Hang Ten
All ten candidates for governor of South Carolina will share the stage next Tuesday at a joint candidate debate in Orangeburg, S.C. – the first time in state history that primary candidates from rival parties have shared the same stage.
So will it be like the Hatfields and McCoys? The Crips and the Bloods? The Autobots and Decepticons?
Of course not … South Carolina is a one color (hint: not red) state, and the labels between one party and the other are virtually interchangeable. Plus, the office of the governor – already powerless and all but irrelevant – has been made positively pointless by its current occupant, making all the nuanced rhetoric we’ll be hearing over the coming months equally pointless.
Anyway, other than the glaring similarities between their two parties and their collective inability to implement anything resembling real change (assuming they could find it with a map), what will the candidates discuss?
Well, if you’re playing a drinking game at home, we recommend the words “Sanford” and “Jobs” – at least if your goal is to get a good buzz going.
Assuming you want to stay sober, you might want to pick words like “details” or “specifics.”
The debate is being sponsored by the S.C. Natural Resources Society, which means its focus is technically going to be on environmental issues, although when was the last time you recall a politician in a debate actually answering the question they were asked?
Yeah … exactly.
The debate will be the first chance for voters to have a (relatively) unfiltered look at the five Democratic candidates – liberal lobbyist Dwight Drake, State Sen. Robert Ford, Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and State Sen. Vincent Sheheen.
The five Republican candidates – U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, State Sen. Larry Grooms, State Rep. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Henry McMaster – debated in Newberry, S.C. back in September.
Next Tuesday’s debate will be held at Rocquemore Auditorium on the campus of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, with taping taking place from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The debate will then be broadcast statewide beginning at 8 p.m.
Interested parties can watch a live stream of the debate on the SCETV website by clicking on www.scetv.org/candidatespotlight.
Meanwhile, in honor of the occasion, here’s a live version of our favorite cut off of Pearl Jam’s Ten ..
Comments
By Matt on October 26th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Can we junk 8 out of 10 candidates and just let Grooms and Ford go at it for the hour? It might be worth watching then.
By Joan on October 27th, 2009 at 1:12 am
I read recently that South Carolina has the fewest number of elected office holders who are womwn. This list sure makes that look about right. Is Nikki a man or woman?
By Toyota Kawaski on October 27th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Darling Nikki goes both ways
By SC Integrity on October 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Maybe loudest Nikki cheerleader Cohen will be able to round up his three listeners to come out and prop her up.
By PasserBy on October 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
So, I’m counting 10 candidates: 5 Repubs and 5 Dems. That’s one for each finger: who is the middle finger on each hand for? Seems too many candidates for that coveted middle spot…
By by nice guy on October 27th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I recently read about Henry teaming up with the Humane Society of the United States to abolish all sport hunting and fishing. I happen to agree with them I think it’s about time we use photography to shoot our natural resources instead of buckshot.”Henry for Govenor”
By Forrrest on October 28th, 2009 at 9:58 am
@ by nice guy
You must have been dropped on your head as a baby, repeatedly apparently…
Most people that do hunt, they eat and use the meat that they get from the animal they were hunting. If you take that away, they would have to go buy the meat that they were counting on from hunting. That’s probably money they dont have. People who live out in the country and do not have high paying jobs depend on hunting as a way of supporting themselves and their families.