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Good Citizens by Flikr
I live in South Carolina and during this Republican primary I believe I've heard just about all the bulls**t I can handle. Listening to what South Carolinians believe and why they do what they do is truly the height of ignorance. I've lived here six years and the only thing I can testify about is that South Carolinians like their privacy. You can work a South Carolinian crowd by telling them that the government is going to invade that privacy. The reason that the poor working stiffs in this State didn't support the healthcare bill Obama proposed is because people like Senator Jim DeMint told them that the Federal government would be managing their healthcare and would be making the decisions on treatment, not their doctors. DeMint actually said that at a town hall meeting.
What floored me was the CNN Debate when John King asked Newt Gingrich about the "open marriage" that Gingrich proposed to his wife, according to an interview she gave the evening before. I was transported to a surreal world where up was down, and in was out. Gingrich castigated John King before millions of people for asking such a tawdry, negative question during the opening of a Presidential debate. I couldn't believe the feigned outrage Gingrich displayed. In fact, I couldn't believe his hypocrisy in front of Americans that can certainly remember his behavior as Speaker of the House during the time he desperately tried to impeach Bill Clinton for a brief affair while at the time he was cheating on his second wife with his present wife! What kind of a man could feign outrage over something that he himself had also engaged in? In fact, where is the mainstream media on this? Why do some people get a free pass while others are crucified?
The mainstream press constantly brings up "the fact" that South Carolinians don't really care about an old affair because they are more concerned about the economy. In reality, if the press brought up the facts about what Gingrich was doing while he was trying to impeach Clinton, maybe then South Carolinians would care just a little more about his hypocritical behavior. The evangelical Christians here are forgiving, but hypocrisy isn't tolerated well in this State. For someone who attacks the media on a constant basis, they sure dis a good job at hiding certain facts for him. In fact, John King should hang his head in shame for taking such a blistering attack by Gingrich without bringing up the facts of his hypocrisy during the Clinton Impeachment. Is it because John King is a wimp, or is there something more going on?
One thing that I heard over and over was the strength of the Tea Party in South Carolina. I just don't believe it. I'm politically active and the only real presence I see down here are the Ron Paul supporters, the Occupy movements in many cities and towns, and recently, organizing efforts by the AFL-CIO.
For all of the Ron Paul supporters that are hoping for an eventual victory for their candidate don't hold your breath. Of all the States that have run caucuses and primaries, South Carolina was a perfect atmosphere for a Ron Paul victory. If he couldn't do better than last place here, I can't see him winning anywhere.
