Where do we start today? OK, we'll use metaphors... It was a bit ironic that right next door to the SCGOP Executive Committee quarterly meeting, the opening for the Titanic artifact exhibit was taking place. It does make a decent equivalent for the mess the SEI snafu has left both parties in, but we have another Bill Paxton movie in mind... How about Twister? Because just like a tornado hitting an unsuspecting town, all parties involved are trying to find a solution to the carnage that the candidate filing process has been left in for 2012...
Like we said earlier, we're not going to start blaming people for this whole thing. Yeah, mistakes were made, and it ended up being a series of top to bottom errors via poor communication - and faith. Faith that the word from above is always right, which we found out this week, it isn't always... Today's meeting wasn't scheduled to have this issue discussed, but it no doubt would get it's share of time...
Yes, for those of us who aren't part of EC, today was BORING... There was a motto Chairman Chad Connelly started the day with - 'Happy Happy Happy'... It's a great sentiment, but on a day like today, Happy took a bit of a back seat to 'Worried, Worried, Worried' - or maybe 'Pissed, Pissed, Pissed', depending on who you were. Governor Haley stopped by in the clear air of her recent exoneration of any charges from the IRS - and it was clearly still on her mind... Haley asked the party insiders to do their best to quash the naysayers who endlessly attack her. Her point was it's hard to attract businesses to South Carolina when they are worried the Governor is under duress - and it's taking it's toll on her family.
Next, it was onto the business and committee reports. We were so far away, we couldn't get a decent pic from the nosebleed section, so we went next door and checked out the cool stuff at the SC Museum... For the most part, the SCGOP spent a bit more than planned, but raised a lot more as well, and the good news was they spent below budget in legal costs.... but there is a good chance that a predatory animal is lurking near, ready to attack and devour that legal budget - and the rest of SCGOP's money...
Eventually, we got to new business, and when it they learned a blogger who had previous issues with Haley was present (no, not us, and not who you might think), they quickly went into Executive Session - and the wait began.
When it's the weekend, a lot of planning and discussing is done, but not much happens. The problem right now is there are only two things that can occur that can be considered either legal or fair. Finding one that is both is almost impossible.. If everything was done in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling, that is all the SCGOP would have to deal with, but it appears that isn't going on.. Most people just saw the accepted candidate list, but there was also an accepted/declined list. If you look at it, there is ample evidence to think that not all 46 county Chairs played by the book, and accepted their entire candidate list. Look at the declined candidates list.. It looks like shotgun blasts on the Excel sheet - some counties are blown apart, and others are clean as a whistle, using the same directions. Sounds fishy? It has us wondering..This is a serious problem, because it's technically a violation of a state Supreme Court order. If this is the case, heads may roll...
Another problem is that some challengers went through the same process, and only one in various seats were accepted. While the EC was inside, we chatted with House 56 candidate Mike Ryhal and Mike Cornett from House 105 (here speaking with Tom Grimes and Marion Chair Eric Fry)... Both have been declined for the ballot, but each has a fellow challenger who were accepted. With examples like both of these, the further along this goes without being resolved will undoubtedly lead to mass confusion and likely (and ugly) litigation.. While outside the door was not pretty, what we see as the best last hope was going on inside....
Yesterday, Senator Larry Martin announced that he would introduce a bill that would reopen the SEI filing period for 12 hours, thus giving the challengers an opportunity to right the wrong, and settle this. Honestly, when we first heard this, we weren't too pleased. After all, we have respect for the rule of law. If there are rules, and they aren't followed, then that is too bad. Better luck next time.. However, in light of the reactions by some that seem apparent to us, it gets tougher to believe the rule is being respected....
Rather than blowing up the entire election process with write-in's, independent and other candidacies, Martin's plan seems like the most sensible way to resolve this, along with the litany of lawsuits that are bound to come. Hundreds of candidates suing will cause the Primary to be backed up for an uncertain period of time, and spend every SCGOP penny and then some. Martin's plan seems to avoid that..
We are not legal scholars by any means, but on the common sense scale, it looks like the best option to us. First off, it's bipartisan.. It will calm the Democrats down as well. Secondly, Martin is just the right person to introduce this. He is the Senate Judiciary Chairman, and he is one of the incumbents who had his only challenger declined on the ballot. It's a good sign that tells the public that even though the rule was unjust, we'll respect a person's right to run - despite the obvious error made when the Legislature went from paper to e-filing.
Yeah, we'd all like to go back to last month, and do this right. Or maybe when the change to e-filing was made... But, no one in the SCGOP has a Time Traveling DeLorean with a functioning Flux Capacitor or Mr. Fusion power system.. We believe that belongs to Mr. McFly in the Hill Valley City Council out in California. All we can do is fix today. The SCGOP has been working hard to resolve this, although we can't really see how they can. Sure, this will be a net loss for them, in that they will take all the blame, and get none of the credit if it all works out. But, the important thing is that a solution comes out that is fair, with as little (or no) litigation as possible. To us, the Martin Solution is it. Whether a group of incumbents, too many of whom benefitted from the Supreme Court decision, will see the light, and right this wrong...
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