Andre Bauer May Be Smarter Than We Thought
We’ve always viewed S.C. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer as an intellectual lightweight.
Of course, if the reports we’re hearing today about the various strategic moves he is making in response to the scandal enveloping S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford are accurate, we may have to rethink that assessment.
Evidently, Bauer has someone incredibly Machiavellian advising him in his quest to turn Sanford’s scandal into his own political advantage.
As the administration of Gov. Sanford teeters on the brink of collapse, Bauer is dancing a delicate “Columbia two-step,” sources tell FITS.
According to a source familiar with his game plan, Bauer has decided to publicly offer his support to Gov. Sanford (initially at least) while his allies – including Sen. Jake Knotts – continue to pummel Sanford in the press, demand investigations and ramp up the chorus of calls for the governor to step down.
Meanwhile, one of the people who could call for an investigation of Sanford is unlikely to do so – reportedly because it might adversely affect his own gubernatorial ambitions.
S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster – who at the moment is Bauer’s main competition for the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nomination – is reportedly laying off the governor, as is the whole stable of clients affiliated with Richard Quinn.
“The only person keeping Mark Sanford in the Governor’s Office right now is Richard Quinn,” said one Palmetto politico familiar with McMaster’s top political advisor.
Quinn says that’s inaccurate and that he is not advising his clients to back off of Sanford.
“No one has asked me whether or not they should attack Mark Sanford,” Quinn said “Nor have I advised anyone to lay off of him.”
“I’ve told people I feel sorry for him and his family,” Quinn said.
“I feel badly for him, I feel sympathy for him and his family,” Quinn continued. “I wouldn’t want to exacerbate his pain with some political attack.”
Comments
By vennie on June 26th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Is Bauer the next JFK?
By Deerhunter on June 26th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Let’s hope Bauer’s not that slick. I don’t want him in the governor’s mansion either. Good video to offer Sanford recap: http://www.newsy.com/videos/sanford_saga
By Jaded on June 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
No.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on June 26th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
No, because JFK came from an affluent family and the Bauer’s are third-rate hicks. He’s more like the next Bill Clinton, except that he’s gay.
By A. South Carolina Dead Politician on June 26th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
“Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please,” said Brer Rabbit.
Richard ‘Win-at-all-Cost’ Quinn wouldn’t be fooling us on this would he?
Quinn continued. “I wouldn’t want to exacerbate his pain with some political attack.”
Ahh! The heart of gold prevails.
Nothing would help Quinn’s law-an-order-boy-wonder McMaster more than a Scandalous Andre Bauer sitting in the Governors Mansion when the 2010 primary rolls around.
“Only please, Brer Fox, please don’t throw me into the briar patch.”
How do you spell S-M-O-K-E-S-C-R-E-E-N?
By lou on June 26th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
How might one contact Rick Quinn??
By Vic Nettles on June 26th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
When everything falls out my friend Andre WILL BE GOVERNOR
By King Cotton on June 26th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
No, Andre’s not smarter than we thought, it’s just that even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
By Jeffy on June 26th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Andre is much smarter than you all think. Most importantly……he is a winner. What race has he ever lost?
By BIN News Editorial Staff on June 26th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Jeffry,
Andre won the race for medical attention when he punched the wall in his office years ago, but since then he has lost two races with law enforcement as he was speeding over 100 mph once and running red lights in another case. Seems in one case Andre charged the officer who had to draw his gun. To be honest he did also win a race to fleece SC in a land sale.
The only reason sanfrand might finish his term is concerns from responsible people that Andrea would be and even bigger joke as Governor.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By BIN News Editorial Staff on June 26th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
And, sic(k) willie, you’re wrong.
Andrea is not smarter than you thought.
He is just luckier than he deserves to be.
By Mike on June 26th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Hopefully (for all of us) his next one.
By your logic, Hitler was an OK guy until the US entered the fray…
PS- to the intellectual inbreds who will say I compared Bauer to Hitler- please hush. Read it carefully before you spout.
By Jen on June 26th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Can someone just shut up Jake Knotts? Why does he have a dog in this fight? Yes, he is on the Judiciary Committee, but shouldn’t the Chairman meet with Reggie Lloyd and not just a member of the committee or possibly the entire committee meet first to decide what steps to take? No one held a press conference when he locked his poor, innocent dog in the car with the windows up during the summer while he ate.
By JP on June 26th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
What’s with S. Carolina and conservative, in-the-closet politicians? I’ve known for a long time about (Miss) Lindsey (Graham), but not being from the state, I never knew of Andre, who’s apparently also playing for that team. Are there just a lot of self-haters in the S.C.? I don’t get it. I’m from PA, where most people (at least in my part of the state) adhere to the “live and let live” philosophy, where they’re gay or straight, Republican or Democrat. There seems to be a lot of guilt, angst and inner turmoil affecting my southern neighbors, however, and I feel bad for them, but maybe they need to have some major scandals in order to realize that keeping things “in the closet” is not for the best. If Bauer becomes governor, I feel certain that more scandal is sure to follow, especially if he’s as ambitious as he appears to be. He’s 40, he’s good-looking, he’s a prominent politician, he’s NOT married and he’s NEVER been married. He doesn’t even have a girlfriend. The truth here seems pretty obvious to me. I hope his sexual orientation does come out, and soon, because I am really sick of Republican gays who are in the closet all the while attempting to appeal to social conservatives with “family values” rhetoric. It’s hypocrisy at its worst, and it needs to stop.
By Henry Mason on June 27th, 2009 at 1:42 am
Hey, guess what? If the Mark Sanford resigns and Andre Bauer becomes governor, then Henry McMaster will be the second South Carolina public official IN ONE WEEK who can say he was screwed by an Argentinean woman!
By Bill on June 27th, 2009 at 8:05 am
When Jake Knotts speaks, it is after he has cleared everything with Andre Bauer.
Bauer is simply a hypocrite, in addition to many other things.
Sanford is flawed. Bauer is a shambles.
By wayward on June 27th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Say what you will about his maturity level, but Andre Bauer is a smart politician. That is why he is still Lt. Gov.
The Republican Party wanted Mike Campbell. When Bauer won the run-off, the GOP left him hanging out to dry. Somehow Robert Barber got the actual highway patrol video of “SC-2″, but Bauer still managed to win the race by the skin of his teeth.
Bauer’s supporters love him, even if the rest of the state is tired of his antics. Furthermore, McMaster isn’t exactly a heavyweight and Barrett is a complete dud. That is why I would never count him out.
By Claude on June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Who would benefit politically, over the State paper having these e-mails?Also, who is covering his tracks, by saying he thinks the governor should stay in office? Bet he goes to bed at night grinning from ear yo ear. Guess who this might be.
By Ms. Holder on June 27th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Andre is a drunk!
By For real on June 27th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Not sure that McMaster will have a choice if his office is asked to carry out its duties….he doesn’t want to get near this, but it may be unaviodable….
By political adversary on June 27th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
To clear a few matters…. Andre rarely drinks….Not sure he was the driver of the State vehicle driving at speeds over 100mph….He did run red lights, which cost him……Sanford did cheat, and it will cost him…..Andre is clever…We will see a lot develop this week…..Rember to watch Fox Tonight, Andre will be on.
By Joe Pinner on June 27th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Oh, some nasty comments being posted. Children, have you no shame? Oh, yes, you are the “hidden” insiders with all the answers. BTW, please answer this, who would be the “Lt. Governor” if Bauer were to become Governor? Inquiring minds want to know. Joy and agape’…Knozit
By randee on June 27th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Of course, Bauer could undergo the re-training at Exodus, get married, have 2 children, run for governor, be faithful to his wife, become senator, and then run for president. It’s all possible.
By tammy on June 28th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Nice choice on the picture with Ravenel looking on in such a loving and supportive way…says so much, you know?
By Vern on June 28th, 2009 at 11:59 am
After reading the comments on this site for days, I have decided that there are some really sad creatures in the “know” around here. What a mistake it was to visit the Cheaters former Wife Beaters site…. I might not feel as dirty if I licked a strippers pole.
My guess is that most of you throwing rocks at the Lt. Governor have never spoken two words or spent more than a passing moment at a cocktail party with him. If you have something more than traffic violations that you can prove speak up, otherwise sit down and STFU.
Sanford made us all look like fools for buying into his lies, we should have kept Hodges and video poker in hindsight.
My suggestion is that the campaign “players” and psychos who post under ten different names (yes you Curtis) take a look in their own closets before making wild statements. Might consider cleaning the corners of your mirrors too from the days before you stabbed Thomas in the back… he never did take any of you down remember;)
By Jeffy on June 28th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
BIN, go back to your so popular web page. We are all good here without you yammering. Have you ever been got speeding in moms minivan BIN? Go back to the Wii, we don’t need you today.
By Political Adversary on June 28th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
To clear one other matter: Andre does have a girlfriend and I have met her, she is a hottie and not from SC! I have met several of the ladies he has previously dated as well. So, get over the Gay BS!, unless you have proof of it otherwise.
By Frank Montgomery on June 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Andre Bauer answers the question of his sexuality precisely the same way that Florida Governor Charlie Crist does; evasively.
Charlie has had quite a few “girlfriends” and is now married to a woman….BUT he is also GAY.
I have no doubt that their sexuality is a minor portion of their sense of self, just as is normal for us all, but the continuing denial can’t be healthy to their mental health.
By Kevin on June 28th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Vern,
Who are u saying stabbed Thomas in the back?
K
By Matt on June 28th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I’m just wondering what Andre’s policy agenda is going to be. His political persona is more one of being people-centric rather than policy-centric. We can pretty much guess that Barrett is going to be focusing a lot on economic development and energy, Haley is going to be pushing good government, accountability, reform, etc., Grooms and probably Haley will be talking up Club for Growth economic issues, but what about Bauer? He is known for being a young version of one of those old-guard “Southern pols” like Thurmond who get their support not from having well-defined policy agendas but from things like constituent service, glad-handing around the state, personal contact, etc. I guess Bauer is also known now for the senior citizen stuff, but he will need much more to build a Gov’s campaign on. He always talks about being a low tax guy by “ruling billions of dollars in tax increases out of order” but no one even knows what that means. A lot of candidates for Lt. Gov. over the years have talked about the vague idea that they are going to “use the office to recruit new businesses to the state”. People like Robert Barber and Mike Campbell and Nick Theodore used to use this line. I can’t remember if Andre has taken this approach in his rhetoric (I am assuming he must have at some point) but I wonder if he has a record in this area. Could he run to be a 21st century version of a Carroll Campbell/Strom Thurmond hybrid–a governor who is going to focus like a laser beam on business recruitment and economic development and who is also going to be one of the most visible governors in modern state history–taking the open-door policy on the road and cris-crossing the state every weekend to show up and be with the people?
By MARSHA on June 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
He would run as the boy version of Leatherman, Knotts and Dan Cooper. In other words, no deal is off the table as long as it benefits Andre or his posse.
It will be a trip back to the days of Lost Trust. No scruples, no honor, just deal deal deal.Deal deal deal. And then deal some more.
Dems and RHINO’s will be in heaven. And the mansion will be hopping with young things of all kinds, shapes and variations.
By James on June 30th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Mark Sanford’s claim to be like King David is laughable And insane. Only if you know your Bible will you realize that “King” Mark has no regret for what he did. He chose evil over good. I wonder if the good Christians of South Carolina really understand just how much wool “King” Mark is trying to pull over their eyes.
I don’t defend President Clinton or his actions at all twelve years ago, but what “King” Mark did outdoes the crimes of Clinton doublefold. And makes “King” Mark a huge hypocrite when he was standing slamming Clinton and calling for his resignation.
Sneaking to a tryst of a lover without a single person knowing, when you are the highest official of the state, is at the very least utterly disgraceful.
South Carolina, shake off this evil now. Remember what Jesus said about knowing people by their actions. Actions speak much louder than any word.
By David on July 1st, 2009 at 1:52 am
Andre Bauer, former Varsity Male Cheerleader makes my “GAYdar” ping off the scale.
By Larry on August 26th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Andreas isn’t a bit smarter than anyone else. What he is is more ruthless. I had personal dealings with him back in the late 80s and let me tell you he associated with some very unsavory people in those days. If you think for a moment that those same people don’t still have influence in Bauer’s career, guess again.
Trackbacks