The indictment of Thomas Ravanel has put a big blemish on the Republican party in my fair state. The level of discontent and distrust amongst the voters for our elected officials is growing. It's not the first time that a lawmaker here has been caught with his hand in the jar, defied police or has been subject to criminal investigations. Frankly, the voters of this fair state are damn tired of it, too.
So I sat here thinking long and hard, about 15 minutes before having my first cup of coffee, that yes, I can do it. I can challenge Lindsey Graham and win that seat as a Democrat. The only question, can the Democratic party help me do it?
South Carolina has often been thought of as a Republican stronghold, and that getting a Democrat into a seat of federal power. All I have to do is point to Fritz Hollings and Representatives John Spratt and James Clyburn to show this isn't true. So with these individuals in mind, I am confident that I can run a successful race and represent the individuals of this fine state.
But how would I run it you ask? My platform will be the I've been there, done that and understand route. My biggest selling point is, I'm not a career politician, nor am I a lawyer. That I do have a brain and am able to read and understand the content of the law.
I will appeal to the women in this state, both the career and working women, as well as the stay at home moms. I will talk about the struggle women have had to endure to gain the basic rights that they have now and how it's their responsibility to get to the polls and vote. Then I'll recount my whole struggle as a young woman, as a woman in the military, as someone who put my family over my career first, as a working mom.
I will promise to fight to bring back our constitution and to bring our troops home from Iraq. I will remind them that my opponent, in his voting and his rhetoric was for giving up certain rights for our safety and that he touting stay the course, in line with Bush and Rumsfeld, even when it was showing that course was failing.
I will promise to back up my words with my vote, unlike Graham, who after writing a letter to the editor about why we shouldn't have time limits, failed to cast a no vote on the supplemental appropriations bill.
I will promise them that I won't waste their money by trying to pass a flag burning amendment or bring up a marriage amendment as a diversionary tactic, unlike my opponent.
I will promise to work for stronger port security, since this can be a major target for terrorist, but promise not to continue the culture of fear. That if we continue to live in fear, then the terrorist have won, because this is what their goal has been from the beginning.
When they bring up the family, I will recount my days as a single parent and ask them point blank, "are you telling me that my daughter and I weren't a family?" That a family is a group of individuals who love and care for each other. I will tell them that marriage is not a government responsibility and remind them that marriage is about love and commitment and agreeing to take on the responsibility of raising children should they want to.
When faced with the question of reproductive rights, I will tell them that we need to educate our young men and women and children in being responsible and give them all the information on birth control and STD prevention, instead of trying to sweep it under the rug.
On veterans issues, I will remind them how our past government and the cutbacks to the VA have let our veterans down and we're now seeing publically what thousands upon thousands of veterans already knew.
I will remind them how my opponent sat on his thumbs while businesses in this state closed and went overseas, under a tax break that was rubber stamped by a do nothing congress.
On healthcare issues, I will fight for healthcare reform, in both the private and government sector.
I can go on and on and on, since there's a whole slew of issues that need to be addressed. In short, I will champion the cause of children, our elderly, our veterans and yes, even our military. Also, it goes without saying, our women.
Before you get too excited, no, I'm not actually considering running for a US Senate seat. Frankly, I have skeletons in my closet that my opponent could use to eat me alive. That and he has more money then I could ever hope to raise to run a successful campaign. But I do have a point to this diary.
Thomas Ravanel was a hope to beat Graham in the primaries, probably one of the strongest contenders out there, until the drug bust. It's been argued that a Democrat cannot win in South Carolina, and the point is, they can. People in this state are quickly becoming fed up with the status quo, as such. There are many moderate Republicans who've jumped parties and the Independents in this state, have in the past voted Republican can be wooed over quickly.
There's a 53% disapproval rating on how the war is being handled, there are approximately 2000 National Guard members currently serving over in Iraq and Afghanistan, with more to go over. There's a large veteran contingent who's pissed off at the poor medical treatment at the VA hospitals. You have a semi-broken public school system in this state that can be fixed if the NCLB is rescinded. You have 5.4% unemployment rate in South Carolina, and many are underemployed.
What you don't have is a strong showing by a Democratic challenger for the elections coming up in November, or if you do, the public hasn't heard of him/her. My suggestion is for the DNC to stop glazing over South Carolina and actually put some serious effort into winning the House, Senate and Presidential races here.