The Adventures of Jack Bauer and His Brother Andre: No More Shenanigans

South Carolina: Smiling Faces, Beautiful places…as it used to be known. Then, we tried to change the motto to “I Believe.” 

Now, South Carolina is quickly garnering a reputation and motto as the “home of America’s most controversial politicians.”  First, the Governor decides to investigate 2012 rumors and go to South America…instead of finding out the truth behind 2012 and the ancient Indian customs that dominate South America, he found himself a lover, “beautiful Maria.”  He may have a promising career as a romance novelist. At least that is a positive aspect from the “expedition.”

Then there is my old friend Rep. Joe Wilson of the beautiful 2^nd district of South Carolina.  President Obama apparently bumped into Joe in the bathroom before his address to Congress.  Joe was washing his hands from South Carolina controversy and of the upcoming healthcare bill that would cripple his constituents.

Obama told Joe in the bathroom that he would “mention his name” or give him a “shout out” in the state of the union as a means of “reaching across the aisle for Change.”  Joe was upset he didn’t get a “Shout Out” as the President says.  So, Joe screamed “YOU LIE!”  Okay, maybe this wasn’t the story, but it sounds a heck of a lot better than a random “You Lie” being shouted at the President. Still, you got to love Joe Wilson. 

Now a new scandal is on the horizon and has been spun by the National Media.  The brother of famed action hero Jack Bauer, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, tried to continue his honorable efforts at defending taxpayers from government waste.  In many ways, he is like Jack Bauer off of 24, except Jack Bauer has never compared poor kids to animals. 

 He only kills the occasional animal and the occasional terrorist kid who gets in the way of national security.  If you take out that metaphor, they are virtually the same person: both trying to save the American people from disaster.

In an article from POLITCO Andre Bauer is quoted as saying:

 “my grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. “They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31996.html#ixzz0dhSry6J7

 Okay so let’s get this straight.  Just like one of the most honorable Judges in South Carolina history, Judge Segars-Andrews, Andre Bauer has never been the favorite of the political elite in South Carolina either.  He isn’t beloved by Most activists.  No political scientist will even predict him to win an election. In fact, he is the candidate that many love to hate.  

At the end of the day, he outworks the competition and ends up winning even if it is a slim margin. I find it to be no surprise that some in South Carolina would jump at the opportunity to eliminate his credibility. 

 After all, most do not give him credit, but he is tied for first in a hotly contested election for Governor.  Get this: He hasn’t even announced! What better way to destroy the integrity of a frontrunner for Governor who hasn’t announced yet, than to take his comments out of context and make something out of them that isn’t true?

Andre said “Government has bred a culture of dependency, and there’s absolutely no one in government with the courage to stand up and say, ‘We need to break that cycle of generational poverty and dependence.’ Well, now there IS someone saying it.”  He suggests children on reduced lunch have their parents come into school every now and then for a visit.  If we are going to pay for their lunch, the least the parents can do is come to school and support their kids. 

 After all, Andre knows what it is like to be on reduced lunch.  That’s right, he was on this program while growing up.  He has the right to talk about it.  Unlike many of the political elite, he slaved as a kid and worked his way up to the position he has.

People are getting sick and tired of the same political stories.  For instance, I heard a story that kind of went like this.  “I’m tired of being in Washington, that makes me the best candidate for Governor.”  Then you look at why they are leaving Washington.  They leave because they already voted to socialize the federal government, so they want to come back to the state and get it into sync too.  Makes sense.

 Then there is the story where the narrator paints a picture of a “good hallmark movie themed plot with lots of cannons and horses to tackle the federal government.”  Some candidates feel that telling a story makes them most qualified for governor. 

Then, there is the person, nice as they can be, who feels left out because of their idealism and inability to work with anyone in their party.  They decide to mount a run in order to usher their idealism back into the state picture.  

 But I tell you what folks, I like the guy that puts aside his fancy political rhetoric, puts aside his idealism accompanied by elaborate stories, and talks about the really difficult issues that burden the taxpayer with solid solutions. 

I like a conservative that says what isn’t popular but what is true.  Someone who isn’t a common man but sees it as his right to be uncommon and stands up to show it.  To be fair, I also owe Attorney General Henry McMaster a high five for standing up against the healthcare bill.  He too has recently taken an unpopular stand and spoken with a loud voice against socialist Washington. 

While every candidate in the race for South Carolina Governor has a lot to bring to the table and is probably qualified to fill the seat,  today I choose to commend the uncommon man, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer.  I appreciate the point he was trying to make and not the way in which he said it. 

 At least he is honest.  Furthermore, I think we should all condemn those South Carolinians or “a rival campaign” that  took it out of context and spun it. I especially question their integrity and their underlying motives.  Finally, someone steps up to the plate and sees the issues for what they are and talks about them.  Unfortunately, he is getting unfair lip service for it.

 This is the type of Governor South Carolina is going to need to overcome the extreme barriers of the past.  In fact, this is an example of the type of leadership Republicans need to groom into all seats across the nation. There wasn’t a political presence from the S.C. delegation helping to elect Scott Brown, spreading the message of new Conservative Republican ideals across the nation. But there was one member that was faithfully campaigning for victory.  Lt. Governor Bauer was there, standing beside Brown, ushering in the victorious win over socialized healthcare.  Did everyone else in South Carolina get the memo?

While I’m not endorsing Andre, I do find it interesting that he tells the truth, no matter how painful it may appear.  He somehow remains in first place, despite not even announcing, for a heated race towards the Governor’s mansion.  There is a reason for the Lt. Governor’s high polling…South Carolinians are tired of shenanigans.  With that in mind, Andre is no shenanigan.