“INDEPENDENT REPUBLICAN” CHALLENGER GETS ON THE BALLOT IN A BIG WAY
Talk about “all that and then some …”
Self-styled “independent Republican” gubernatorial candidate Tom Ervin will file more than 20,000 signatures with the S.C. Election Commission (SCEC) this week, sources familiar with his announcement tell FITS. That’s twice the number of signatures needed for Ervin to qualify as a petition candidate on the November 2014 ballot.
“We are simply grateful that by the hard work of so many, we have given voice to the thousands of South Carolinians who say enough is enough, it is time to put South Carolina first,” Ervin said in a statement.
Ervin’s impressive petition filing – which included signatures from all forty-six South Carolina counties – is the first tangible sign of trouble for the reelection bid of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, whose first-term hypocrisy and incompetence has been given short shrift given the presumed inevitability of her reelection.
No more …
With Ervin on the ballot (in a resounding way), Haley must now fight to protect votes that otherwise would have naturally accrued to her in a “Republican” dominated state. Reporters covering the race are also likely to pay closer attention to – and dig deeper into – Haley’s missteps seeing as her reelection is now no longer a “sure thing.”
Ervin’s qualification for the ballot also dramatically changes the ideological makeup of the race. For example, one of Ervin’s thrusts has been Haley’s abandonment of the parental choice issue – which she previously supported as a lawmaker.
Recent polls show parental choice surging in popularity in South Carolina – and Ervin’s campaign prominently featured the issue in its first television ad earlier this spring. Ervin has also been hammering Haley over her hypocrisy and failure to lead on ethics reform, as well as the debacle in her cabinet.
Last week, Haley belatedly accepted the resignation of Lillian Koller at the S.C. Department of Social Services. Koller is Haley’s fourth cabinet appointment to resign in disgrace amid a major scandal.
In pushing reforms abandoned by Haley – and calling out the governor for her failures – Ervin has emerged as a much more credible opponent to the governor than Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vincent Sheheen. Assuming he has the resources to continue building his own name identification statewide and exposing Haley’s failings, he could wind up being the horse to watch in a suddenly wide open gubernatorial campaign.
In addition to Ervin, Haley and Sheheen, Lowcountry businessman Steve French’s name will also appear on the November ballot as the Libertarian Party’s nominee for governor.
77 comments
I had originally planned to vote for the most interesting third-party candidate, being that I found Haley and Sheheen to each be a bad choice. As Haley’s non-stop corruption, self-service, and general hubris, has grown by leaps and bounds, I decided that four years of Sheheen would be do-able if it meant getting rid of Haley.
As friends whose powers of observation and deduction I trust began telling me that the writing was on the walls that Sheheen will likely appoint Leon Lott to a position of additional prominence, power, and influence, such as Chief of SLED or SCHP, it has become increasingly less likely that I can vote for Sheheen. The Lott family has too much power and influence in the Midlands now, as it is.
Tom Ervin’s strategy of running as an independent in November, rather than taking Haley head-on now is just FUBAR. Even so, I may wind up voting for him as the candidate with a slight chance of winning in November, even though I have serious doubts about his chances. Guess I’m back to square one. Another election will likely keep a POS in office or give us a new one, due to lack of good choices.
We, the voters, are so fucked, as usual.
Corruption my Friend,
We do agree on many, many things; but, here we differ! I’ve known Ervin for many years and know the person behind the name. Do not underestimate him and his chances. I acquired many signatures for him in Charleston, Lexington, Fairfield, Richland, Saluda. He had in excess of 18,000 a few weeks ago.
I had no trouble getting signatures for him, many anxious to sign saying, “e need another choice”. There were people claiming to be Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
My experience was, people are fed up with the establishment candidates, career self serving politicians, and all of their lack of concern with the plights of the people. Haley’s lies and incompetence, Harrel’s, Ard’s and Thomas Ravenels acitivties, the Legislature giving themselves tremendous raises and adding their district money to their retirement (benefits no one else has) the adulterous activities of Sanford, Eckstrom, the Peelers, the reelection of Jean Toal, etc have caused a ground swell against the parties and the established, career office holders.
My opinion from the people I talked with Ervin is going to surprise many people. People are fed up and more and more are feeling the same. Obama and his lies, Haley and her lies, the many scandals in Washington and Columbia have taken a toll in onfidence.
The outcome, we will have to wait and see.
I for one am fed up and unwilling to continue to watch this Country and State slide into the pit of corruption, immorality, unethical, self service and incompetence, which is the way of our current office holders.
Hi Ervin Supporter! For me at least, this gubernatorial race has been like watching a close ball game and trying to decide which one you should have bet on as one takes the lead, then the other.
I was initially tickled to death when Ervin announced, giving us a choice other than Haley or Sheheen. I feel that if he had attacked her in the primary, his chances were very good. IMHO, going against her and Sheheen in the general elections, withOUT that sizable number of votes generated by the idiots who vote a “straight party” Republican ticket, is suicide. I hope I am wrong. Please note in my comment above that I am back to voting for Ervin as the other two are once again, unacceptable “choices”. For a while I had decided that Sheheen for four years couldn’t be worse than Haley and was ready to vote for him, until his alliances with Lott came into play.
I am now intending to vote for Mr Ervin and I really DO hope he wins, but the loss of all those guaranteed “Republican” straight ticket votes does concern me. Right now, Ervin is the ONLY acceptable choice in this race.
Is true ‘traitor’ Bowe Ervin and/or the old lady have made $10,000 campaign donations to the Democrat Party in the past?
Only surprise ‘traitor’ tommy is gonna give SC is electing a Democrat governor that will will support Obama’s agenda to destroy America one state at a time.
Sandi,
You and your ilk are deplorable to me.
I’m a Republican and fortunately I have a brain and can think beyond the party line and spin, you are in a different world!
I would not vote for Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, Reid, Shumer, et al if I were high on crack, meth, or totally brain dead. You can add the liar, and failure Haley to the list!
I AM VOTING FOR AND SUPPORTING ERVIN!
Sandi, “it is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and erase ALL doubt”!
The proof is the lack of likes to your posts. Most of us are independent thinkers, if holding half a brain and DO NOT need a party to lead us around by the nose! This goes for the brain dead emocrats also!
All of you brain dead, blind party only lemmings are the reason MY Country and State are in the mess we are.
You are obviously a Haley propagandist,spinner, employee, or a total fool! You and all of the other blind supporters (Dems. or Repubs.) cannot stand the thought of anyone else being elected, upsetting your apple cart and gravy train. You pour your blind loyalty into candidates simply because of party label and you are the fools screwing up this Country and State.
Now, go get out your crack pipe, or snort some of your party powder, with your twin Dems., NONE of you can see the FORREST for the TREES!
You have met the enemy and YOU ARE IT! Whether you wear the R or the D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow.If ‘traitor’ Tom (aka Charlie Bowe Crist Jr.) Ervin is surrounding himself with lunatics like you no wonder he can expect 3% of the vote in SC.
I figured you idiots would learn from the failures of Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Gloria Tinabu.
Wonder how much money Tommy and his wife gonna get from the DNC and its ‘friends’?
Haley and Koller lied, innocent children died!
Obviously Sandi, you are like Haley, NO soul!
No soul? My understanding is Tom Ervin and his wife have given the Democrat Party THOUSANDS of dollars.
The Democrat Party advocates and supports millions of abortions, infanticide (partial-birth abortion) and euthanasia (Obamacare/VA death panels).
My soul is just fine, thank you.
Many of the top level Republicans in office started out as Democrats. If they can change, why not Mr. Ervin. Seems the same rules should be applied to all. What are you so afraid of?
We, the voters, are so fucked, as usual.
We, the voters, are getting exactly what we are voting for. Well, what the majority of us are voting for, anyways.
For a few more years anyway, but 20% of the Republican party will die from old age over the next 10 -15 years.
20% of the Democrat Party support the Taliban. So what?
????????????????
Say something that contributes to the debate or remain silent. You do not appear to give these matters much serious thought.
Oh get over it boy.A REPUBLICAN like you was ALWAYS going to vote for Nikki!
Cut out the philosophical meanderings!Just get in the booth and do it!
Independent petition candidate for governor Tom Ervin is going to have to try again to turn in his signatures.
Ervin tried to turn in more than 20,000 signatures of registered voters on Monday, but State Election Commission officials explained it would be a lengthy process to count them the day before a primary when their manpower was involved in preparing for Tuesday’s election, said Chris Whitmire, election commission spokesman.
Ain’t this hilarious.Ole Tommy apparently tried to ‘sneak’ that petition in while the folks were busy at the State Election Commission.
Nice try Tommy. The Obama regime would be proud of this slick move.
Further proof,in my opinion, that Tom Ervin can’t be trusted as a candidate for governor.
I’m voting for Ervin and most likely at least 20,000 more have made that decision. By November he could have enough votes to win this thing. The frustration by us common citizens with what the Democrats and Republicans are doing to our government has reached a critical point. We want real change.
Congrats ‘traitor’ Bowe Ervin.You ain’t got a chance to be elected yourself but just may elect fellow Democrat Sheheen.
I pray to God when I am 65 years-old that I am not a bitter old man that has apparently become so empty in my own personal and professional life that seeking to destroy my own community and assisting the ‘enemy’ will become my legacy.
I will stay tuned.This should be entertaining.Just as you were once a Democrat and then a Republican and now apparently a self styled Republican trying to elect a Democrat, just maybe you will seek counseling to find out WHO the hell you are and what you will morph into before the election.
Put your bib on Sandi, you’re dribbling all over yourself.
I love this argument that establishment Republican candidates are somehow “entitled” to certain votes and that anyone opposing them – Tea Party or centrist challenger – is someone “throwing” an election to Democrats by their mere participation. Votes are votes. Either you earn them or you don’t.
Ervin does not have a chance.He could elect Democrat Sheheen.
That means a vote for Ervin is a vote for Obama/Pelosi/Reid because Sheheen and the Democrat Party support:
1.Increase taxes and more spending
2.Huge expansion of Medicaid/Obamacare
3.Abortion
4.State supported gay marriage
5.Closing Gitmo and releasing dangerous terrorists
6.illegal immigration
As far as ‘earning’ votes I disagree. The DNC and other socialist groups may flood SC with money to support Ervin’s campaign to elect Sheheen however the candidate himself won’t be earning these votes.
The Democrats are trying to buy this governorship and they have apparently found the perfect lackey to try and get it done.
If your princess darlin Nikki would have cut taxes upon election, reduced the budget upon election and not played the crony capitalism game and non tranxparency game she may have stood a chance but the first two of your items describe Haley so what is the difference having her or Sheheen? Both are big Government lovers? So I am glad there is an alternative to voting for Haley. The status quo will never change unless people with no thought processes such as yours realize YOU are the ones throwing the state under the bus not those of us that choose to express our dislike of her reign of terror!!! Now go back and stick your head in the sand darlin…
“That means a vote for Ervin is a vote for Obama/Pelosi/Reid…”
Boy, that’s some tired ass shit right there.
Notice that Sandi can’t make the argument of not voting for Ervin because Haley is a better candidate, the only thing they can do is scare you into not voting for Ervin.
Democrats do scare the shit out of me.From the death panels at the VA and in Obamacare to supporting and releasing terrorists that kill Americans, ya damn right I am scared of a candidate that wants to elect a Democrat governor.
Given the death panels your GOP darlin’ little grizzly put in place for foster kids in SC – I’d be careful my stones don’t hit my glass house.
the only thing they can do is scare you into not voting for Ervin.
and in even doing that, they can only attempt ‘guilt by association’, they don’t address the genuine positions of the candidate.
Sandi,
You are more than an idiot! You are a liar, just like your Gov. Haley! Your lies are only making my point!
Ervin had the opportunity to run as a Republican, which is what he claims to be. That would have been a credible candidacy. Running as a petition candidate proves he is only trying to help fellow lawyer, Sheheen. No petition candidate has ever won a general election for statewide or federal office except in extraordinary circumstances, such as running for reelection or all the candidates were petition candidates.
Ervin will be lucky if he gets the 20,000 votes that signed his petition.
Actually Independent candidates have won the Governorship more than once in Maine, and at least once in Minnesota. Maine also elected an Independent Senator just two years ago.
Strom Thurmond did an even harder thing, by winning as a write-in in 1954. So did Congressman Joe Skeen of New Mexico in 1980.
I dunno Vic – comparing South Carlina to Maine and Minnesota is like comparing a drunk red neck horse shoe contest to a hocky team.
The one from Maine meets the criteria, but the others didn’t or were “extraordinary circumstances”.
Five-term Democratic Congressman Harold Runnels had been so popular that the GOP didn’t even put up a candidate against him in 1978 or 1980. Then, on August 5, 1980, Runnels died of cancer at the age of fifty-six. The state attorney general, a Democrat, announced that the Democrats could replace Runnels on the ballot but that it was too late for the Republicans to do so. Republicans were outraged and rallied behind a write-in effort by Skeen, while the Democrats selected Governor Bruce King’s nephew, David King, over Runnels’ widow, Dorothy Runnels.
The incumbent U.S. Senator, Burnet R. Maybank, was unopposed for re-election in 1954, but he died in September of that year, two months before Election Day. Democratic leaders hurriedly appointed state Senator Edgar A. Brown, a member of the Barnwell Ring, as the party’s nominee to replace Maybank. The Brown campaign was managed by future Governor John C. West. In a state where the Democratic nomination was tantamount to election, many criticized the party’s failure to elect a candidate by a primary vote. Thurmond announced that he would mount a write-in campaign.
At the recommendation of Governor James Byrnes, Thurmond campaigned on the pledge that if he won, he would resign in 1956 to force a primary election which could be contested. (At the time, South Carolina was a one-party state: blacks had been disfranchised since the 1895 constitution, and the Democratic Party’s primary was the deciding election for offices, in which only whites voted.)
Thurmond won overwhelmingly, becoming the first person to be elected to the U.S. Senate as a write-in candidate against ballot-listed opponents.[14] In 1956, Thurmond resigned to run in the party primary, which he won.
Ventura was the “Reform Party” not a petition candidate in the Minnesota gubernatorial election of 1998
Safe seat politicians are just so used to just collecting the hordes of dumb voters casting straight ticket votes that it truly frightens them to think they might actually have to do a decent job to win an election for once.
Well said. This actually makes this a three way race. In any other state I would agree with those that say it sews it up for the Dem, but in SC – I think that overall Haley’s approval with Republicans is so low that this race could very well become one between Sheheen and Ervin, with Nikki simply being a side show. Also, I might expect to see some behind (no puns intended) the curtain pressure to get her to step away – make some statement about needing to spend time with her family. There is still a chance that her and Ervin split the GOP block and Sheheen wins, but I’m not certain about that. She could simply take woman voters away from Sheheen.
Here’s one thing for certain – she’s going to pull out the 155mm howitzers of negative ads on him now. She’s going to go all Punjab on Ervin for the next 90 days, and Sheheen will sit back and enjoy it.
AMEN WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The McMasters, Haleys, Quinns, Peelers, Eckstroms, Harrells, Wilkins, etc. want their entrichment , at all of our expense to NOT be threatened!
The same goes for Clyburn, Pelosi, Reid, Toal and all of the establishment Democrats!
I love watching Republicans shit on themselves over the fact they haven’t been “Republican” enough to prevent the fracturing of their own party.
The grave was dug by yourselves.
Sandi Morals is just a shill for Haley that will disappear shortly after November. Nothing to see here folks.
“…Tom Ervin will file more than 20,000 signatures with the S.C. Election Commission (SCEC) this week, sources familiar with his announcement tell FITS. That’s twice the number of signatures needed for Ervin to qualify as a petition candidate on the November 2014 ballot…”
Yeah, 20,000 signatures, that’s 5% of what he would need to win in November so all you’re really looking at here is a spoiler at best. If his name on the ballot means we get Sheheen (and that’s what it means) then no thanks.
‘The sweater vests didn’t work out so well’ — he looks more like someone wearing the bullet-proof vest on his perp walk.
Who the hell wears a sweater vest in SC, even in winter?
Wow!The Colonel a NonRepublican Republican is going to vote for Republican Nikki Haley!
Didnt see that coming!
I guess in the case of Haley you are right. She is fairly impotent so neither she nor the State House will be able to do anything too stupid. Sheheen on the other hand is likely to be able to get away with all kinds of stupidity before anyone notices.
Hehehe. Coming right from Haley’s Tea Nut backyard, Greenville, too.
Her monthly chat with the fawning Bobby Mac at WORD will have to be stepped up to once a week. Bobby Mac ain’t smart enough for that schedule.
And let us not forget Steve French. He is an alternative to all who are sick and tired of Repukes and Dummycrats.. He will take a chunk of the youth vote and those of us who see and realize the duopoly system is killing this Nation and State.
http://www.frenchforfreedom.com/
Oooops! Forgot about him. Nikki by her left nipple — 50.4%
PS: .. and that is firm!
Ooooh, firm nips! Timmy likey!
Timmy would change that to ‘lovey’ if he could see them!
She’ll need some stimulation to get them points across the finish line.
They will need a tongue-lashing for this election. Other circumstances require only anticipation.
When she’s day dreaming really nasty – she’s dreaming of Obama.
Said it before and will again!
Haley and Obama are twins separated at birth.
Obama+Ohaley=Oshit
They really are just alike.
Obama,Ervin and his wife are pro-abortion.As was Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Gloria Tinabu.
Haley is pro-life.As is Graham.
Obama+Ervin =Sheheen and 1,000,000 abortions a year
Why do you think Tommy and the old lady gave all that money to the Democrat Party?
The nipple or the percentage?
Her left nipple — perhaps Nikki will have a “wardrobe slip” — and then you be the judge!
Forget him?!? Nobody but Fits readers and the guys 10 friends have ever heard of him. His one “press notice is – you guessed it, Fits. Just for fun, I popped by his web site. Even he’s bored with himself, he hasn’t updated anything in 3 months.
It is either him or Sheheen, who at least stands behind his espoused values unlike the current Governor who speaketh with that forked tongue! And if the MSM would give Mr French a mention or two he may not feel so dejected and this is only the primary season. Will he be allowed to debate? Will he be included in the “major” papers mentioning of and questioning of candidates? Probably not. But at least I am standing for what I believe and not voting one way or the other because it may put the opposition in office.
“…And if the MSM would give Mr French a mention or two he may not feel so dejected…”
It don’t work that way Lee. If French wants a mention, he has to be doing something mentionable. For instance:
Go down to the Savannah, borrow a boat and invite a few journalists for a boat ride to show them just what the “Savannah River Sellout” was all about.
Go stand in one of our fine schools along the corridor of shame and talk about what we’re doing wrong. Get a group together with some shovels and paint brushes and actually do something about some of it.
Go stand outside Alvin S. Glenn or one of our prisons with a chart showing how many of the occupants are there for nonviolent pot related offenses and a second one showing the costs.(damn I’m sounding like a libertarian again)
That is utter bullshit. When Ron Paul won caucuses none of the media including Fox gave him a blurb. It took John Friggin Stewart to point out the failure of the media to report on a 3rd party candidate. The media runs this nation–in case you have missed that–and is crippling the Repubs, with their help of course. So when you party loyalists decide to open your eyes and remove that proverbial log you may actually be able to judge something with 20/20 vision instead of that short sightedness that has plagued your failing party.. Mr. French, by the way, has been making some political rounds, the papers and stations just have not been covering it. Thank goodness for Facebook so at least he can speak to an audience.
National versus local – on a slow news day, the press will show up to cover a stuck tractor. However, for a candidate as uninteresting as French appears to be I will agree that it will be a long row to hoe. If Facebook is his audience good luck with that. most of those folks are to busy “updating their status” to actually get out a vote.
Nikki by her left tit — 51.8%
If you are influenced positively by fits endorsements, like this comment.
20 thousand fucking votes, Dude!
A signature is not a guaranteed vote. I’ve signed petitions for people I didn’t vote for.
Yeah, I got a little carried away there Smirks, I meant signatures but it just came out wrong. Still, my heart was in the right place. You go Mr. Ervin.
“You go Mr. Ervin….” and take the rest of these political idiots with you…
Colonel, Sir, I think you should run for governor.
Were it not for the bodies I’ve buried along the way I might have considered it. My next door neighbor is a very senior retired military officer. Upon return from my most recent deployment he asked what my biggest success had been during the deployment. I told him that I had “…managed to not kill any of the idiots I was forced to work with”. Laughing, he asked my biggest failure, to which I replied “…not killing some of the idiots I was forced to work with”.
20 thousand signatures idiot. Looks however, that Nikki needs to be returning some of her campaign money to her contributors. 20 thousand, cracks me up.
How many are legal? All 20 thousand are legal? You got to have a lot of money to get 20,000 signatures on a petition for anything in several weeks.
Where is that money coming from? Barack? Nancy? Harry? DNC ?
Tom will easily beat Haley in the debates and in the election. Haleys record of failures to the people of this state have already assured that.
LMAO!!!! Thanks.Heather .If ‘traitor’ Tommy Crist was truly a ‘self-identified independent Republican why would he be going after Haley in the debates?
ANSWER: Tommy Boy is is truly a self-indentified Democratic Party donor that is trying to elect a Democrat governor because Tommy Boy and mommy are social liberals.
Sandy Morales, maybe it’s Haley that’s not a ‘real republican’ – I hope I just blew your mind.
Sorry Tom. Not a chance. :-)
Tom Erwin’s decision to file for office; then retracted his decision, and then decided to run as a “petition candidate,” is a strategy to siphon off votes from Haley.
In 2010 the margin of victory for Gov. Haley was 60k votes or 4.5%. In the 2010 gubernatorial election was Morgan Bruce Reeves, who ran as both as a Green Party candidate and United Citizens Party receiving a total of 20k votes.
The Democratic strategy is to siphon off as many votes from Gov. Haley between Erwin, Steve French and Reeves, that would give Vince Sheheen the win.
Here’s to hoping Ervin will defeat Haley.