This and that after a few days off

The staff of VUI took some needed vacation time from blogging this week, only to come back to a list of things that need to be addressed. Who knew that the first week in March would be so interesting?

First, there is the mess in Anderson County local government. Finally, the investigation into the former administrator and council got put in the right hands when Sheriff John Skipper and Solicitor Chrissy Adams kicked the investigation to the Attorney General, SLED and the South Carolina State Grand Jury. Frankly, it is hard to tell who is right and who is wrong in Anderson County local government. Neither side seems to really embrace limited government, only getting even. Perhaps letting the state get in the matter will settle the matter once and for all and the factions can stop spending the people’s money in the mud fight.

Second, there was the victory of Governor Rick Perry of Texas in the Texas Republican Primary. Perry defeated Kay Bailey Hutchinson. What is notable about Perry’s victory is that Perry ran a campaign without the first yard sign or piece of direct mail. In Texas in 1948, Lyndon Johnson won the United States Senate Democratic Primary by introducing mass mailings and media buys into statewide politics, setting a standard that became a national trend for major elections. Perhaps Perry has ushered the exit of old traditions such as yard signs and the get out the vote mail out with his victory.

Third, there was the end of the Dwight Drake experiment in the South Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Primary. On the eve of Drake entering the race, Democratic insiders in Columbia talked him up as their “secret weapon” candidate. The secret weapon turned out to be a dud. Drake never raised the money he was supposed to and never gained traction. In the end, Drake’s candidacy appeared to some Democratic insiders VUI has talked to as just a campaign to attack Vincent Sheheen in order for some in the Columbia crowd to settle a score with Sheheen’s father, Fred. Don’t cry for Drake, though. He will still rake in the big money as a lobbyist. A sound defeat could have prevented that.

Fourth, as VUI predicted in an earlier post, the allies of Nikki Haley are aiming their attacks at Congressman Gresham Barrett in the Republican Gubernatorial Primary. The attacks might have made a dent, as Barrett’s most recent ad seems more like a Congressional re-election ad than an ad for a candidate for Governor. Perhaps Barrett had to air something to defend his record in Congress. But, the fact he had to spend some of his campaign money to do so and get off the message of his gubernatorial campaign was what the Haley camp wanted. The Barrett camp had looked stronger than the others over the past few weeks until recently. Allowing Haley’s allies to direct the conversation was a mistake.

What a few days in politics! The above are just high points of all that happened. It teaches VUI to take a few vacation days before things supposedly get heated. Thanks for reading and commenting. The next few months are going to be fun.