The SCGOP (Un) Royal Line of Succession

With the news of Columbia attorney, Kevin Hall, who was running to replace Katon Dawson as the next SC GOP chairman dropping out the race, I could not help to think about the Tolkien classic that was adapted to film by Peter Jackson, The Lord Of the Rings.

Citing health concerns, news of Hall's departure from the race was distributed in an email sent to supporters and later posted on his website:

Over the last week, I hoped and prayed I would not have to deliver this message. I am sad and deeply disappointed to let you know that, due to some recent health problems, I must withdraw as a candidate for Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.

In the same letter, Hall encourages his supporters to, "Please keep up the fight, work together, and win together in 2010!" However, knowing SC politics will this be the case? Does this mean smooth sailing into the end-zone for Team Floyd? While many people think so, rumors of a new challenger began to surface just shortly after Hall's announcement.

Who is this rumored challenger? Well, none other that veteran South Carolina consultant Warren Tompkins. While Tompkins is a familiar name amongst GOP circles, his name when spoken is certain to generate a number of reactions -- reactions of course that are driven by whatever side of the SC political fault-line that you stand.

Well, now elaboration on the Lord of the Rings reference. In the third and final installment, the Dark Lord Sauron is massing together an increasing large army of minions to prevent the Ring from being destroyed. However, there is only one man who can rally an army together to defeat Sauron. This man is the true heir to the throne and is the last successor to the King.

Does a Tompkins' candidacy fit naturally in the line of succession left open by Kevin Hall? Well, let's examine the facts. Tompkins would seem like a natural fit considering that a lot of Mr. Hall's campaign apparatus was composed of Sen. Lindsey Graham's campaign field hands; a campaign that had Tompkins on the payroll as general consultant.

Or is it the fact that one of Hall's earliest and most vocal supporters, Conservative Wonder Jim DeMint also had Mr. Tompkins on his payroll for work during his senatorial campaign in 2004, and for work as early as when DeMint was just a US Representative? Not to mention Sen. DeMint is again up for election seeking a second term.

So all and all, what does this mean for Team Floyd? What type of impact might this have on 2010? Will Hall relinquish his delegates to another candidate or let them loose? It may all be perhaps too early to tell, but I can definitely tell it is going to be interesting.

Another Turn In the Race For SCGOP

I have not been following the race for chairman, but it seems pretty ridiculous to mount an attack or find fault with Mrs. Floyd on behalf of her support for Mr. Giuliani. Likewise, I think it would be absurd for someone to try to discount Mr. Hall’s conservative credentials on behalf of his support for Senator Lindsey Graham and what many believe to be his less that stellar conservative bona fides.

While the article by A. Citizen was well written and impressively documented; the premise of the article and its reliance on syllogism is more than flawed – the logic being that Mrs. Floyd supported Rudy and Rudy is not a conservative; therefore Mrs. Floyd is neither a conservative.

Not only is Rudy Giuliani plenty conservative, as proclaimed by George Will at CPAC which you can watch here. His belief in free-market principles, his effort to reduce crime, his accomplishment of balancing budgets by cutting taxes and reducing the size of government, his strong belief in federalism and transferring power from the Feds to states, and strong stance on school-choice to name a few are principles that I wish more elected republicans in SC would embrace.

Over the years, our need to play in the sandbox with games like “I’m more conservative than you” has shifted our attention from finding real leaders and ideas to advance our cause weakening the party. This is exactly what happened during the RNC Chairman’s race and needless to say look at what happened.

If conservatism alone were the sole criteria to lead SCGOP, Kevin Hall and Karen Floyd both would excel. However, it’s not nor should it be. We need someone who understands grassroots activism, someone who has what is takes to build a statewide organization, and someone who can raise the funds to sustain such an operation. If Rudy should be a factor as many want him to be, it’s funny that no one mentions that Mrs. Floyd was able to raise more money in a single week in SC than what was raised for the entire 2008 SC Victory Operation.