“WORKING GROUP” SEES OPPORTUNITY IN GOP DIVISION …
A “working group” of prominent South Carolina Democrats has begun meeting with the goal of exploiting deep divisions within the state’s increasingly splintered Republican party.
Their ultimate objective? To regain control of both chambers of the S.C. General Assembly – and to retake the state’s various constitutional offices (including the governor’s mansion).
And to do it within a decade …
Republicans gained control of the S.C. House in 1994 and took over the State Senate in 2001. They’ve controlled the governor’s office since 2003.
What’s happened over that time frame? Easy: An explosion of government spending (and unconstitutional borrowing).
Democrats obviously love that … and have had a starring role in facilitating it, too. While technically the minority party at the S.C. State House, Democrats have wielded oversized influence when it comes to controlling the taxpayer-funded gravy train (as well as policy, judicial appointments, etc.).
Not only that, several leading liberals have campaigned for – and won – statewide offices as GOP candidates.
Hell, even former “Tea Party” leader Nikki Haley has pretty much governed like a Democrat on fiscal issues. And on education policy. And on infrastructure.
With so many GOP leaders in their fold, Democrats have resisted the urge to mount a coordinated offensive against the Republican establishment. Moreover, the most recent re-drawing of legislative district lines (in advance of the 2012 election) made it extremely difficult for them to target individual GOP lawmakers for defeat.
But now – with the Republican party headed toward a full-scale thermonuclear meltdown – Democrats are reassessing the situation with an eye on seizing power from the liberal wing of the GOP.
Sources familiar with the machinations of this liberal “working group” tell us it has been meeting regularly in the offices of a prominent Columbia, S.C. law firm – and that its members include elected officials, lobbyists, donors, attorneys and political operatives.
So far, we’re told the group has reached no strategic consensus about its pathway forward. At this point there has been only “general agreement” that data from the upcoming 2016 election needs to be pored over with an eye on determining which legislative districts are ripe for the taking in future elections.
At that point, depending on the lay of the land, one source told us “you could see third parties, black ops, independent expenditures, petitions, party-switchers, etc.”
It’s all part of what we’re told is a “ten-year plan.”
This source even hinted that the ongoing investigation of the S.C. House Republican caucus could be a “nice launching off point” for the group’s upcoming operations.
Damn …
The ongoing splintering of the Republican party – and more specifically, the failure of its elected officials to govern in a manner consistent with the wishes of its voters – has put the GOP in a very precarious position indeed.
And while Democrats have thus far chose to form a “governing majority” with liberal Republican lawmakers (as opposed to exploiting their weakness), they now appear to be exploring alternative arrangements.
Stay tuned … we look forward to publishing additional information on the status of this “working group” in the weeks to come.
(Banner via Travis Bell Photography)