DCPolitics

2018 Watch: Mick Mulvaney “Mum” On Gubernatorial Plans

CONGRESSMAN “NO COMMENTS” ON STATEWIDE ASPIRATIONS Of all the prospective candidates for governor of South Carolina in 2018, U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney is generally viewed as being among those most likely to run.  In fact, several sources close to the fifth district congressman – who is currently seeking his fourth term in Washington,…

CONGRESSMAN “NO COMMENTS” ON STATEWIDE ASPIRATIONS

Of all the prospective candidates for governor of South Carolina in 2018, U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney is generally viewed as being among those most likely to run.  In fact, several sources close to the fifth district congressman – who is currently seeking his fourth term in Washington, D.C. – tell us his gubernatorial plans will be announced shortly after the conclusion of his latest congressional election.

Mulvaney isn’t discussing the issue …

“Thanks for the opportunity but no comment,” he told us this week when informed that we were preparing a story on his possible statewide aspirations.

Mulvaney’s reluctance to discuss his 2018 plans makes sense (and not just because we’ve been knocking him around a bit of late).

Democrats are fielding at least one viable candidate to run against him in November, so he has to keep his eye on the congressional race in front of him.  Any discussion of his political future beyond 2016 could adversely impact his immediate electoral prospects.

When we last heard from Mulvaney, he was on his sickbed dealing with pneumonia and dispensing vitriol toward former “Republican” presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

“Mitt lost because he was a lousy candidate who was uniquely and spectacularly incapable of spearheading the conservative challenge against what should have been the central issue of the 2012 campaign: Obamacare. He lost because he was exposed as being yet another big-government Republican,” Mulvaney wrote.

We agree with his assessment of Romney … although unfortunately Mulvaney has been veering in the direction of status quo politicians like the former Massachusetts governor with alarming frequency of late.

When he was first elected to Congress in 2010 – defeating veteran liberal budget chairman John Spratt – Mulvaney was an unapologetic pro-freedom, pro-free market lawmaker.  And he stayed that way for most of his first two terms in office.

In recent years, though, Mulvaney has become something of a status quo squish – siding with the GOP establishment over the people the party is supposed to be representing.

How will his ideological moorings impact his gubernatorial chances?  Good question … but if the 2016 presidential primary electorate is any indication, Mulvaney had better get busy rediscovering the uncompromising spirit that got him elected (and earned him all sorts of initial praise from this website).

Frankly, we think Mulvaney should focus on becoming the Congressman he used to be … not the governor he wants to be.

If he chooses to run, Mulvaney would enter a crowded 2018 “Republican” field.

Among those rumored to be considering the office?  In alphabetical order, they are: S.C. Senator Tom Davis, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, S.C. Rep. Kirkman Finlay, former S.C. lieutenant governor Yancey McGill (who recently switched parties to run), current S.C. lieutenant governor Henry McMaster, S.C. Rep. Tommy Pope, Charleston, S.C. attorney Catherine Templeton, Upstate solicitor Walt Wilkins and S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson.

Others are likely to signal their interest in the weeks and months to come, too.

We like having such a crowded filed … and it is our hope such a wide array of options will produce a nominee capable of advancing the long-overdue reforms South Carolina must embrace now – before it’s too late.

We’re talking, of course, about individual income tax relief, universal parental choice, draconian reductions/ reprioritizations in state spending, a complete overhaul of the state’s ethics laws, privatization of broad swaths of unnecessary government … etc., etc.

S.C. governor Nikki Haley campaigned as just such a reformer in 2010 – but she has proven to be the definition of an establishment politician.  Former S.C. governor Mark Sanford also dropped the ball on his promise as a reformer.  So, that’s twice South Carolinians elected (and then reelected) “Republican” governors promising them change … only to be completely let down.

We can’t afford to flush another four (or eight) years down the drain on false promises from fundamentally dishonest/ fatally flawed human beings …

***

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20 comments

southmauldin March 24, 2016 at 4:12 pm

He’s just about as useless as everyone else in the House – he might as well try to latch onto the state teat for as long as he can and retire with a nice retirement plan about which most other taxpayers can only dream. Fuck him and his ego.

Reply
Torch March 24, 2016 at 4:33 pm

Yeah, he’ll get Federal, State and SS retirement and bitch about government spending. He’ll get more welfare than Exxon.

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TankMcNamara March 24, 2016 at 7:25 pm

where do I sign up?

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Jonathan Lubecky March 25, 2016 at 9:36 am

State Board of Elections, filing closes March 31

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vicupstate March 25, 2016 at 10:25 am

March 30 actually.

TankMcNamara March 26, 2016 at 10:29 am

Jon, you’re missing the point. That would require that I actually do something. . . . .which is what i’m trying to avoid!

Jack March 24, 2016 at 4:36 pm

Just like Sanfraud, always looking for a job on the taxpayer’s back. Expecially one where you get paid a ton of taxpayer money, great government retirement, great government health care, and you don’t have to do shit.

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Tazmaniac March 24, 2016 at 4:56 pm

And you had a real problem with Spratt for all those years? I agree with the article, Mulvaney needs to return to his original positions or retire altogether.

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Jack March 24, 2016 at 5:07 pm

I have always been in favor of term limits.

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Tazmaniac March 24, 2016 at 5:15 pm

I am for that and think it is worth going one further in having state and federal congressmen stay in their districts for the vast majority of their time. Today’s tech would easily support that. i feel that the further a congressman is out of sight from their constituents the more they fall in to the beltway state of mind. Washington and Columbia are corruption centers with high concentrations of special interest groups and corporate lobbyists.

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Chris March 24, 2016 at 4:44 pm

I like he guy but he is dreaming.

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Suck my lollipop little man March 24, 2016 at 5:17 pm

This member of the lollipop guild can run for governor of Munchkinland.

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TankMcNamara March 24, 2016 at 7:26 pm

someone help me out: is the governorship of SC more prestigious than being a US Congressman?

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erneba March 24, 2016 at 7:40 pm

Yeah, I always thought there was more upside and a potential for longer service being a Congressperson as opposed to governor.
Serve two terms as governor, and you have blown your wad. Get elected to the US Senate or House and you can hang around till you die.

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vicupstate March 25, 2016 at 10:26 am

Somebody needs to explain that to Tim Scott.

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Bible Thumper March 24, 2016 at 8:22 pm

There are 435 members of the House, 100 members of the Senate, but only 50 governors. You get a mansion to use. You get to hire scores of “freinds” for jobs. The only disadvantage is term limits. Only one sitting House member was ever elected President – James A. Garfield. Six sitting governors have been elected President.

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erneba March 24, 2016 at 7:37 pm

Yes, Mulvaney was impressive when he was first elected. Then we lost him when SC gained its seventh congressional district and we were picked up by Tom Rice. What a let down.

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Conservative "values" March 24, 2016 at 8:31 pm

Ah but he has

“Conservative values.”

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Lone Ranger March 26, 2016 at 11:40 am

Yo…Mick…Mick…you make conservatives sick—voting for RINOs Boehner and Paul Ryan

But like flag-ripping gutless RINO I-Lie-To-Cons-Joe Wilson—your future is dead—not dying !!!

Reply

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