Thursday, July 02, 2009
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Why Sanford's Republican Enemies Hope He Stays
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Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
6:41 AM
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As more information comes out -- and as pressure continues to mount on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign -- waring factions within the Palmetto state are jockeying for position. Already, rumors are swirling that state senator Tom Davis (who formerly served as Sanford's CoS) has begged him to resign and was told point blank by the governor to butt out.
This story won't go away, largely due to Sanford's insistence on talking. "It's not so much the act itself, it's the continual lying," one political operative familiar with the race told me. "You know that tearful press conference he gave the other day – turns out half of it was a lie."
But interestingly (and ironically), almost everyone involved in South Carolina politics is hoping Sanford stays put ... because they all have a stake in his remaining governor.
To understand the interesting dynamic, one must first understand South Carolina politics, which is essentially like WWF wrestling, circa 1984. There are essentially a handful of "families" who run the political campaigns year in and year out. Candidates come and go, but the consultants stay. As such, South Carolina politics is defined more by the consultants than by the candidates.
For example, Warren Tompkins and Terry Sullivan, the consultants who ran George W. Bush's effort in South Carolina in 2000 and Mitt Romney's in 2008 advises Senator Jim DeMint – and are now supporting Congressman Gresham Barrett for governor.
Meanwhile, consultant Richard Quinn -- who ran John McCain's South Carolina effort -- is an adviser to Senator Lindsay Graham, and is working on Attorney General Henry McMaster's bid for governor.
For obvious reasons, these Republican families would prefer that Sanford not step down, because that would mean Republican Andre Bauer would ascend to the governorship, thus giving him a leg-up on the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
The consultants also manage most state house races, and have reportedly used this influence to get many of these state-level political leaders to stand by Sanford. Additionally, most of the state-based blogs are merely extensions of these political dynasties, and are used as propaganda tools to spread information (and misinformation).
For whatever reason, conservatives who might otherwise call for a disgraced governor to step down have remained conspicuously silent. The only South Carolina conservative of any consequence to call on Sanford to resign has been National Committeeman Glenn McCall – an African-American Republican who was formerly close to Sanford. Even South Carolina Party Chairman Karen Floyd is being accused by some of endangering Republicans of losing the gubernatorial seat, because of her decision to remain silent.
Interestingly, both Sanford and Bauer lack the sort of in-state "protection," that comes along with allying with a political family. Bauer's chief consultant is Richmond-based Chris LaCivita. Sanford's chief guy is John Lerner, a DC-based strategist. Interestingly, Lerner also is running the gubernatorial campaign of Nikki Haley, a state representative who has been an ally of Sanford. The day of Sanford's now-infamous press conference put out a release criticizing Sanford of his marital dalliances. Earlier in the day, she removed pictures from her website of she and Sanford. Ironically, the gubernatorial candidate being hardest on Sanford is the one he shares an adviser with.
For the record, Bauer has said that he wants Sanford to stay put, though he was the first state-wide candidate to blow the whistle on the fact that Sanford was missing and his staff did not know about his whereabouts.
Carolina being the hardball political state that it is, he will have no shortage of obstacles to overcome on his way to the state house.
Already, Bauer – who is just thirty-nine years old – has come under attack for his youthfulness. His critics cite speeding tickets and a plane crash (the mechanic servicing his single-engine plane was at fault). What is more, because Bauer is single, conflicting rumors that he is a womanizer and gay have sprung up.
The other day I wrote about the winners and losers from the Sanford fallout. One obvious omission was the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor, Andre Bauer). Bauer, of course, would ascend to the governorship if Sanford were forced out. And that would give him a big advantage as he runs for governor in 2010.
Update: Since this story was written, it has been reported that Rep. Gresham Barrett, who is running for governor, asked Sanford to resign.
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He should show some real courage tell his wife and kids that he is a piece of crap, and he releases them from his scandelous life to be free of him. It is sad that the opposing party takes so much pleasure in the destruction of this woman and these kids, just so they can score points for their agenda of gay rights, Mrs Sandford and her kids don't deserve your BS. |
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Can't disagree .. What irritates me is the fact that Sanford is so selfish he keeps on caterwauling to everyone and their uncle, when he should have sought counseling from his pastor.
He's humiliated his wife (that he fell out of love with..bah humbug! You don't spend 20 years with someone and suddenly fall out of love..what he is telling her is..'dearie, you bore me'.) and
humiliated his four boys. The damage he's done to these kids is huge..Dad's are boys heroes and
by rejecting their mother for this bimbo and publicly acknowledging they are 'soul mates', he's betrayed one of the most important aspects in a young boys life..role model. And YES
Maria is a bimbo..she was married, she KNEW he was married with four boys and yet she continued the 'friendship'. |
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So which does the most damage to the Institution of Marriage, the ongoing very public, highly-publicized hijinks of Republican Governor Mark Sanford or the legalization of gay marriage in Iowa? |
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As I said we would have libs raff and munck doing what they do best. see sanford is not a role model for my marriage,so nothing permeating from my pores raff. Which does the most damage, well does dodd's sweetheart mortgage deal do anything for your mortgage munck? Sanfords marital problems effect me as much as dodds mortgage effects you. |
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This is just what Republicans needed. One day he is the defiant governor and now he is a teenager who can't stop talking about these special "feelings" he's having." |
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"sanford is not a role model for my marriage"
And I'd assume that a gay couple getting married would likewise not be a role model for you.
"Sanfords marital problems effect me as much as dodds mortgage effects you."
So you'd agree that gay marriage does no harm whatsoever to the traditional institution of marriage? |
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Is not effected by anything in the world, I have control of , with my wife control of our marriage, gay marriage is wrong, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I do believe gays should get benefits, visitation in hospital, insurance benefits etc, but I feel marriage again is between a man and woman. |
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Infidelity is an old story on both sides and most voters could really care less after the first report.
The GOP is cutting it's own throat by focusing on anything negative. We are hyped on getting Americans as much real info as possible. Obama is running our country headlong into socialism and shredding our Constitution and the GOP is reporting and focusing on a Republican Governor's love life. Priorities are screwed up....on both sides.
TEA Parties are ginning up for the 4Th all across the nation to let America know what we are really focused on. |
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"Rotting from the inside out...
Americans are fed up with this crap."
I couldn't agree with you more!
Both parties have so many slimes that it is difficult to trust any of them. A person votes for a candidate because he/she promises to represent the people in his district or state and support his country and what does he do?
Vote the way some corp., pressure group, or with his party and to heck with the people. I have never done so, but I suspect I could count the lawmakers who put their country first on one hand, at best two hands.
I sometimes think we are all cretins, for the way we vote.
I do wonder, though, if Sanford does not have some sort of mental problem. I can't imagine anybody saying the things he has lately. It is very strange.
That said, it is time to deep six him.
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"gay marriage is wrong"
Why?
"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman."
Does that give you the right to tell OTHER PEOPLE what to do in their own lives? You say that gay marriage has no effect whatsoever on your own marriage, and we can extrapolate that it has no effect on any other heterosexual marriages. |
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You probably want to keep pedophiles from having sex with kids, too, don't you?
You probably want to repress people from having consensual sex with animals in the street if that makes them happy, don't you?
Obama's Regulatory Czar will make sure those animals deprived of human sexual love will be able to sue you! I hope your horse sues you for something, too!
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Yes I have the right to give my opinion I think gay marriage is wrong, yes it gives you the right to say I'm wrong. I believe they have rights, like I said before civil unions, marriage has always been between a man and a woman, the way it should stay. |
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Keep pedophiles away from kids? Yes If you find a pig that wants to screw you go for it Raff. Obama's Regulatory Czar will make sure those animals deprived of human sexual love will be able to sue you! I hope your horse sues you for something, too!
No my horses are very well treated, no their lawyers told me the horses are very happy they get all they need, the only sex they want is from the other horseys. |
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"marriage has always been between a man and a woman, the way it should stay"
So you do think you should be allowed to control other people's lives because of your own beliefs, even though you agree that what they want to do has no effect on you. |
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Gays can live their lives i'm not controling who they are, where they work where they live who they love,I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. |
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"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman."
I can understand why you wouldn't want to give an honest answer. |
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You now are a mind reader? You know if I'm telling you the truth now. My beliefs are mine you don't like them oh well.you want to have a gay relationship I don't care, you want to get married I think it is wrong whether your a friend or not a lib or a con.I have said before the few gays I know I have a good relationship with, but if they wanted to get married which they don't, I would be against it. |
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"if they wanted to get married which they don't, I would be against it."
And you're willing to have the government and the legal system enforce your belief? What harm does it do to you if your friends do decide to get married? What business is it of yours? |
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Seems like you're willing to have the government and the legal system enforce your beliefs. |
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Legalizing same-sex marriage would contradict every single piece of evidence which shows that monogamous marriage between one man and one woman is the best environment for raising children.
If same-sex marriage is legalized, there will be no way to prevent tri- and quad- (and so on) marriages. Someone's "rights" are always going to be denied, whether that "right" is to marry an animal, an object, a dead person or a minor.
Civil unions give gays every single right and protection that marriage does for heterosexuals. They can visit a spouse in the hospital, will property, adopt kids, buy houses together, etc. The gays are denied nothing.
They need to respect our cultural heritage and Judeo-Christian principles as well as the sensibilities of millions of traditional people across the globe.
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"Seems like you're willing to have the government and the legal system enforce your beliefs."
Nope. I want them to stay out of it entirely. As far as marriage goes, the government should enforce nothing, make no restrictions; their role should be pure record-keeping, completely clerical. They, and you, have no right to decide that this pair of consenting adults can get married and that pair cannot. I don't care how much it offends your particular flavor of superstitions or prejudices. |
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"Legalizing same-sex marriage would contradict every single piece of evidence which shows that monogamous marriage between one man and one woman is the best environment for raising children."
So does legalizing divorce, yet there's never been any question about that. Of course, making divorce illegal threatens YOUR rights; you wouldn't give up the right to leave your spouse. It's only when it's other people's rights that are being threatened that the "raising children" argument becomes a factor.
Ditto for allowing childbirth out of wedlock.
"If same-sex marriage is legalized, there will be no way to prevent tri- and quad- (and so on) marriages."
Fine by me. Marriages involving three or more people have been common throughout most of history and in most cultures.
"They need to respect our cultural heritage and Judeo-Christian principles"
Why? You're not showing them any respect. |
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I don't care how much it offends your particular flavor of superstitions or prejudices. It is my religion not a superstition. |
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"It is my religion not a superstition."
All religions are superstition. |
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All religions are superstition. I do know superstitions and it is nothing like my religion. |
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"I do know superstitions and it is nothing like my religion."
How is belief that breaking a mirror causes seven years of bad luck different from belief that sex outside of marriage causes eternal punishment? Both beliefs are utterly irrational and impossible to prove.
How is wishing on a falling star different from praying to an invisible being?
How is believing in ghosts different from believing in saints or angels? |
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prove it to yourself, try adultry, murder and drop dead ill meet up with you later ,or maybe you will be unable to meet me in heaven so we will compare notes long distance. |
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