The Joke’s On Sanford

The curious case of South Carolina’s missing governor was all the rage in Palmetto – and even national – political circles yesterday, as the whereabouts of a man who controls less than 20% of his own branch of government suddenly turned into a statewide obsession.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford was eventually located, of course, but not before becoming the butt of some pretty funny jokes.

“Sanford’s Office to SC: He’s just not that into you …” joked S.C. Democratic operative Tyler Jones, while Tim Kelly of the popular liberal website Indigo Journal peppered his website and Facebook page with amusing updates.

“Mark Sanford went on a secret vacation and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!” one of Kelly’s updates – and actual T-Shirt designs – read.

Of course, once the governor had been located Kelly updated his shirt to read “Mark Sanford went hiking and all I got was this lousy unemployment check.”

Funny stuff.

The new satirists on the block over at The Discust also had their fair share of fun with the disappearing governor (here and here), while our own founding editor drew a stern rebuke from his wife for suggesting that he, too, should have four days away without having to tell her where he was going.

As if!

Meanwhile, some of the governor’s allies joked about the “concern” for his well-being that was articulated by Sanford rivals Sen. Jake Knotts and Andre Bauer, who collaborated to rub the the governor’s nose in this PR disaster.

“Only in SC does the governor apparently need permission from the legislative branch to take a vacation,” wrote S.C. Club for Growth director Matt Moore on his Facebook page. “Legislative tyranny at its finest.”

Sanford legislative ally Nathan Ballentine joked that he would sponsor a bill requiring Sanford to get a “permission slip” from Knotts and Bauer before leaving the state.

Comments