What Now?
Now that his bid for Republican National Committee chairman has ended in defeat, what’s next for South Carolina’s Katon Dawson?
Will he run again for State Party Chairman? Or perhaps bow out to pursue another elected office – perhaps U.S. Senator?
As crazy as that notion sounds, we actually hear it a lot these days from Palmetto insiders, particularly those in the camp of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who apparently now fears a potential Dawson challenge like he once feared a challenge from former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel.
Left high and dry during his RNC Chairman’s race by Graham, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford and U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (Dawson had asked all three to endorse his bid), needless to say there is some bad, bad blood at the top of the SCGOP.
Sources tell FITS that the state’s top three Republican politicians may even be working together to compel Dawson not to run again, a decision he has given no indication on in the wake of his narrow RNC loss.
Previously, Dawson broke his own term limit pledge when he sought reelection in 2007.
Thusfar, Columbia attorney Kevin Hall is the only announced candidate in the race, although many expect Spartanburg GOP Chairman Rick Beltram to enter as well.
In the immortal words of Biff from Back to the Future, we think Dawson should “make like a tree.”
He has presided over the most fiscally-reckless Republican Party in the nation, and apparently views “growing the tent” as allowing Democrats to switch parties solely for political gain.
He’s also a quintessential “chopper” who speaks of himself in the third person, like, all the friggin’ time.
Vote in our poll, though, to tell us what you think …
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Comments
By justsaynotojoe on February 2nd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Robert Ford for State GOP Chair.
Solves lots of issues for both parties.
Creates TREMENDOUS amusement value.
Robert will do it if the money is right.
By Just Thinking About it on February 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Lindsey Graham may as well be a democrat with his voting record. This goes largely unreported in most cases accept in political blogs like this one. Keep up the good work Will. I think anyone should run against Graham and I could possibly see a Graham Dawson race in the future.
By Tiger fan on February 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
6 years is to long for Dawson to strike on Graham. I suspect he will run for the Lt. Gov. position and then maybe challenge the sr. senator. Boy, I hope so. Dawson can raise the money.
As for Rick Beltram, not in my lifetime. I would actually vote for Robert Ford over Beltram. Heck, I would vote for Jim Rex over Beltram.
If Dawson doesn’t run again, and if Beltram is Hall’s only competition, he wins 75/25. Beltram is not very well respected in the party.
By Cotton on February 2nd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
While I disagree with your assessment of Katon’s handling of the Republican Party during his time as party chairman, I believe Kevin Hall would be a far better choice going forward. He’s got common sense, political savvy and the moral certitude needed to get the party back on track in this state.
By Roger on February 2nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I think Katon and Henry McMaster should get together, move to somewhere like Manning or St. Matthews, buy a big plantation home, become mayor and sheriff, and make it their mission to restore the values of good ol’ 1950’s Dixie. Then they can leave the governing and politics of South Carolina to a new generation of forward-thinking conservative leaders.
By Tradd on February 2nd, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Roger, I think that you should take your designer jeans wearing, latte drinking, liberal thinking self back to your safe guido haven. Leave SC politics to the Good Ole Boys.
By Cooter Brown on February 2nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
“Robert Ford for State GOP Chair.
Solves lots of issues for both parties.
Creates TREMENDOUS amusement value.
Robert will do it if the money is right.”
FORD! Is ye crazie! Ev’n fer amusemint, dis feller is no gud! Is you seen his proposed legis-lashun fer dis here state o’ ours?
Ban Profan-tity
Institoot Sodomite unions
‘poligize fer da Orage-berg “mas-acre”… again!
an’ dat’s jest da tip of the ice-berger!
Cheque dis shizzle (as dem young’uns says):
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/cgi-bin/web_bh33.exe
Makes ol’ Cooter wanna ‘cuss, spit, an’ kick his ol’ mule!
By Cooter Brown on February 2nd, 2009 at 5:17 pm
“forward-thinking conservative leaders.”
Whatda hell is dat mean? Is it lik a compashunate conservative?
What is ye gonna conserve, mista roger doger? Mo’ socialism, I pre-gressive nonsense, I rekon. I tell ye, I’ve a had ’bout all da pre-gression I can takes!
By Preston on February 2nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Tradd obviously is clueless about the differences in Republicans here in South Carolina. Sanford and DeMint are not good ole boys. People like Tom Davis and Nikki Haley are not in that club either. Neither are national figures Palin or Jindal. As a SCGOP activist, I can tell you that Dawson inspires few and has a management style that suggests that Republicans win despite of, and not because of, him being chair.
By rowe on February 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Mr. Brown,
I’m new to the state, so I looked up Ford’s sponsored legislation regarding the Orangeburg massacre…it’s always amazed me when politicians have to enact legislation and spend money for something that can easily be said (Like “happy birthday” to an ex-president). More interesting is Ford’s recommendations for reparations to the victims, 40 years later. This looks so much like Reps Scott and Conyers’ HR40, which is a committee of 7 that’s been given $8 million tax dollars to study slavery from 1619 to Reconstruction, its effects, and who gets reparations.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.40:
By Cooter Brown on February 3rd, 2009 at 7:52 am
If’n dey can think ov’a way to steele from regular folks for anie reeson, dey’ll try t’ put some morral twist on it t’ make it seem like its somthin other than just plain old theft.