite the public to view a live colonoscopy. When you’re marketing yourself as Ms. Transparency, getting positively owned by your opponent on exactly that issue doesn’t look so good (not that it’ll matter in the long run to voters, who are giving her a break on everything). So, after relentless pounding on the issue, she finally gives in. Sort of.
Reporters could view the emails, but — NO COPIES! NO CAMERAS! Lordy. For an account that one wouldn’t expect to have much, anyway, the campaign’s straight-up paranoia is telling. It also gives a feel of the amateur. In effect, the campaign was saying, “Here, we’re going to do the least possible to get you off our ass and quit looking into this.” Not exactly what you’d expect from the transparency candidate.
We know that if you’re going to do something as an official, you do it from your personal account. This is something even the general public realized after the brouhaha surrounding Gov. Mark Sanford last year. If someone really wants to know what’s been going down, they need to get into Haley’s Yahoo! account. Otherwise, this is all academic.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vince Sheheen brought on a new member to his campaign, hiring former Jim Hodges campaign manager Tim Shock. According to Sheheen head man Trav Robertson, the campaign has been staffing up since the end of the primary campaign. It never hurts to bring on someone who got a Democrat elected statewide not named Tenenbaum or Rex.
State and national Democrats are increasingly confident about Sheheen’s chances. The state Senator has courted the business community while also working to exploit a rift between Haley and establishment Republicans anxious about her fiscally conservative agenda.
A national Democratic official told CNN that Shock will bring an air of seriousness to the campaign.
“He’s an old horse but really knows his way around campaigns,” the official said. “He isn’t too flashy but will ensure Sheheen has a professional and structurally solid campaign.”
Democrats familiar with the race insisted that the hiring was not a campaign shake-up, but simply an effort to staff up ahead of a competitive race.
We’re a little disappointed with the reaction from Rep. Nikki Haley‘s campaign, saying a career politician hired a career political insider. Would it then be preferred to have a candidate with no experience hiring a high-level staffer with no experience? Would that work in any other sector in the world? “Yes, certainly — this main over here has never dealt with running a major steel company, but he did do well as a low-level manager. Kick that gentleman upstairs, and make this intern his vice president of operations.”
Guys, you can do a little better in your PR operation. The stock responses have to come out well-formulated and better organized. Can’t keep throwing that cheese as we get closer to November.
When you have a campaign that can ill-afford to have any bad news — like, say, a Democratic gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina — there’s little room for mistakes. And if you’re a staffer on that campaign, the leash is going to be very short. On June 16, Democratic nominee Vince Sheheen‘s new media director Laurin Manning was taken in by the Darlington County authorities for DUI. But it took until today for it to make news that she’s been sent packing.
According to a story by the Associated Press, Manning’s “contract has been terminated,” per Sheheen campaign manager Trav Robertson. We doubt this will make any impact in the long run, but as we said, it goes to show that you’ve got to be careful out there, boys and girls. Just ask Mr. Larry. Also, it said that she’s not responding to the AP’s request for comment about the incident. Come on. The second you get pulled for DUI while working on a campaign, it might be a good idea to have an apology and talking points at the ready.
On Primary Day, everyone saw that this year, money didn’t matter. Neither did being more knowledgeable about the issues, having better ideas, or more experience in getting things done. For a lot of voters, it came down to, “You’re not that person.” Naturally, that’s not exactly the best way to elect someone, but the voting public as a whole has never been very wise in how it makes decisions.
For most elections, money in the bank is like an early return. If people and organizations are willing to part with money to further a campaign, that’s seen by some as even more of a personal stake in a campaign than a vote. After all, it stands to reason that if you give a decent amount of cash, you’re even that more motivated to head to the polls. Again, that isn’t the case this time. As reported Thursday and reiterated Sunday by The State, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett out-rose Rep. Nikki Haley between the primary and Thursday, in their race to capture the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
Barrett sports $299,225, with Haley at $224,271, and the story doesn’t even mention spending, in which Barrett should be far and away ahead because of his distinct dollar advantage going into June. And it doesn’t matter. The same people who closed their eyes and shot into the dark will likely return to the polls tomorrow and give Haley the nomination. This is despite the fact that most South Carolinians don’t want Sanford 2.0, which is what Haley is, in spades. When the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and business leaders across the state are turning hard against a GOP candidate, that should tell you something.
Even though Haley’s fundraising operation has been godawful since its very inception, it’ll take off after the runoff simply because she’s the Republican nominee. Then, Democratic nominee Vince Sheheen will be the person with the small stack. And that’ll leave a lot of right-thinking Republicans in a quandary. Do they vote for Sheheen? After all, even with the recent détente between Gov. Mark Sanford and the GOP leadership in the General Assembly, a Haley administration would be a return to the bad old days of an intransigent ideologue in the Governor’s Mansion, who won’t make the necessary compromises that are needed to make needed changes for our state.
There is a precedent. A lot of Republicans voted for Jim Hodges after David Beasley’s misbegotten term. Unfortunately, when given the chance to pick the right guy in 2002, they dropped the ball. Second chances do abound. Give Sheheen a term, beat him up for four years, then find a strong candidate to run against him in 2014. Either way, a Democrat will win. It’s this cycle or the next one. Because four years of Haley is going to go down like a lead zeppelin.
It might be a better idea for Sheheen to take over this time, because greenbacks will probably matter a lot more in 2014.
We get a lot of weird emails over here, and this is the fruit of one of the weirdest, and most entertaining. Behold, the rhyme of the S.C. primary.
“We Got a Primary”
Jim Clyburn robo-callin’ me all day like a stalker ex
Vinny Sheheen sayin’ ain’t no runoff with Jim Rex
Kelly Payne damn changin’ the game for ed
Joe Wilson all “You lie” — oh, no, that’s what Haley said
What, what — it’s the primary down here in S.C.
What, what, got CNN, Chuck Todd, MSNBC
What, what, got Jakie Knotts, two more shots, burning crosses in Santee
What, what, know Wes Wolfe can only vote absentee
Callin’ all you Tea Party yellow coiled snake flag wavers
McMaster clowns got Will Folks doin’ Andre Bauer favors
Got emails, videos, private eyes out takin’ pictures
Bill Connor goin’ all “Too much of this” on Larry Richter
Everybody tweetin’ “Where the party at tomorrow evenin’?”
Bauer got a bus full of young chicks, cross the state line he leavin’
What, what it’s the primary down in Succa-lina
What, what, got national politicos sayin’ “Mmmmmm, nothin’ fine-uh”
What, what, got Gina Smith and her homeboy John O’Connah
What, what, got a primary down in Succa-lina
What, what, got a primary down in Succa-line
There’s a couple things we’ve never understood about Supt. of Ed. Jim Rex’s finance operation. One was how bad it’s been, and when it was doing decently, how fast that money went out the door. So, when it came down to the final 15 days of the primary race (though there will likely be a runoff), Sen. Robert Ford — Ford — had more dollars to spend. Insane.
VINCE SHEHEEN
Contributions: $145,297.77
(Personal funds: $3,000)
(In-kind: $1,371.97)
Expenditures: $638,237.19
Cash on hand: $307,250.28
Significant contributions
Stephen Wukela, $1,000
Florence mayor
David Adams, $100
Richland County treasurer
Kathryn Fenner, $100
Writer
Tyler Jones, $100
Consultant
Blue Cross Blue Shield of S.C., $1,500
Insurance company
John Palms, $500
Former USC president
Todd Avant, $250
Developer
Southern Wine & Spirits of S.C., $500
Beverage company
Charles Way Jr., $1,000
Former state secretary of commerce
Significant expenditures
BANCO/Bannister (ads), $80,000, $2,907, $50,000, $2,526.71, $2,733.03, $2,903.88, $3,123.31
Mack/Crounse Group (ads), $43,833.10, $871.85, $20,824.58, $23,391.19, $23,015.96, $2,000
S.C. Black Media Group (ads), $4,300
Buying Time (ads), $250,000
Hayden Blanton & Associates (consulting), $5,000, $4,343.04, $5,000
Global Strategy Group (consulting), $40,000
JIM REX
Contributions: $51,072
(In-kind: $542)
Expenditures: $134,093.51
Cash on hand: $30,199.36
Significant contributions
Oscar Lovelace, $500
Former candidate for governor
Dick Riley, $1,000
Former governor
Barbara Rackes, $250
Consultant
Significant expenditure
ZekeStokes LLC (consulting), $2,000×2, $1,000×3, $822.53, $2,500
S.C. Black Media Group (ads), $4,300
Integrated Strategy (consulting), $5,000, $4,135
Strategic B&P (consulting), $2,000
The Rackes Group (Web consulting), $5,000, $2,000
Engage Strategies (consulting), $500
Zata3 Consulting (robo calls), $150, $3,385
Hirshberg Strategies (consulting), $18,000
Hamilton Campaigns (consulting), $4,125
ROBERT FORD
Contributions: $32,750
(Personal funds: $12,000)
Expenditures: $7,436.37
Cash on hand: $78,266.41
Significant contributions
Blue Cross Blue Shield of S.C., $2,500
Insurance company
Significant expenditures
None.
With the departures of Mullins McLeod and Dwight Drake from the Democratic race for governor, Sen. Vince Sheheen is tightening his grip on the nomination. Supt. of Ed. Jim Rex’s report hasn’t been posted yet, but considering his past fundraising troubles, it’s doubtful he’s going to top Sheheen’s haul. The reason for McLeod’s heavy expenditures is that he refunded a lot of contributions.
VINCE SHEHEEN
Contributions: $258,261.98
Expenditures: $201,101
Cash on hand: $800,189.62
Significant contributions
Popowski, Callas and Shirley, $2,000
Law firm
Marshall Meadors, $1,000
Former state Senate candidate
Wilbur Smith Associates, $1,000
Developer
Robert Royall, $1,000
Former director of S.C. Department of Commerce
Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough PAC, $3,500
Law firm
Joel Lourie, $250
State senator
Andrew Safran, $750
Attorney
Boyd Summers, $100, $150
Chairman, Richland County Democratic Party
John Land, $1,000
State Senate minority leader
Chad McGowan for Senate, $600×2
Campaign committee
Sheraton Downtown Columbia Hotel, $1,145
Hotel
Dick Harpootlian, $3,500
Former S.C. Democratic Party chairman
George Sink Injury Lawyers, $2,000
Law firm
Alex Sanders, $1,000
Former U.S. Senate candidate
Law Offices of J. Todd Rutherford, $200
Law firm of a state representative
A Fund for a Better South Carolina, $1,000
Group by House Minority Leader Harry Ott
Harry Ott, $500
State representative
Lachlan McIntosh, $100
Consultant
Marc Poser, $100
CPA
Stephen Wukela, $1,000
Attorney
Bank of America PAC, $2,000
Bank
Nick Theodore, $500
Former lieutenant governor
Significant expenditures
Hayden Blanton & Associates (consulting), $5,000×2, $7,000
NGP Software (Web site), $325, $619, $2,400
Banco/Bannister (consulting), $2,563.74, $2,577.47, $2,839.61, $2,541.68, $2,577
Information Management Services (consulting), $25,500, $25,000
WideEye Creative (Web site), $4,975
Global Strategy Group (consulting), $33,711.11
JIM REX
Report not yet online.
ROBERT FORD
Contributions: $31,650
Expenditures: $20,024.94
Cash on hand: $51,952.78
Significant contributions
Blue Cross Blue Shield, $1,000
Insurance company
Significant expenditures
Election Mall Technologies (Web site), $295×3
Concorde (bags), $2,483.25, $3,240.63
You’re out!
DWIGHT DRAKE
Report not yet online.
MULLINS MCLEOD
Contributions: $9,950
Expenditures: $269,566.59
Cash on hand: $7,189.03
Significant contributions
None.
Significant expenditures
Ralston Lapp Media (media services), $10,000, $467.10
Anzalone Liszt (research), $5,000
The Strategy Group (consulting), $10,000
McIntosh Consulting (consulting), $12,000, $3,500, $3,850
Harbor Light Media (Internet), $250, $1,250
Stanford Campaigns (consulting), $2,000×2
The Dover Group (fundraising), $2,000, $8,823.58, $7,000
WGG Consulting (consulting), $2,000×2, $1,000
NGP Software (software), $2,490
Friday, The State reported that Sen. Vince Sheheen‘s gubernatorial campaign made a few erroneous endorsements in a list sent out last week. It’s an easy enough mistake to make, which is why we wonder why campaigns put out lengthy endorsement lists. There always seems to be a cock-up one way or another.
In the story, Rep. Anton Gunn, who was included as one of the endorsers, said, “I haven’t endorsed anybody. I’ve got my own [re-election] race to concentrate on. I’m not mad [at Sheheen's campaign staff]. I know it was an honest mistake.”
The best part of the story was reporter Gina Smith ironically making a mistake of her own. Several times, she called Sheheen campaign manager Trav Robterson “Trav Roberts.”
Trav Roberts, Sheheen’s campaign manager, is taking the blame.
“This was an oversight on my part,” Roberts said Thursday. “We got very excited that nearly 60 percent of Democrats in the House and Senate were endorsing Vincent. Blame it on an overzealous campaign manager.”
Roberts would not discuss how the list was put together. He noted, even with the six Democrats removed from the list, a majority of Democrats at the State House are backing Sheheen.
But hey, it’s the Friday before St. Pat’s. Everybody gets a mulligan, right?
Wednesday, the S.C. Chamber of Commerce released its endorsements for the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries. Sen. Vince Sheheen took the nod for the Democrats, which is not very surprising. With the exit of Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod and Columbia lobbyist Dwight Drake from the race, it’s not hard to figure out that Sheheen will best Supt. of Ed. Jim Rex and Sen. Robert Ford for the nomination.
The Republican endorsement went to U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett. Making a decision in that race is way more risky for anyone this far out from the primary. Barrett, Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. André Bauer are in a three-way dogfight for the nomination, and it’s only going to get nastier as the months go on until June.
Wednesday afternoon, the Sheheen campaign launched a new Facebook effort: “Hey, folks — let’s beat Gresham Barrett to the 5,000 mark in FB fans! It would be great if you could click on ‘Suggest to Friends’ underneath the profile picture. Thanks!” That was followed by Barrett’s page responding with, “We’ve been challenged. The Sheheen campaign is trying to beat us to 5,000 fans. Help us get there first by clicking the ‘Suggest to Friends’ link under my picture.” Barrett made it first.
All of this is to say that it looks like the leading candidates for both nominations are already preparing to go at it. That means that the other guys — Rex, Ford, McMaster, Bauer — better step up their campaigns, or the general election campaign will start before the June primary showdown.
