… HAS STARTED THE 2018 SOUTH CAROLINA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
|| By FITSNEWS || The 2018 campaign for governor of South Carolina was officially kicked off last week by a woman who may not even be a candidate …
That’s how seismically the resignation of Catherine Templeton from her post as director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) was felt across the Palmetto political landscape.
Templeton – a Lowcountry attorney touted for her managerial and messenging skills – is viewed as one of the top contenders for the post, assuming she doesn’t challenge embattled U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford for his congressional seat first.
Who else is in the conversation?
Well there’s U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney – who made a major play toward the “center” of the political spectrum with his recent vote in favor of fiscally liberal U.S. Speaker John Boehner.
Also in the conversation are a pair of statewide officials who hail from the “Quinndom” – or the political consulting empire of Richard Quinn and Associates, arguably the most powerful force in Palmetto politics at the moment. First there’s S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson, who has made a name for himself pushing hot button issues at the federal level and fighting corruption at the state level.
In fact Wilson was the subject of an expansive feature article in The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier this week – the sort of puff piece you see from candidates looking at a run for higher office (or to be fair, the sort of puff piece you see about candidates who are being touted for a run at higher office).
It worked, too …
“I like him,” one out-of-state operative told FITS after reading the piece on Wilson.
That was the point of the story …
The other “Quinn” candidate eyeing a bid? Incoming S.C. lieutenant governor Henry McMaster – a former two-term attorney general (and ex-SCGOP chairman) whose staffers are reportedly already gearing up in anticipation of a 2018 bid.
Frankly, we view McMaster as far less attractive candidate than Wilson. Putting it bluntly: He’s older, dumber and got a lot more baggage. But his advisors are moving “full speed ahead” regardless – setting up an interesting potential race (and fueling rumors that Wilson has his sights set someplace other than 800 Richland Street).
Other rumored candidates? S.C. Rep. Tommy Pope – a former solicitor who was recently elected second-in-command in the “Republican-controlled” S.C. House of Representatives. Although Pope is viewed less as a legitimate statewide threat and more as a “spoiler.”
S.C. Sen. Tom Davis, on the other hand, is a legislative candidate whose potential interest in a gubernatorial bid is being eyed very seriously. Davis is based out of Beaufort, S.C. – a die-hard GOP region of the state with deep pockets. The libertarian-leaning lawmaker is also a favorite of the Tea Party wing of the GOP – and by far the most aggressive, eloquent voice for reform in the S.C. General Assembly.
That’s a potent electoral combination …
Davis has led on several key pieces of pro-free market legislation in recent years – and we expect his profile to continue rising as the state’s legislative branch attempts a major left-ward lurch this year.
So … will other names emerge in this field? Of course. The current occupant of the governor’s mansion hasn’t even taken the oath of office for her second term yet … meaning this field is incredibly fluid (and will be for some time).
But the conversation got started in a big way last week … for which we have Catherine Templeton to thank.
Who do you like for this office? Who else should we be tracking? Post your thoughts in our comments section below …
YOUR VOICE >>>
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50 comments
Wow – people voting on this site are stupider than I thought – Alan Wilson leading – he just a puppet of Nikki Haley. I really think Nikki Haley is going to pull a Sara Palin and she will be out of here soon – that is why Templeton quit now.
So who did you vote for?
What a fucked up list – no wonder you hillbillies are so pissed off all the time.
It’s my lack of teeth and dearth of corn liquor pissing me off.
I had to look up “dearth” too so that I wasn’t repetitive. That’s highly upsetting.
what really pisses *me* off is how hard it is to *spell* repetitive… and occurring… oh, and what the fuck is up with plagiarism… and silhouette?
“oh, and what the fuck is up with plagiarism… and silhouette?”
Words meant to do nothing more than anger those of us more concerned with squirrel meat here in SC.(me)
I have a confession to make: I killed more than 25 squirrels in my back yard, and didn’t eat a single one.
You shouldn’t kill what you don’t eat.
:)
I know. I know. But they were eating my house.
Why are you always so angry?
you.
hygiene
pharmaceutical
Budweiser / Busch
fiery
eerie
Haley, DSS target of federal lawsuit; ‘dangerous deficiencies’ in state care citied
http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/12/3923290/haley-dss-target-of-federal-lawsuit.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1
Read
more here:
http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/12/3923290/haley-dss-target-of-federal-lawsuit.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy
Bob Inglis for Gov!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, I almost forgot………………………………………..
Fuck Mark “Shirker” Sanford,fuck him,fuck him,fuck him,fuck him,fuck him,fuck him
Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow
Come on Sparky don’t “hem and haw”, tell us how you really feel…
Why does this article smack of being another T-Rav story?
[looking at The Colonel with admiration] I wish *I* could tell the difference between articles on FITS.
BINGO!! My first thought when I read it.
The editor is also a “campaign consultant”, my guess is he’s trying to butter her up with excessive shout-outs in hopes she’ll hire him.
I don’t know Ol’ Will may be (brain) damaged goods at this point I’m not real sure if he’s a viable campaign manager or even a viable consultant.
or, like T-Rav, she already has hired him and his trying to create buzz by reporting about buzz that aint there, sleazy and obvious
…except in reverse. FITS did the “John Kerry” on Templeton (he was against her before he was for her), which is the inverse of the “Ravenel Bromance Period” (for him before he was against him) during which most readers of this site suffered so mightily.
Where’s “no one for governor” in the poll listing?
Anywho, “He’s older, dumber and got a lot more baggage.”
That’s prime time SC winning qualifications right there. Newt won SC in a primary, what more is there to say?
Davis sold his soul to the Democratic Devils in February 2014 when he started working for Jean Toal. He is finished statewide.
But this is a Fits puff piece touting Davis.
Davis worked for Toal?
none of the above
Sanfraud may run again – the limit is more than 2 term consecutively. What better way to get back at Jenny and Trikki Nikki? He has no shame, so why not if you’re him?
Typical SC voter casting his ballot in 2018: “Sanford. That name sounds vaguely familiar. Where have I heard that before?? Oh, well, he’s the only one whose name I recognize a bit…I’ll vote for him.” Wrong? You know I’m not.
Talk about a set of lips locked on a tit, looks like you are in for the long suck
At this time Templeton is probably the front runner but not for any of the reasons you have stated
Voters in South Carolina appear to have a “thing” for Female Cockroaches so for the near future Templeton is and will be the Mother Roach
As for the “Templeton ripple” I would venture to say that if she were pushed into any sizable body of political water it would be more like a tsunami, not a ripple
Speculative women’s studies
————————————–
A philosopher says to a linguist “What if, instead of periods, women had apostrophes?” The linguist replied, “They’d be more possessive and have more frequent contractions.”
Do we get a “none of the above” choice?
Fits, you forgot Tim Scott. He wants to be Gov so bad he can’t see straight. Does not like being a Senator from what I was told.
Scott jumped on the federal band wagon for the money and other perks. Everybody knows that.
She neither a manager nor a messenger. A lack of experience, knowledge and personality resulted in management by fear, intimidation and accident. Besides people, funds, assets and the law were misabused, often illegally. Upcoming audits will show this to be true. Great crowd of folks the voters of this state have chosen to shape the future.
So easy to throw out slimey charges without proof. Anonymous liars are just that, liars.
Only a small man would trash someone inlike that. A very small man indeed.
I suppose you are among the spiritually and intellectually “undead” who drink the Haley cool aid. My sympathies to you — and your stumbling, skin peeling brethren.
Alan Wilson looks like a used car salesman that hasn’t met his quota.
Herb Tarlek
Captain Eddie.
OK, props for the WKRP reference….
It wont be any of them. Mark my words, these guys wont or cant make the cut
lulz…wan’t that long ago she was giving presentations at CHS businesses on what is and what is not sexual harassment. Basically, don’t talk to women, give them all the days off they want, and you’ll be fine.
Haley’s pal Kitzman is it. New DHEC director. No search at all. By acclimation.
“acclamation” sorry
She has a good shot… I’d vote for her.
Doing amazingly well on the poll here.
Templeton’s public persona and that which she exhibits in private are diversely different. She is quite adept at pTting herself on the back and looking nice while slipping a dagger into you under table. It’s only a matter of time until the public learns what a mess she made at DHEC. She and her overpaid cronies had/have no knowledge of public health or environmental protection, but they are/were good at making a show of doing something positive. The damage they have done to the agency, to relationships with local governments, and to the state, are more far-reaching than you can imagine. They have created a severe “dumbing down” of the workforce by running off knowledge, skills and abilities, all in the name of cutting government.
There are far too many lazy care-nothings still there. These deep problems never got attention.
162 people have chosen Alan Wilson so far. ALAN. WILSON. What is wrong with you people?