In years past, Coosaw Plantation just outside of Dale, South Carolina has been the site of some … curious happenings.
We’d go into the litany, but suffice it to say the expansive Lowcountry, S.C. homestead of U.S. congressman Mark Sanford has seen some things.
Strange things …
Among them? #Mancampments … Sanford’s term for the all-male political “brain trusts” convened on the plantation over the years.
One such #Mancampment was called to order several years ago when Sanford was plotting to become the 2012 “Republican” presidential nominee. Its guest list included GOP donors, pollsters, consultants and political “opinion leaders.” The objective? To plot a path for Sanford to the White House.
Obviously those aspirations flamed out spectacularly when Sanford took his notorious “hike on the Appalachian Trail” in the summer of 2009.
A never-ending detour, it seems …
But Sanford has mounted a comeback (of sorts), and according to our sources continues to harbor the delusion that he is – to borrow an old Palmetto State term – “presidential timber.”
Do we believe that to be the case? No …
With each new headline, Sanford continues to prove that he is nothing but a typical hypocritical career politician. Meanwhile his presidential ambitions pale in comparison to the legitimate speculation surrounding another former South Carolina governor – U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley.
As much as we might wish it were otherwise, Haley – another “former” #NeverTrumper – represents a credible contender with real constituencies. In fact, America’s war party is actively courting her as a possible alternative to U.S. president Donald Trump in the 2020 GOP presidential primary.
Sanford? He’s just another talking head in search of a constituency …
Haley is legitimate (and legitimately dangerous, in our estimation). Sanford? His candidacy would be a punch line …
This news site has written often of Sanford’s aspirations … usually prompting him to go on local radio in Charleston, S.C. to disavow interest in any office other than the one he currently occupies.
That makes sense …
Obviously Sanford, now 57, can’t run for governor of South Carolina again. And the last time we checked, he had a pair of legitimate challengers gunning for his congressional seat in both the “Republican” primary this June (Katie Arrington) and in the general election in November (Joe Cunningham).
You know, assuming the Democrats get their wish and are able to face off against Sanford in the fall …
Oh, and both Arrington and Cunningham are running nifty campaigns of contrast against Sanford (here and here) – pointing out that the guy running for office today is absolutely nothing like the citizen legislator who broke onto the state’s political scene back in 1994.
And let’s not forget the fact Sanford dramatically underperformed in 2016 against a less-than-credible “Republican” opponent.
Any of that sound like “presidential timber?”
No …
Still, Sanford has managed to maintain some support from national libertarian-leaning groups – meaning there are likely still plenty of Beltway-based insiders who will accept invitations to his next #Mancampment. And according to our sources, Sanford has already begun to discuss precisely such a post-election gathering.
But as of this writing, Sanford has a fight on his hands just to stay in congress …
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WANNA SOUND OFF?
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