This just in... According to an e-mail from a supporter of his, former Myrtle Beach mayor and US Senate candidate Mark McBride will not run as a Republican, and instead, he will be an independent candidate. Here is the quote from the e-mail as it was forwarded to me......
It is with great emotions that we have decided to> make the following campaign announcement today. After lengthy discussions and thought, it has become clear that the direction we need to pursue is one independent of the Republican Party establishment. While I still consider myself a very conservative Republican, the party itself has put major constraints on our campaign.....
I spoke to Mark and his wife Laura at last week's 6th District convention, and they did not have an easy time there. It seemed that he was almost skipped when the Senate candidates had an opportunity to speak. I joked with them that even I had learned to stop running for public office, but this is what they want to do.
Even when Mark was an establishment candidate, he had the ability to aggravate some people - not that that is a bad thing. It's often needed to get things done in government. This race however, is an almost impossible climb, and the GOP thinks they have plenty of candidates right now.... Perhaps too many, even with McBride out.
I like Mark a lot, he was the very last person to leave the convention last week, with wife and kids in tow. He truly does enjoy campaigning, I wish him the best in this year's race, and I look forward to seeing him on the road....
.
7 comments:
In other words, he couldn't afford the filing fee.
How else can you explain his sudden decision to run as a petition candidate? He was all over the state at GOP events up 'til this announcement. If he was planning to run as an independent candidate all along, certainly he'd have been more honest and not freeloaded.
Why run if you can't pull off the 10k just to get in? I hope that's not the case, because that's crazy planning...
IMHO, Mark would do better filing as a Libertarian, though Rebekah Sutherland might be ahead of him in that trek. I suspect that his late start has not helped funding an exploratory committee and that he's not going to come out of his own pocket to jump into a primary where he could possibly hand that race to Lindsey, splitting the vote of those dissatisfied with performace of the "annointed" successor to Strom. I suspect that Dr. Buddy appreciates the fact that Mark won't draw conservative voters from his primary bid.
No doubt Buddy is happy for that, but I don't see either getting more than 25% of the vote combined.
West, I think had there been a large fielding of challengers who could afford the filing fee, but barely afford to campaign, it would have helped him.
He could have let them amplify his message among the grassroots, and then use his somewhat-better ability to raise money and relative stature to argue "we all have the same message, but I'm the one who is best qualified to serve" in the closing weeks.
He might've lost a few points to the other challengers, but heck, if each of four or five other "fleas" took off four or five points each, Buddy's hurdle would have been a lot lower.
It would have been a lot easier if the other candidates had been roaming the state, sniping at the incumbent and wearing him down.
Is it better to have say 23%, come in second place out of a pack of candidates and face Lindsey in a run-off (which would be humiliating) where the opposition would unite against him, or get 38% of the vote with no third-tier candidates and lose handily?
I argue that if you're going to lose, at least set it up so you can drag the other candidate into a runoff. Even if you lose the runoff, years later, nobody will care if you got 23%, 33% or 43% ... they'll just know you made it that far.
Standing alone, Buddy's likely to get steamrollered before he can even make a move. That race is over before it even began.
Back to my thesis ... nine pages down tonight, about twenty to go with a week left before deadline.
I'm not your Professor Earl, but your arguments are cogent, well thought out, and seem very well trenched in common sense... Now get back to your paper !!!
BTW, I've been working on your roast - I'll need about a half-hour, but it'll be worth it..
Mark McBride has been a friend of mine for years. I told him the last time around not to spend his money on this race. I did support him because of who he is and what he believes in. Guy has a nice family for sure and his beliefs are similar to mine. He cannot win as a Independent. He talked about this six years ago and I told him bad idea. Buddy should had stayed out for sure now. Not that he ever had a chance. Lindsey will roll.
Post a Comment