South Carolina Ping
Posted on 02/28/2005 8:50:33 PM PST by SDGOP
Sanford run could hurt S.C.
By LEE BANDY
Staff Writer
South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary could lose its national luster if Gov. Mark Sanford decides to run for the White House in 2008.
Other GOP contenders, knowing they would have no chance in a candidate’s home state, simply would bypass South Carolina and take their campaigns — and millions of dollars — elsewhere.
“It would devalue the primary,” says Robert Botsch, a political science professor at USC Aiken who does not participate in partisan efforts. “There’s little to be gained by challenging a favorite-son candidate.”
Worse, he adds, “It would take us out of the national spotlight.”
South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary has emerged in recent years as one of the nation’s most important presidential contests.
Often, it has combined with Iowa and New Hampshire to define — and even settle — the battle for the GOP nomination.
In 25 years, no candidate has won the GOP presidential nod without first winning the South Carolina primary.
Sanford has done nothing to quiet months of speculation that he might run for president.
“It’s too early to be talking about 2008,” he says.
South Carolina landed the South’s leadoff primary for the 1980 election when then-state GOP chairman Dan Ross, the late GOP consultant Lee Atwater and other state Republicans engineered the move to give a head start to Ronald Reagan. The move produced lots of national attention for the state.
State Republicans have jealously guarded that spot since.
Today, the South Carolina contest remains a pivotal, perhaps decisive, showdown.
With no incumbent running, the 2008 contest is likely to attract a large field.
Two potential candidates, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, visited the state this month. More are expected.
Most South Carolinians aren’t paying attention to the candidates, but political activists are. And the courting of these activists — whose tireless, on-the-ground efforts can turn an election — is extensive.
National reporters and candidates won’t move into the state for a while yet. It’s early.
But once that day arrives, the state will be crawling with media types, political consultants, candidates, TV talk show hosts, and thousands of campaign volunteers bused in from all over.
Restaurants and bars will be jam-packed. Hotels will be filled to capacity. And parking garages will be full.
There will be a level of excitement that only political campaigns can bring.
That is, if Sanford doesn’t run.
His candidacy “would have the potential of making the South Carolina primary insignificant,” says College of Charleston analyst Bill Moore, who does not participate in partisan efforts.
“Bottom line: A Mark Sanford candidacy would diminish the importance of this primary.”
Francis Marion University professor Neal Thigpen, a GOP activist, says a Sanford candidacy “would take something away from the state Republican Party which has been instrumental in building the party and putting this state on the national map.”
“It would deny rank-and-file voters the opportunity to express a preference among the leading contenders... and that would not be good.”
The state GOP is preparing for 2008 as if Sanford won’t run. It is taking steps to protect its first-in-the-South status.
“We have put everyone on notice that we will be the first,” says state GOP chairman Katon Dawson.
In the end, the state gains economically from hosting the high-profile primary. In 2000, roughly $20 million was spent by the two campaigns here, Dawson says. That doesn’t count another $4 million the national media would bring.
Certainly, many Republicans are privately saying, Sanford wouldn’t want the state to lose that money.
The message?
Don’t run, Mark.
I'm noticing more and more negative attention to Sanford lately, looks like the dems are keeping an eye on him already.
Sanford is a genuine conservative Republican.
I have family in SC and hear good things about Sanford.
ping
>> A Southern governor couldn't possibly be President.
Not a chance. Well, maybe a little one...
>> Sanford run could hurt S.C.
Yea, right. When the phony conservative, President Bush, refuses to support conservatives in New Jersey, and when both he and another phony conservative, Senator Rich Santorum, support the Most-Evil (Arnold Specter) in the Most-Evil's senatorial bid against a tried-and-true conservative; it is highly unlikely that Sanford would hurt South Carolina if he ran for president. He could, however, hurt the phony conservatives, like the Bushes and Santorum, which can only be a good thing for American and the history of the world.
What Sanford has most to worry about to become the GOP nominee president is the man that he endorsed in 2000 -- the Hillary-lover, John McCain.
Hogwash. If someone other than Sanford wins Iowa and NH, they will want to run at least a "strong second" in SC as the first primary in the south.
John Edwards claimed "native son" status in both NC/SC, it didn't make those primaries irrelevant. If Sanford runs and doesn't show in IA and NH, he probably couldn't win SC.
Agreed.
Two potential candidates, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, visited the state this month. More are expected.
“Bottom line: A Mark Sanford candidacy would diminish the importance of this primary.”
Let's see, the SC GOP want to quash a Sanford candidacy before it gets started, while opening their arms to these two carpetbaggers posing as conservatives.
What's more important? A stupid primary or the course of the GOP and the country?
Will the South never learn that no yankee has ever done anything for the South other than pillage and destroy?
Hey Mark, pay no attention to those whinning girlymen behind the curtain. Go ahead and run. You got my vote!
This is assanine, then you may as well say Gov. Mitt Romney should not run because it would affect Massachusetts', Rudy Giuliani shouldn't because it would affect New York's and the others would affect there states' primaries. So then no one should run. We are not the only state to have a primary; so he wins this one, they could win the others and get the nod. SC is just a part of the overall picture, if they are serious about running for office they will campaign here to prove they are worthy. If they don't, the winner may not get all the votes they could had they campaigned here, some SC voters could say to hell with them and vote some other way.
What Upchuck said. Mark Sanford is a man you can vote *for*.
Giussolini is also a gun grabber. Just say no to the most overrated politician in America.
We'll see if Sanford has the testicle fortitude to actually run despte what all the liberals are saying. If he does that shows he has character and he is way out in front of the rest of the potential candidates, IMHO!
It was definatley a mistake, but it wouldn't take much for Governor Sanford to back away from it.
From what I understand, he supported McCain for extremely simplistic reasons, McCain preaches Spending disipline and is anti-pork.
I'm sure Governor Sanford also liked showing off some of his "maverick" credentials.
As of now, Sanford would get my vote.
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