Endorsements (Democratic primary)

It’s that time again; both parties’ primaries here in South Carolina will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, June 8. The polls will be open from 7am to 7pm, so there’s no excuse (for most people) not to find time to slip out to the polling place at some point during the day. Please, please vote. Yes, the results of many of the races look like foregone conclusions. Yes, a lot of South Carolina politicians have been behaving badly recently. Yes, all too often elected officials ignore or fail to understand their mandates and abuse the public trust. Yes, there’s plenty to be cynical about. But the right to vote is still what sets our country apart from the many effective dictatorships (“benevolent” and otherwise) in the world. It’s what keeps our government as accountable as it is (which sometimes isn’t very, but it sure is better than nothing). It’s what allows us to act for the good of our families and communities, in accordance with our own consciences, rather than being treated like mere sheep too stupid to make decisions for ourselves. And please, especially if you have local races on your ballot that haven’t gotten a lot of play in the media you tend to read or watch – go to www.postandcourier.com or www.journalscene.com (if you’re in Summerville) and learn about the candidates for your County Council or Town Council or State House seats, too. These races may not seem all that important now, but when you find yourself upset about a zoning decision or your property tax assessment or why there aren’t any decent parks in your county, you may wish you’d paid attention.

Getting off that soapbox… here are my endorsements in the races that will appear on my (Democratic) ballot. There aren’t that many, actually; my precinct does not fall within any contested County Council or State House districts. But I decided, for the sake of simplicity and not having to figure out where to draw the line, not to endorse in races in which I can’t vote.

U.S. House of Representatives – District 1

Robert Burton

Ben Frasier

Mr. Frasier is a perennial candidate (not that “perennial candidate” ought to be a slur; Abraham Lincoln was a perennial (and perennially losing) candidate for many years) who finally has been declared by a court to be a legal resident of South Carolina but apparently does operate a business and spend much of his time in another state. That said, I’m excited about Col. Burton’s candidacy and not just voting for him because he seems like the only viable Democratic alternative. Col. Burton has extensive military experience, has served his county in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will bring valuable insights to the debates about those conflicts that will certainly take place in the U.S. Congress over the next few years. Having talked with him on several occasions, I have been impressed by his dedication to South Carolina and the First District, as well as his willingness to listen and learn. For instance, I was interested to note that when the Minerals Management Service held a public hearing in Charleston on the environmental assessment process for geologic surveying prior to potential drilling off our coast, Col. Burton was there – but he didn’t come to grandstand and talk about his candidacy. He sat in the back and listened to the presentation and to the comments of concerned citizens. Because he had to leave early and had noticed my presence there, he later asked me for a recap of the rest of the comments. He has a real desire to get to know the residents of the district and learn about how to help them in Washington.

U.S. Senate

Alvin Greene

Vic Rawl

As in the Congressional race, the outcome of the Democratic Senate primary is probably clear, since Mr. Greene does not have a website, has no signs up (as far as I know), and has filed no campaign finance reports. However, I do want to encourage Democrats to get excited about the likely winner of our party’s nomination – Judge Vic Rawl. Judge Rawl is a serious statesman who is particularly serious about unseating conservative Republican poster-boy Jim DeMint, whose own interest in shaking up the Republican establishment in favor of right-wing, anti-government candidates has taken him just about everywhere but his home state during this primary season. Judge Rawl, by contrast, is intensely interested in South Carolina, its strengths, and its problems. He has served in the military, in the state legislature, as a judge, as a mediator, as a Charleston County Council member (coming out of retirement to serve where he saw he was needed), and on a number of statewide boards and commissions. If you get the chance, please go to one of his events and sit down and talk with him about the issues; he’s always interested in how to make our state a better place and solve real problems, rather than arguing about the bogeymen often conjured by Republicans to keep Southern voters in the fold. Judge Rawl is well-read, informed, creative, and committed, and if Sen. DeMint can work up the courage to debate him in the fall, I am confident that South Carolinians will be struck by the contrast in terms of public policy knowledge, the ability to work with others (including across the aisle), and sheer love for this state. It will truly be a pleasure to vote for Judge Rawl tomorrow and in the general election. And in case you don’t think he has a prayer against a senator with nationwide name recognition, check this out: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/campaign/101017-sen-demint-less-than-a-shoo-in-for-reelection

Superintendent of Education

Frank Holleman

Tom Thompson

Honestly, I’m impressed with both of the Democratic candidates in this race. I heard both speak at Gallivants Ferry last month, and their passion for public education in South Carolina and making it serve our children better is clear. However, I’m convinced that Mr. Holleman’s vast experience in education policy (working for the U.S. Department of Education and under Jim Rex in South Carolina’s education department) and wealth of ideas for improving our schools makes him the best choice. I encourage you to take a look at his website (www.hollemanforeducation.com) and at least skim his blog to see the breadth and depth of his ideas for education; I think you’ll be impressed, too. Both candidates on the Democratic side, by the way, stand firmly in support of public education and making all schools better for every child, rather than letting a few lucky children leave failing schools through “school choice” schemes and letting the rest languish while precious resources go to charter schools, magnate schools, or even private schools. (Yes, I know that was a controversial statement I just made, and I’d be happy to delve into that further, but for now I just wanted to give my readers an idea of where the candidates stand on school choice. As far as I know, all the Republican candidates favor some form of school choice, but of course there are many variations on that theme, so if you’re reading this and you do support school choice, be sure to read about each of the candidates and see what plan in particular each favors.)

Governor

Robert Ford

Jim Rex

Vincent Sheheen

I actually endorsed Sen. Sheheen several months ago, and my enthusiasm for his candidacy hasn’t wavered. Sen. Sheheen is a dynamic, energetic statesman who, in the state legislature, has proven himself capable of working with politicians on both sides of the aisle and brokering creative compromises. He is extremely popular in his district (Camden and many surrounding areas), which is hardly known for its rampant liberalism but keeps returning him to Columbia. Like Judge Rawl, Sen. Sheheen is someone whose love for South Carolina and desire to make life better for all her people is palpable. Dr. Rex touts his experience as the only statewide office-holder on the Democratic ballot, but while he has made contributions to education in our state, he has little experience in other issue areas and no direct legislative experience. Given the frequent (and costly) horns-locking between our current governor and even members of his own party in the legislature over the last seven-plus years, I think legislative experience is perhaps even more important (and less easily gained) than executive experience for an incoming governor. A governor needs to know how to achieve productive compromises and navigate the rough waters of legislative wrangling – not just how to say “no” when he doesn’t like something that shows up on his desk. Vetoes should be a last resort, not a starting point. Too much is riding on the legislative (particularly the budgetary) process.

While I’m at it, I do want to give a shout-out to all three Democratic candidates for their classy behavior during this primary season. Unlike the Republican contenders, the Democrats (and their supporters) have for the most part been respectful and fair to one another, critiqued and attacked each other only on the issues, and avoided the gaffes, slurs, and accusations that have too often characterized recent South Carolina politics. May the best man win – and I firmly believe that’s Sen. Vincent Sheheen.

I know some Republicans do read this blog, and many of my friends and relatives are Republicans, but, unlike the major newspapers, I’m not going to write endorsements for the Republican side because I don’t trust in my ability to pretend I’m a Republican. That job is better left to actual Republicans. I do want to say that I have met Brent Nelson and have been following his campaign for the Republican nomination for Superintendent of Education, and he seems to me to be a gentleman and a dedicated, experienced educator. (And hey, we need more political scientists in government, right?) If you are a Republican interested in a moderate approach to school choice, check him out.

I have gotten some questions about whether it’s a good idea for Democrats to vote in the Republican primary in hopes of pushing things one way or another. (South Carolina has an open primary, so you can vote in whichever party’s primary you like (but only one at a time) and still vote your conscience in the general election and not have to register as a member of a party.  However, do keep in mind that which primary you vote in (though not your actual vote) is a matter of public record, and you will almost certainly be contacted at some point by the party in whose primary you voted; as a Democratic precinct president with access to these lists, I’ve surprised quite a number of Republicans that way!) I’m generally not crazy about the idea of voting insincerely in any election, and sometimes the results are unintended. For instance, if you’re a Democrat and vote for the least conservative of the Republican candidates in a given race, you may end up contributing to the election of a candidate who is harder for the Democratic nominee to beat. My advice to those considering crossing the aisle for the primary is to think about and research the probable effect (if any) of your vote, and also to look at all the races on your ballot and see if your vote will be needed in any of the Democratic nomination contests. Don’t ignore down-ticket races just so you can try to wreak havoc among, say, the Republican gubernatorial or Congressional candidates.

And whatever you do… please get out there and vote.

- KPE

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