Evening Joe: A Heated Debate with One Clear Winner
This past month has been dogged with the Late Night crisis between Jay Leno and Conan O’brien. But apparently, the winds from NBC blew crisis to Charleston on Thursday night. Boy, was the beginning of the Gubernatorial debate interesting.
I sat down in my lazy boy, put my popcorn in my elephant container, and began munching down to Joe Scarborough’s sarcasm. Then a bunch of screeching, scratching, hair pulling, and silence took place. Not to mention, all of Nikki Haley’s speech was silenced. The TV then went blank. I thought of a few reasons this could have happened.
1. CBS affiliate executives have cut down power to preserve it for the upcoming “winter storm disaster” that is expected to hit South Carolina with ice and snow this weekend…we all know the dangers of 1-3 inches.
2. Maria Chapur became angry that she was not invited to be Mark Sanford’s female companion at the SCGOP luncheon in Charleston on Thursday. So, she made her presence known by knocking out the sound guy and hijacking the debate.
3. President Obama’s renewed hope and change from the state of the union was just to divert our attention from the 100% regulations he would now be having over TV stations. That means no more Republican debates and especially no more long narratives from Attorney General Henry McMaster.
4. The only other reason would be that they just had poor sound quality and they didn’t have it all together at first.
So, I stuck with the fourth reason, and it came back on at 8:30. All four of them ready to lead our state into the next decade or were they? So let’s go through each candidate and analyze their performance tonight.
First, I will start from the bottom with Gresham Barrett. As a Citadel colleague, I was really disappointed in his performance. Not that I was even supporting him, but you wish each other the best. Congressman Barrett was less than confident, and sometimes seemed more like a Southern Baptist preacher rather than someone ready to lead our state…amen?
What bothered me most was the defense of his vote for Socialism in the bailout/tarp saga. He consistently defended this vote and refused to back down. I am in disbelief that anyone claiming to be “The 4th most Conservative Congressman” could stand behind a vote like this.
Many in South Carolina’s conservative circles spoke with him the night before he voted and warned him…but he apparently knew best. Barrett went on to not answer questions, beat around the bush, and really did not establish himself as a credible candidate.
He seemed just like acurrent U.S. Congressman should: Uninformed and Out of touch. I am sure that is how many South Carolinians see him as well.
Next, let’s talk about General Robert E. Lee. Excuse me, I mean Attorney General Henry McMaster. Where do I begin…. the other candidates seemed to get tickled every time McMaster would speak. This in return, made things interesting. The only statement that stands out in my mind about him is that he has “the most executive experience” out of all of the candidates. I hear him say that in the midstof his Southern charmed, rambling. While he comes across like a Southern Gentleman, not even waving but bowing at the audience, he too seemed out of touch.
While I appreciate and respect his Conservatism and think he has been one of the best AG’s in S.C. History, I do not believe he showed he could effectively win against Vince Sheheen or Jim Rex tonight.
Often, he didn’t answer the questions, he went on random tangents, and he couldn’t break out of the box and be real with the people. He seemed too much like a polished politician and not a personable statesman that the people will need to move forward with the state’s problems.
Yes, the state should be open for business, but I have a feeling General Henry may open it for business by delegating a lot of the responsibility the way he does in the AG office. While it works as Attorney General, as Governor, we have seen the Department of Commerce’s unimpressive performance. We can’t afford another four years of relying on them.
He finally went on to talk about how he did a great job as Chairman of the Party to bring Republicans to victory. While this may have been true, he failed to mention the financial mess he left when he ran for Attorney General. After his performance tonight, I know one thing…I’m not lovin’ it. So, I don’t think I can “back that Mac” because it may look good, but the intentions it has for each and every one of us may not be so beneficial.
The biggest surprise of the night was Nikki Haley. The “daughter of immigrants” was on top of her game. She did very well. However, I will bring up a few shortcomings. She should have never answered the question about censuring Lindsey Graham. She said she would have! This makes her seem like she is not a compromising figure, something our state greatly needs in the Governor’s office. This is the one thing I will agree on with Senator Robert Ford, yes a democrat.
This also shows the lack of distance between her and Mark Sanford. She continues to keep herself close to “Sanfordesque” positions such as not accepting stimulus funds. The Nikki Haley Campaign analysis is pretty simple. Let’s look at the election between McCain and Obama. People were tired of Bush and tired of anyone similar and too close to Bush. McCain was not different enough. People voted for change because they were sick and tired of the same ole, same ole.
The same principle will apply to South Carolina this election cycle. The non-Sanford candidate is going to be the only hope for Republicans. Nikki Haley is too much like Sanford and will most certainly fail come primaries as a result of it. I see her poll numbers improving a little but she will never make it to the top when the general election comes around in November. Her message will resonate with tea party people and could surprise us come June, but she will never beat Sheheen if he wins the primary (which it looks like he will). However, her performance tonight should be admired. It was something to be proud of.
Finally, tonight’s winner……..Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, a true non-Sanford candidate. His confidence, clear and direct answers, and composure show his maturity from the last few years. Tonight, he was in his element and proved victorious. First, the bad. The hosts ganged up on the poor guy and pulled out all of the bad about him. They mentioned his recent “Animal-kid” comment and his driving record. Andre displayed a bit of arrogance to the female co-host when she lambasted him about the animal comment. He stated that a minority preacher asked him to speak at his congregation.
In response to the female co-hosts continued bullying, he replied, “I’ll give you his number if you want.” Even with this comment, he showed something special…”Straight Talk.” While John McCain often said he was all about straight talk, he hardly showed it. Tonight, a new bearer of this title is Andre Bauer.
When asked which Senator shared his ideology, he quickly stated “Jim DeMint.” He had an answer for everything. They were concise and easy to understand. No elaborate stories, no monologues from “God’s and Generals,” no over-doing religiosity, but just Andre speaking his convictions.
This is the type of Governor South Carolina has been itching for. Tonight, Andre Bauer showed his seriousness about the race. For a while, I had my doubts, but tonight I know he is ready to become Governor of South Carolina. There is no doubt.
If Republicans want to win in November, there must be a lot of thought to who that candidate will be on the other side. If it is Vince Sheheen, which I feel it will be, it will be a tough fight.
All jokes aside, these four candidates are great people. They all have excellent qualities with great intentions. However, when it comes to the difficult opposition this November, in the aftermath of Mark Sanford, the field will be extremely difficult. Too tough for the likes of Nikki Haley and Gresham Barrett. I believe the Attorney General and Lt. Governor are the only two that will stand a chance. While the Attorney General showed he is a good candidate to beat Sheehen, Andre Bauer showed he is the best candidate to not only beat the democrats, but lead our state with honor, integrity, and great vision for the next decade…for this…I salute the Lieutenant Governor.
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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 2nd 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.
