Sanford Sez “More Hay, Please”

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s affinity for making hay actually dates back to his time on the “family farm” down in Beaufort County, S.C.

In fact, we used to love it when former S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian (or as the governor spelled it, Hartpotlion) would needle Sanford about his agrarian roots after the governor criticized him for his lack of knowledge of hay bales and three point hitches.

“Do you know what a three point hitch is?” Sanford once asked Harpootlian.

“No I don’t, Farmer Mark, why don’t you show us, Farmer Mark?” Harpootlian responded.

Ah … those were the days.

Now, the governor is going to need an army of three point hitches to tow all the hay he’s making at the national level.

Unlike the canned, manufactured feel of his 2008 VP positioning, there’s something authentic about Sanford’s 2012 momentum – as evidenced by the dozens of national news stories being written about him as he battles President Barack Obama over the federal “bureaucratic bailout” money.

Speaking of which, here’s another one …

From the above-linked Washington Independent:

In the ongoing debate over the economic stimulus package, South Carolina Republican Gov. Mark Sanford has made all the right enemies …

… Sanford’s public battle with the White House has won him support with a more important group of people: the Republicans who will pick their next standard-bearer in 2012. According to some big-money Republican donors, party strategists who worked on the 2008 campaign and activists who powered the quixotic presidential bid of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Sanford is emerging as the leader for the next Republican nomination …

… None of this comes as a surprise to Sanford’s long-time admirers in the libertarian wing of the Republican Party. Elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican wave and elected governor of South Carolina in 2002, Sanford has consistently picked fights with the federal government, with teachers’ unions and with other enemies of the right. He’s an underdog whom deep-pocketed donors are ready to support.

Sanford as a non-Quixotic Ron Paul?

Well, well.

Personally, we continue to view the emerging Sanford momentum from an oddly disconnected perspective – like something we saw coming but still can’t believe is happening.

And that’s true for a lot of people in South Carolina, especially those with the “deep pockets.”

Some of our conservative friends swear by Sanford. Others swear at him. Some will write him big checks, others won’t send him another dime.

Frankly, we’re back to basics with the guy, looking at all of these machinations through an atypically impartial lens – one that we assume we’ve obtained from having experienced the man from practically every professional vantage point imaginable.

We promise we’ll try and return to that “Unfair, Imbalanced” perspective soon, though … we’ve just got to figure out what to make of all this hay the governor is making first.