Brian1972 on March 13, 2009 at 3:41 AM

Yes, techno may have fallen asleep at the Daily Kos blog.

Are you an SC resident? What is up with the economy there? Why is unemplooment so high?

goat on March 12, 2009 at 10:32 PM

I am. SC native. Moved back in 2006 after 18 years in Georgia. Word we got this week was that SC has had a large migration of unemployed coming here from other states looking for work. Will be good for SC in the long haul but bad looking for us right now.

Isn’t unemployment and poverty and education quality in South Carolina the best argument against anyone who comes out of that state? It has had consistent conservative leadership since the Reagan era and it’s only second to Michigan in unemployment. Hmmmm whats the common denominator, hint, it ain’t unions.

DeathToMediaHacks on March 13, 2009 at 7:56 AM

Unions don’t have anything to do with it. Poverty harks back to areas that traditionally stand there with their hands out, wanting their guvmint handouts. How do you think Clyburn gets reelected every 2 years? Nothing but a race pimp. Many of the problems are created by folks that don’t want change. They had their textile jobs, now they sit on their lazy @$$3$ and cry for the state to do something to get their jobs back. Ain’t going to happen.

Someone mentioned that Sanford has been overruled many times. He is a true conservative/libertarian. As far as conservative leadership since Reagan, many of the RINOs in the legislature are Democrats that converted to Rebulican when the state became primarily Republican. Same thing in GA.

There are 2 South Carolinas now. Come to the upstate, or the Midlands around Columbia, even some of the Lowcountry near Charleston, Sanford’s territory. You will see a vast difference in the economy vs. the rural areas sitting around waiting for their next handout. We’ve lost some jobs in the Greenville area, but in the last month we’ve had 4-5 announcements of new industries coming here. Far more than the 25 jobs President Obama celebrated in Cleveland just the other day.

I still think Romney would be an interesting choice to chair the RNC for a couple of years.

Y-not on March 12, 2009 at 8:50 PM
I agree, Romney would definitely not be stumbling around wondering what to do, he would turn it into a lean effective operation.

goat on March 12, 2009 at 9:00 PM

+1. This is Mitt’s strong suit. He wouldn’t have to stay on until 2012 (clearly, he is running again). Just spend a year or two setting up an efficient team at the RNC then turn it over to s/o else to run

I don’t give moolah to the RNC anymore – it all goes to SarahPac now. I trust her to distribute the funds to conservative causes and candidates – I don’t trust the RNC. If you REALLY want to impact the GOP – you gotta do it with $$ … and the best way is to tell them that they now have to get Sarah’s endorsement before you’ll give them funds. Just tell ‘em to go and see Sarah.

Additionally – the MORE we can inflate SarahPac with funds – the more the GOP will SEE where the REAL power is in the GOP. And it is … as always … with the conservative base.

HondaV65 on March 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM

Good suggestion, I’ve done just that (donated to SarahPac). RNC, no soup for you!

That is why I asked what has he accomplished, not what has he done or what has he said.
The message is great, it is the messenger that currently has the problem. Talk is cheap. It is the same problem that Ron Paul has.
kcarpenter on March 12, 2009 at 10:28 PM

I am not pushing Sanford (I’ve just started reading up on him and I agree with others that it is far too early to annoint a front-runner for ’12), but I don’t see how you can ignore his “A” rating from the CATO Institute (assuming you are a conservative). A few snippets from their 2008 report card on governors:

Mark Sanford, Republican
Legislature: Republican
Grade: A
Took Office: January 2003

Mark Sanford is a consistent advocate of spending restraint and pro-growth tax cuts. In 2004, he proposed cutting the top personal income tax rate from 7.0 percent to 4.75 percent. In 2005, the legislature agreed to go halfway and cut the top income tax rate for small businesses from 7 percent to 5 percent. In 2006, the governor and legislature agreed to raise the sales tax rate in a swap for cuts to property taxes and sales taxes on groceries. In 2007 Sanford signed into law substantial cuts to sales and income taxes. This year, Sanford has proposed swapping higher cigarette taxes for cuts to income taxes by means of an optional 3.4 percent flat tax. In response, the legislature proposed a large cigarette tax hike without an offsetting tax cut, and Sanford
vetoed it.
On spending, Sanford’s proposed budgets have been quite frugal, and he has vetoed hundreds of costly bills. Unfortunately, the legislature has overridden many of Sanford’s vetoes, and actual state spending has risen faster than he would have liked. To help solve the overspending problem, Sanford has pushed for the state to adopt a cap on the budget to limit annual growth to inflation plus increases in population, but that reform has not yet been adopted.

A Palin-Romney combo could be very interesting, but I don’t see Romney being willing to go for the second slot. Personally, I would be fine with Palin as Romney’s running mate, if the ticket made it clear from the outset where her expertise would be applied (energy policy, government reform)… but I doubt she’d be willing to run as VP again.

All for a guy who’s barred by term limits from running for governor again next year.

Well, that’s when South Carolina stops being a bordello.

“Mark Sanford is putting his personal ambition ahead of the people of South Carolina

He’s done that by being the most sold-out governor in the US.

Okay it now is becoming clearer: Rush has been set up as the reason for anything the dems want to attack just as Newt was several years ago. Every time they crank up the propaganda machine you will see the name Rush attached to it.

myrenovations on March 13, 2009 at 8:30 AM

Agreed. I was really surprised that Ron Paul defended his earmarks yesterday on Cavuto. I keep hearing how he is against this spending…but hes for earmarks?

Im against anyone who asks for an earmark. To me they are nothing short of bribes for votes. I will vote for you if you bring money home. blah

Mormon issue finally goes away for evangelicals in second term. Would be good for America’s image overseas.

papabryant on March 13, 2009 at 9:01 AM

I’m not sure the Mormon issue ever goes away for a good portion of evangelicals. I can only hope Romney gets elected without them for the first term so we can find out.

Palin/ Sanford – Both are charasmatic and brighter than the Dems give them credit for, but are damaged by Dem rhetoric. Good for social conservatives who want strong economics as well, just not as good as Paul/Sanford would be on that front. Serious stab at ethics reform under withering Democrat PR slime will fail, but might set up a chance to promote a reformist movement ala Goldwater.

Jindal/ Sanford – Dems will slime Jindal with Katrina, even though he is the only good thing in Louisiana that happened from the storm. Jindal proposes reform. Sanford then becomes economic bulldog to sic on Dems opposing reform. Again, not a true corrective to the system as Paul would be, but would at least curtail some government programs in need of serious pruning.

Romney/ Sanford – Looks better on paper than it really is. Romney isn’t a true Rockafeller Republican, but isn’t a true conservative either. Sanford does nothing for Romney except make VP choice look wise. Social conservatives will be troubled, but not repulsed. Mormon issue finally goes away for evangelicals in second term. Would be good for America’s image overseas.

Ron Paul as Secretary of the Treasury.

I don’t know that I’m all that comfortable have Captain Earmark heading up Treasury in a Republican administration.

Sarah has way too much baggage.

Chekote on March 13, 2009 at 1:15 AM

That baggage will keep her from being the nominee; most of that baggage is courtesy of people like Kos Kiddies. They know they were successful at what they were trying to do; they’ll do it again and succeed. Froom here on out Kos in conjunction with the media will put the kybosh on any of our candidates they don’t like — because we let them.

It’s called FEAR.

When the CHANGE! tanks and eliminates HOPE! the by product is called FEAR.

That’s a big reason the Donks have been pushing the GOP around the last two elections. They have no fear of their opposition.

We must work to craft ideas and solutions to the current mess, speak out against the rising tide of incompitence in the White House and the Congress and make it CRYSTAL F’ING CLEAR to the GOP remnant in Congress that they MUST stand up to these dopes and MUST hold the line.

Only then will the Dems start to truely fear us and when Dems get scared, they screw up. (Well, they screw up bigger than normal.)

Watching Ap standing amid Republicans and tossing out nominee suggestions is like watching Bill Clinton chatting up your wife. You know nothing good can come of this.