By FITSNews || Liberal Columbia, S.C. lobbyist Dwight Drake is abandoning his bid to becoming governor of South Carolina, top democratic sources tell FITS.
Frankly, we’re not surprised.
Ever since announcing his candidacy, Drake has trailed his democratic rivals in the polls, been dogged by scandals (and rumors of other scandals) and dramatically under-performed on the campaign finance front. In fact, a recent Winthrop University poll showed that he was the least well-known of any candidate seeking the office.
Drake becomes the third candidate to drop out of the race. Republican State Sen. Larry Grooms and attorney Mullins McLeod, a Charleston, S.C. democrat, have already withdrawn their candidacies.
That leaves State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and State Sen. Robert Ford in the gubernatorial mix on the Democratic side. Meanwhile, Republicans have four candidates currently in the race – Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Attorney General Henry McMaster and State Rep. Nikki Haley.
An eighth candidate – Morgan Bruce Reeves – is running as an independent.
Drake’s departure from the race deals a huge blow to the prestige of former S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian, who had gone to extraordinary measures to promote and finance Drake’s candidacy.
It’s also a huge blow to us here at FITS, as we have been enjoying making repeated “Wookie” references to the hairy political insider.
UPDATE: It’s official. Drake is out, according to a release from his campaign.
“It’s become clear to me that I am not going to be able to marshal the resources needed to run the competitive, substantive campaign that I set out to run,” he said in a statement.
By fred March 5, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Vincent Sheheen is the obvious choice to Dems, like myself, who are looking for a moderate, energetic candidate with a track record of reaching across the aisle to get things done.
Fred
By fred March 5, 2010 at 12:46 pm
While you are at it, DONATE:
VincentSheheen.com
Fred
By JC March 5, 2010 at 12:53 pm
You forgot the blow to SC it leaves. I’m pretty sure you don’t know him or even know why he got into the race to begin with (I’m sure, again, it would be entirely too hokey for your sensibilities), but it did give you, yet another opportunity, to display your lame wit. And as for blow, here’s one for you. Blow. Me.
By stimulus March 5, 2010 at 1:03 pm
lot of quitters these days
By Josh March 5, 2010 at 1:41 pm
“Drake has … been dogged by scandals (and rumors of other scandals)”
What scandals and rumors? I haven’t heard anything about this, and I’m quite familiar with Drake (as opposed to most people in SC, part of the reason he had to drop out). I just looked for stories on Drake and didn’t find anything scandalous…
By Ynotfirst March 5, 2010 at 1:46 pm
so it’s sheheen vs reeves vs who?
By Billy Bob March 5, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Stim u lus – why don’t you join them and QUIT.
By WorkingTommyC March 5, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Dang! If Drake were taller, he’d look like the spooky “Tall Man” (Angus Scrum) from “Phantasm!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebrjnvhR9nI&feature=related
By PalmettoGreen March 5, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Let’s run his statement through our handy dandy BS calculator, shall we?
Dwight Drake:
“I’ve fulfilled two long-held goals – raising my statewide name ID and getting “Candidate for Governor” on my resume. Now it’s time to return to fleecing the special interests and state government at an even higher billable rate. While my campaign was never really about running for governor, thank you to the countless Democrats and activists I used as political props over the last few months. You all are great sports. And a very special thank you to Vincent Sheheen, who I used as my personal punching bag. Best of luck kid.”
By fred March 5, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Palmetto Green:
I could not agree more. You know that Vincent is hoping NOT to get Drake’s endorsement.
I’d love to talk to Harpootlian today. Do you think that he is on the phone kissing Vincent’s ass!?
Vincent Sheheen is about to put it ON Jim Rex.
Fred
By Hal I. March 5, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Ugh, done w/ Democrats in this state. We’re going to follow that cub scout Sheheen right off a cliff b/c his family looks nice on a postcard. All hail Gov. McMaster.
By Walking Around Money March 5, 2010 at 3:00 pm
McMaster can’t get dressed in the morning without instructions. That’s exactly what need…the GOP’s version of Harpootlian. Idiot
By Hal I. March 5, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Whether he can or can’t dress himself is irrelevant, the job is – in one man’s humble opinion – his to lose. The primary will be tough, but then he’ll cruise past the bumpkin the Dems have resigned themselves to supporting. I personally can’t stand ANY candidate on the Republican side, especially McMaster.
By Josh March 5, 2010 at 3:49 pm
You need to check out Nikki Haley. Her platform I mean.
By Susan March 5, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Wait..you mean he was running?
By Tom March 5, 2010 at 3:53 pm
I always thought that Drake could get a job as a Geico “caveman.”
By stimulus March 5, 2010 at 4:01 pm
quit what Billy Bob?
By Edmund Burke March 5, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Dear Fred and Palmetto Green:
Whoa — making fun of Dwight because of his cro-magnon-like cranium is fair, but acusing him of “fleecing” his clients, isn’t.
Dwight Drake does not “fleece” the “special interests” — he represents them, and very effectively.
Nor does he “fleece” the state government – were it not for his suit to force Sanford to accept the “stimulus” money, there would be no wool left on the sheep to “fleece”…
Now, there are plenty of other bagmen out there — Republicans included –who lobby state agencies at taxpayers’ expense — but Drake isnt one of them.
“Scandal?” Paying a fine for having an open Bud Light in his truck? Some scandal…
“Rumors of scandals?” Please… put up or shut up…
Sadly, one of the few interesting gub’notorial candidates — one with a brain, a set of balls — still in his pants — sense of humor – a little vision — albeit “liberal” — just dropped out because he can’t get the Demos to give him any money.
This is a bad development — and one more step closer to Gubnor McMastahhhh…
By Bookyt March 5, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Yeah lets check out Nikki Haley …….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia
Amnesia (from Greek ???????) is a condition in which memory is disturbed or lost.
By York County Native March 5, 2010 at 4:43 pm
All this means is that Dwight got his hair cut for nothing.
By SC Moderate March 5, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Question about a tangential subject… Does Vic Rawl have even a remote chance against Demint, or is he a place filler. If not, Are there any creditable names out there, still thinking about challenging Demint?
By fred March 5, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Looking at cash on hand, Demint is safe. NO Dem in SC has the ability to fundraise enough to topple DeMint.
It would take a screw-up of “Sanford” proportions from DeMint to defeat DeMint.
My opinion,
Fred
By No Name March 5, 2010 at 7:59 pm
HEY… MOVE ALONG HERE…..MOVE ALONG ….NOTHING TO SEE HERE.. MOVE ALONG NOW.
By redneck1 March 5, 2010 at 8:52 pm
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/governors/sc-gov-candidate-pulls-down-sa.html
Vote Haley because if the Sanfrauds endorse you then god himself says you are the one!!! HHAHAHAHAHAH
By commonsense March 5, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Is it just me or does Drake look like a skinny version of Boss Hawg?
By Jeffy March 5, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Fred…..if Sheheen is a moderate then you must also believe the President is as well? Sheheen is a true lefty, he hasn’t scared the middle. He will get washed away by the Republican wave in November.
By The Colonel March 6, 2010 at 3:29 am
SC Democrats have three choices:
Sheheen, Rex and Ford.
Sheheen gets beaten by Bauer, Barrett and McMaster. He has about ¾s of the money that the three Republican leaders have – he is a big “Vince who?” in most of the state. Haley might be able to give him a run for his money if she had some – money that is.
Rex could theoretically beat Bauer but he and Ford are broke. Rex has to run against his own dismal record and is getting no traction in fund raising though strangely, he is getting some endorsements from educators who obviously don’t get it. They’re probably the same group who thought Dick Riley was a good choice for Secretary of Education.
Nobody knows who Ford is and he has just about enough money left to call his “I’m dropping out of the race” press conference.
Who is this Morgan character?
I’m an ABB*er so McMaster or Barrett are both acceptable and realistic Sheheen is “Hodges Lite”, without the charisma or intelligence (that’s sarcasm btw)
*ABB = Anybody but Bauer
By vicupstate March 6, 2010 at 9:28 am
SC has basically been sliding backwards for 8 years, another 4-8 years of that, and we can never even hope of being compettitive for jobs or anything else.
All of the GOP candidates are nothing-burgers. I hope that Sheheen is of the calibur required for the job. We will have to see. He is about the only hope though.
I honestly think that someone else could get in this race and blow the others away. A well-respected businessman for instance.
The business powers-that-be will get behind Sheheen in a big way if the alternative is Bauer. The same thing probably would happen if Haley is the nominee. If Barrett or McMaster win it, then I don’t know if they would ‘save’ us or just let the chips fall where they may.
By fred March 6, 2010 at 10:47 am
Good points guys. I only know what I know and, obviously, I have admittedly been drinking the Sheheen kool-aid. I am a lean-Democrat voter, who can’t find anyone appealing on the Republican side. A candidate positions can align with yours to the tee, but if he can’t get them through the Legislature, he is put a worthless PR machine for the cause (Mark Sanford). It is time to stop the press conferences and time to start passing some true change!
Sheheen is offers fresh leadership. His ideas on Governmental and tax reform (see his website) are great and I believe he is the only one that has the ability support to push the major changes through. Your candidate must not only KNOW the issues, he/she must know how to PASS them. I have spoken with Republican Legislators who are ‘secretly’ assisting Sheheen in his bid. Its time to get to work on moving our State forward. If we have Washington gridlock in Columbia, NO ONE wins!
Thanks,
Fred
By David Weasley March 6, 2010 at 12:26 pm
VincentSheheen.com
THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOMEBODY THAT WILL CARE ABOUT ITS PEOPLE UNLIKE THE OTHER ZOMBIES…..
By Hal I. March 6, 2010 at 2:29 pm
“Your candidate must not only KNOW the issues, he/she must know how to PASS them”
This describes Drake, not Sheheen. Vincent’s legislative record is dismally thin and uninspiring. Drake has more legislative successes as an unelected official than Sheheen has as an elected one.
Drake had a a ton of surface level negatives – no one will argue that – but the Dems just lost the only guy who knew how to scrap and how to win. Sheheen will get absolutely rolled in the general election b/c he can’t take a punch. It’s depressing that a guy can be by universal accounts excellent at his job and have a careers worth of successful work, and yet have it trashed and immediately dismissed on account of being a lobbyist. Nevermind that our neutered governership is basically a giant lobbying apparatus anyways.
Here’s to Gov. McMaster and eight more years of the cellar, folks.
By Livewire March 7, 2010 at 8:41 am
Well , a jackass would be a better governor than Haley or McMaster these two clowns have nothing to offer our state but more of the same retoric that Sanfraud as his God Preached.