Like I said, I do still get a rumbling or two of the goings-on in Florence politics every now and then. I got word of this from one side earlier in the week, and today I got another side of the same story. If either side is even remotely close to the truth, then this does not make the Florence Republican Party look good.
No, you don't expect both sides of a race to be perfectly respectable gentlemen or ladies. After all, this IS South Carolina politics we're talking about here. But, after hearing about the silliness that went on between two 'leaders' in our county party last week, my first thought is that Councilman Morris Anderson and Florence Republican Womens Chair Stephanie McLaughlin-Rawlinson should be sent to Time Out.
I'll try to leave the candidates out of this, because it doesn't directly involve either one of them, but we said earlier this year that the 12th Solicitor race between incumbent Democrat Ed Clements and Republican challenger Rose Mary Parham would be the toughest fought (translation: ugliest) local race. But a physical conflict between a woman and a 72 yr old man over a sign would be hilarious......... if it weren't so pathetic.
After hearing both sides, here is what appears to have occurred: the Parham Team got permission from a landowner in West Florence to put up a large sign on property she owns. They dug the hole, and were going to put the sign in. In the meantime, Dr. Anderson called to ask if he could put up a sign for Clements (Anderson is one of the GOP for Clements leaders who sent out support letters earlier this year). There is some question as to whether this landowner - an 87 yr old woman - knew if this was a Clements sign, or if she thought Anderson was running again ( he runs again in 2012)... Yes, the Clements sign was placed in Parham's hole. Wait , that sounds bad...
Word is, Rawlinson got word of this, and went out to observe (translation: remove) the sign. Anderson just happened to come to the intersection as this occurred, and things got physical. No, no one got slugged, but reportedly Rawlinson (who is probably bigger than Anderson, and 35 years younger) got a nice bruise on her arm, and tried to press charges....
Now, we're not here to decide who is right and wrong in stupid shit like this, that is Kenney Boone's job. But, this is a typical case of things getting out of control, much like knocking down a house over a leaky faucet.... On Dr. Anderson's side, if he wasn't clear on whose sign he was putting up, he should have been. Also, grabbing a woman by the arm is a very bad idea, and technically is assault - I should know (see July 8, 2006)...
As for Stephanie, we all know she is a political bull in a China Shop who sweats the small stuff too much. If someone puts their sign in a hole you got an OK for, guess what you do? Call the landowner, and make them pull up their sign, and put yours up for good measure. Taking down someone else's sign that they did technically get an OK for is destruction of personal property. Fighting a 72 year old man isn't a great idea either. All I can say is thank God I wasn't around, because I'd be in the clink again. At least it was a woman and an older man. We young white guys are the ones who get all emotional over this political stuff ..... RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
Hopefully by now, this incident is funny, but knowing both parties involved, I doubt it. No doubt Anderson will have a challenger in 2012 if he runs again - and Rawlinson will be the first to volunteer to run it! The sad part is that even though this is a General Election race, both people involved are Republicans - and they both should know better than this...
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BTW, the stupidity continued this weekend. Someone went around the same area slashing Clements signs in two. Newsflash Atwater wannabes: signs don't vote.
No, it's not very mature or useful... but it's better than slashing voters in half!
It ain't just Democrat signs that get slashed and pulled up. It happens to all of them.
And the really sad part is Stephanie Rawlingson probably could take out both Morris Anderson and Ed Clements in a handicap match!
The Effingham Slasher .... Wasn't that Joe Dimaggio's nickname? If Effingham ever gets enough residents to merit a newspaper, maybe they'll call it that!
How about the Coward Cowboys?
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