More Shocking Gubernatorial Polling!

By fitsnews • on March 15, 2009

U.S. Rep. Gresham Bailout … err, Barrett is “more competitive than expected” in the 2010 S.C. gubernatorial race, according to a poll paid for by … wait for it … Barrett’s own campaign.

Additionally, the results of the Barrett poll were promoted on the website Wolfe Reports, which multiple sources say has a financial connection to the political consulting firm owned by Barrett’s longtime consultant, J. Warren Tompkins.

You can read the paid political advertising here, assuming you enjoy being made a fool of.

This is the second time in as many months that consultant-driven polling has been published on the governor’s race, prompting us to wonder when Rod Shealy will release his survey showing that Andre Bauer is in the, um, “driver’s seat” in the race.

Probably any day now.

The sad fact is that Bauer, Barrett and Henry McMaster (a.k.a. the “establishment three“) are nothing but old-school GOP blowhards beholden to the same old special interests that have held this state back for years.

They’re empty suits – pandering, status quo politicians who would turn the Governor’s Office into a home for “go along to get along” thinking, not the long-overdue change that S.C. citizens and taxpayers deserve.

Tweedle Dumb, Tweedle Dumber and Tweedle Dumbest, if you ask us.

Seriously, Tom Davis … Nikki Haley … where y’all at?

This race needs a real reformer and fast …

Comments

By Listening on March 15th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Preach it brother Will, preach it. If we don’t have true reformers run for the top spots we will not break the cycle of insider politics that has cursed this state for years..

It is about the peeps, er, or it is supposed to be anyway. Not blowhards that make living on the public dole their life’s mission. Bauer and McMaster are but welfare queens…and Barret ain’t far behind.

By roofus on March 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

Dr. Nelson, anyone?

By Wes Wolfe on March 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

I posted the McMaster polling first. Am I on the take from RQ&A, too? PNN already had this one up, and it had already been linked to by SC Hotline.

By Yellow Journalist on March 15th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Mr. Folks, I admire you for not pawning your website off as something unbiased, that’s a lot more than I can say about Mr. Fogle’s site. But, as someone who is constantly talking about shedding light on the dark corners of the State House, promoting transparency and reform, I think it would be your most worthwhile venture yet to shed some light on your own house.

Namely, the fact that both Mr. Davis and Ms. Haley have paid you for political services of some type within the past twelve months. Failing to bring this fact into the light of day brings you dangerously close to being little more than Palmetto Scoop Part Deux and only makes you look like a hypocrite.

Many people in the Beaufort community saw you at Mr. Davis’ television shoot and your association with Ms. Haley is a matter of public record.

By Mike on March 15th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

I will never understand why a normal, non-establishment, reform-minded person who has enjoyed enough success in their professional life to position themselves for a statewide run would do so, when the same system (read, “idiot voters”) that allows nitwits like Andre to prosper and get away with an embarrassing level of shenanigans would beat the crap out of them for trying. I know I wouldn’t…

Call me cynical, but I view almost all pols as broken; I try to vote for the least broken one available. That would seem to be easy amongst these three.

By fitsnews on March 15th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

Yellow-

You say that Folks’ previous “association with Ms. Haley is a matter of public record.”

It is … so that covers that, unless of course you’re too retarded to use the S.C. Ethics Commission website.

As for Folks’ relationship with Sen. Davis, it is more of a “man crush” than anything else, and his counsel on Tom’s television advertisements (which were actually filmed in Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island) was provided on a strictly pro bono basis.

Walter Whetsell and Le Frye ran Davis’ campaign, with an assist from up-and-coming GOP operative Vic Bailey and some very capable volunteers.

-FITS

By Yellow Journalist on March 15th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Mr. Folks,

Are you suggesting that you received no payment from Mr. Davis or from any other entity for services rendered to Mr. Davis? Because some of your friends are saying otherwise. Columbia is still a small town and when there’s a mouth in it as big as yours, things are easily overheard.

By JD on March 15th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

Didn’t Nikki Haley quit paying your dumb ass? Why are you still promoting her?

What makes you think the people of this state want another one your libertarian idiots in the governor’s office anyway? The results are clear with Sanford. It really isn’t necessary to elaborate.

Cool goatee, loser.

By anonymous on March 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

SCDP Rejects Mark Sanford’s Appointment of Richard Eckstrom to Oversee Spending of Stimulus Funds

March 12, 2009

SCDP Chair Responds to Sanford Appointment

Carol Fowler, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Mark Sanford’s appointment of Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom to oversee spending of federal money:

“South Carolinians have a right to expect careful scrutiny of spending from the federal economic stimulus plan. However, Gov. Mark Sanford’s choice of Richard Eckstrom for this task shows remarkably bad judgment.

“Mr. Eckstrom himself has been a terrible steward of taxpayer dollars. He has a history of improper behavior for which South Carolina’s citizens had to pay: he misused a state vehicle and he used state dollars to settle a sexual harassment suit against himself.”

In 2004, Eckstrom took a state-issued minivan on a 3,615-mile trip to Minnesota and charged $665 on a state-issued gas card along the way. Only when the media caught Eckstrom and broke the story in late September 2006 did he repay the illegal charges. In 1997, Eckstrom faced sexual harassment allegations and used $57,500 of state funds to pay for a legal settlement.

South Carolina Democratic Party

PRESS RELEASE:
http://schotlinepress.wordpress.com/

By Eric on March 15th, 2009 at 5:38 pm

Maybe Mick Mulvaney will come to the front. He’s a good politician from up here in the Charlotte area (SC side of course).

By Not Sure I Get The Joke on March 15th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

I love how these posts are written with disgust as though internal polling is anything new. Campaigns have always polled and released the findings when it suits – that’s nothing new. It looks as though the Barrett campaign was pretty up front about it by simply posting it on their site. The main difference in this case, is that Quinn polls have proven to be pretty shotty once election day rolls around – Beasley, Condon, Rick Quinn etc. Ayers polling for clients tends to reflect what actually happens.

So let’s lose this charade that it’s some shocking event when a campaign conducts a poll. Will – if one of your past or current clients chooses to run for Governor, I’m sure they’ll conduct some polling as well that you’ll pretend to bash on your site while pushing as “the real deal” on background.

P.S. Eric – your suggestion of Mick is probably music to Will’s ears as he is also a paid client.