AS GOOD AS IT GETS?
By WILL FOLKS || So … I’ve pretty well been getting bitch-slapped across the internet this week. First, there was the massive cyber attack launched on my website during its election night coverage … then there was the incredibly well-written column by FITS’ newest contributor, Taylor Brown.
You know … the one in which the impotence of my editorial impact was laid bare.
Ouch … and ouch. And of course who can forget that my ex-“client” and political nemesis – Nikki Haley – cruised to reelection in South Carolina’s gubernatorial race. By a huge margin, too.
Bad news, huh? For South Carolina, yes. In addition to her habitual dishonesty and perpetual scandals, Haley has advanced a liberal agenda on taxes, spending, education and (most notably) government-subsidized health care.
That status quo now rolls on … with what we expect will be predictable results.
Of course Haley’s win is good for those of use who are in the business of making news. She’s once again a star on the national stage – and a major draw for “Republican” candidates courting the Palmetto State’s “First in the South” presidential primary voters.
But is Haley’s big win as big as you might initially be inclined to think?
No …
During the 2010 election – the one she narrowly won – Haley received 690,525 votes. That was good for 51.4 percent of the popular vote. This election, Haley got 56 percent of the popular vote – but her actual vote total was basically unchanged.
A few more votes have yet to be counted, but Haley is currently sitting at 694,436 votes – or just 4,000 more than she got four years ago.
So …. is that a mandate?
Eh …
As it stands now, only 43.6 percent of the state’s 2.8 million registered voters showed up to cast ballots on Tuesday. That’s down from 51.9 percent in 2010. And while we get that “decisions are made by those who show up” (or whatever it was Aaron Sorkin wrote), So the real story isn’t that more people supported Haley (few actually did) – it’s that far fewer people supported her inept Democratic opponent, S.C. Sen. Vincent Sheheen.
In 2010, Sheheen got 630,534 votes (or 47 percent of the popular vote). This go-round Sheheen only pulled 513,932 votes … which, yeah, is why he lost.
I know my intrepid new columnist Taylor is exceedingly eager to score some points in the aftermath of this week’s “Republican” romp. But before getting too far ahead of herself, she might want to check the precise dimensions of that Haley “mandate.”
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38 comments
C’MON MAN – the real reason you are down is because when TB wrote about magnificent trunk wave in the wind she wasn’t writing about you
Queen Namrata’s “mandate” will be:
“I plan to get away with as much shit as I can without admitting any mistakes I have made (and will make in the future) but take credit whenever I can and advance my personal brand at the expense of the people of South Carolina who voted for me”
It just goes to show how Will is still hung up on Haley. Taylor mentioned Haley once in her article. She doesn’t use the word “mandate”. Humm. “Man” “date”. What thoughts are running through Will’s mind?
A mandate to keep doing what she’s doing – sending foster kids to their deaths, letting the roadway rot, bet Obama for money and day dreaming about the time she spent with Wil.
Like it or not (and to be honest I do not), a win is a win.
Well, we rid ourselves of O’s Socialist agenda, neutered Reid, Pelosi, Schumer, Clyburn, Durbin; but, here in SC were stuck with Ohaley, Oleatherman, Opeeler, Omartin, owhite and a gaggling of others. So, we here in SC are still screwed for 4 m0re years.
I predicted Obama would be a disaster, if elected for a second term and I was right!
I predict Ohaley will be just as bad, if not fingered by Harrell!
I heard she prefers the tongue over the finger.
The Nikki Haley Mandate sounds like a really bad TV dating show that comes on after The Bachelor. T-Rav, Fits, and Eckstrom will be the first three contestants.
What’s the prize?
Not having to go on the date. There could be four winners I guess.
I’ll pump er.
The old adage is that people largely get the government we deserve
So I guess we deserve Nikki Haley
I think you’ve got it.
Trikki (+ Sanford) are some heavy duty karma for all of our past mistakes.
And, we still are not learning a thing to help us move on.
Nice effort at a face saving number crunch Will – you are still FOS but a nice try nonetheless.
Hey Col frag, good victory ! Still in the Military ? Looks like war in 2016.
THE NIKKI HALEY “MANDATE”
TBG is anxiously awaiting a guest column by 9″ titled The Lindsey Graham “Man Date”.
4 more years of crying and whining on this site!
So when does her next fashion boot drop?
Haley=carpetbaggers and scalawogs.
Vinnie or Nikki, R or D, really and truly SC is not really a state of the United States. We still carry our swagger, ” First to succeed ” in a silent way so the USA will not pound us as ” Rebels “. No wonder Barrack does not live here.
Loved the way she sent out fund raiser invites last week. Using non-profit stamps. Isn,’t that against Federal law? Pols and non-profs should not mix.
Qualified Political Committees and State or Local Voting Registration 1.3.1 Political Committees
These political committees may be authorized to mail at the Nonprofit Standard Mail prices without regard to their nonprofit status:
a.A national committee of a political party.
b.A state committee of a political party.
c.The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
d.The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
e.The National Republican Congressional Committee.
f.The National Republican Senatorial Committee
“So …. is that a mandate?”
Welp, around 15% is the number of US citizens that actually voted for the last few sitting Presidents…and they all felt they had a mandate.
In SC, the voting age population was around 3.7 mil in 2013. Assuming Halley gets to around 700K to keep the numbers easy, her “mandate” represents 19% of voting age SC residents….lol…include those not old enough to vote and it drop to under 15%.
The people that don’t vote don’t have any say. The voters spoke loud and clear. Non voters are losers.
“Non voters are losers.”
Actually, by the number, they are the winners-statistically speaking.
What did they win?
“What did they win?”
The vote count.
The majority! The majority are the “winners”, right? Isn’t that what Democracy is all about, rule of the majority?
Oh, wait, it’s rule of the “majority of voters”.
:)
Aww shit BT, who are we kidding? If this precious act of voting actually made any substantial difference in policy either way it’d promptly be made illegal. (HT to Mencken, who I know you love)
Mencken is popular among libertarians. I hope he is persuasive also. That way libertarians will stay home on election day.
lol…I’m not a stickler for continuity, as I find dissonance entertaining…but you seem to be saying two opposite things in your last two responses.
Republicans agree with Mencken and want votes to make a substantial difference, that’s why we try to make it illegal to vote for as many people as possible.
“Republicans agree with Mencken and want votes to make a substantial difference”
lol….really? Where did Mencken say that?
The only way your vote starts to mean anything is if there’s only two people voting.
Dumb. Sixty percent is an ass-whipping however you slice it. This almost as graspy as that idiot Axelrod, who interpreted the election results as the American public sending the message that Republicans now needed to work with Obama. Whatever it takes to get your head on the pillow at night, I suppose…
I stopped reading at “then there was the incredibly well-written column by FITS’ newest contributor, Taylor Brown.”
um…. no, not really.
Whore More Years!!
Think of it like this, Will. It says a lot that someone would do victory laps to celebrate the re-election of a Governor who was fined for ethics violation, lied about 6 million people being hacked, called DSS chief a “rock star” while kids were dying on her watch (one of which they were warned 18 times to help) and pretty much has overstated every single number of her tenure (jobs, welfare to work, etc.). Either they are ignorant to believe her or they just don’t care about honesty and integrity. I’ve put little stock in those have chosen to questions my lack of support for this Governor. She is not good for SC.
Think of it like this, Will. It says a lot that someone would do victory laps to celebrate the re-election of a Governor who was fined for ethics violation, lied about 6 million people being hacked, called DSS chief a “rock star” while kids were dying on her watch (one of which they were warned 18 times to help) and pretty much has overstated every single number of her tenure (jobs, welfare to work, etc.). Either they are ignorant to believe her or they just don’t care about honesty and integrity. I’ve put little stock in those have chosen to questions my lack of support for this Governor. She is not good for SC.
“the incredibly well-written column by FITS’ newest contributor, Taylor Brown”
Nope. Not even close.
RE-election never draw voters unless there is great dissatisfaction or a dynamic.challenger. There was neither this year, thus, the numbers were stagnant. What the numbers DO tell is that there are 10s of thousands of South Carolinians who realized the mistake in voting for Sheheen in 2010.