The Day After
June 11, 2008
Sitting here at Garden City for a mini-vacation with the family, I thought I’d stay in
touch with a brief post about yesterday’s primary results.
Afterall, how could I not post about something as important as actual elections that will shape our legislature for the next two to four years….or more?
Everyone has their own take (read here, here, and here) so I might as well give you mine.
First: When the legislature reconvenes June 25th, we’ll hear at least eight (probably more) farewell speeches because the winds of change blew loud last night and mainly in the Upstate.
If you were a House Member from the Greenville/Spartanburg you went to bed in a bad mood last night. Representatives Walker, Davenport, Haskins, Leach, and Smith all lost. (Smith being the lone Democrat in that group). Along the coast, Representative Heyward Hutson also lost.
In the Senate: Senators Ceips and Scott both lost. There are also two other well-known incumbents in runoffs - Knotts and Ritchie.
Second: If there ever was a sense of “change” in the air (anti-incumbency, etc) there was a big change in the Lowcountry last night. For the first time since Reconstruction, SC elected a black Republican to the House. Welcome, Representative Tim Scott. Tim previously served on County Council and won outright last night against two other candidates. (You may have heard his name before as he was the candidate Governor Sanford recommended to replace outgoing State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel last summer)
Lastly: while elections give an opportunity for consultants to crow about their victories and stew over their losses, let’s not forget that it’s the candidate who the voters select. With apologies to all the consultants out there, the consultants are like coaches and the candidates are the players on the field. Great consultantss can make candidates great….but the candidate still has to put the blood, sweat, and tears into the race.
Too often folks think running for office “must be easy”. Trust me as I speak from experience, these new members who defeated incumbents had to work their tail off. Money doesn’t win races; hard work and ISSUES do.
As I’ve written before….change is coming / has come to Columbia.
I just ask that these new victors remember who they sent them here, why they were sent, and what they represent.
I think they will and I look forward to welcoming them soon!
Some of their opponents may have been waiting on that Blatt Box to save them ….it never does.
Comments
5 Responses to “The Day After”
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Nathan - a lot of those who went down were those who created the impression they were either out of touch with their constituents, didn’t care about doing their jobs, or that their offices allowed them special status. It was amazing, watching from the outside, that they seemed to have no understanding that people in the “real world” don’t do stupid things like they were doing.
For the most part, the “average” legislator who worked hard, didn’t showboat or go out of their way to pick fights, took their job seriously and didn’t do anything grossly stupid usually held on with little trouble.
Those looking for a good example of a “model” legislator - talk with the author and publisher of the Nathan’s News blogsite.
Moral of the story - do your job, or your constituents will find someone else who will.
Earl, thanks for the kind words.I’ll send the check tomorrow!
Seriously, everyone will analyze it a million different ways but you summed it up best.
Elected officials who stay in touch regularly (NOT JUST AT ELECTION TIME) have a much better chance of doing the job they were sent to do!
Come back often - did Shannon send you pics from the Governor signing Lauren Gentry’s’Law? I can email if you’d like.
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