By Sabrina Samone, Transmuseplanet
Well it was debate night in old Chuck Town and if Obama and
Romney’s debates were as heated we’d still be laughing to this day. It’s no
secret South Carolina is a red state, some even say it’s turning purple and
could possibly be a tossup state by 2016, but most media outlets and papers are
republican controlled and a true independent voice in politics in South
Carolina is extremely hard to find, think Nazi Propaganda News and that’s about
where we are. The Post
and Courier of Charleston is holding on to its once respected independent
voice with the skin of its teeth. The debate was sponsored by Patch.com and if the host was representing them he did a good job of keeping up the
republican bias attitude. The host started off with what he must’ve thought as
a joke by accusing most in national media as thinking this is a race between
Jenny Sanford and Stephen Colbert and went on to even say with great fan fare
from Mark Sanford’s camp, that this will be a debate about policy not personal. Ok
let me get this right...so national media and the public are too dumb to realize
who is in the race and you want us to ignore personal attributes that are distinct
reflections of one’s character. Ok, just seeing where you’re trying to lead me
already. Even when you go to Patch.com, the headline reads former South Carolina
Governor and Stephen Colbert’s sister. Maybe it’s just me, but if someone would
to introduce me as Derris Wood’s step sister, ignoring I’ve appeared in two
independent films, works in nursing and is a writer, I’d be a little ticked
off, but onto the debate.
Sanford was first on the stage and had a modest applause but
the crowd went to its feet when Colbert was introduced and took several seconds
to calm down. Elizabeth went first as she won the coin toss, but ten minutes in
things seemed to heat up. Both were
given the question of would they support our republican senators on their bill
of a path to citizenship, introduced by Lindsey Graham (R). Sanford gave the
usual dodge the answer most politicians do and only stated immigration needs to
be looked into. Not so surprisingly, Colbert showed her moderate Democrat side
by saying she would not support sending a 11 million people back home but
believes in the pathway to citizenship, (Get a job, pay your fines and get in
the back of the line to a pathway to citizenship).
Colbert criticized Sanford for being the only representative
to vote against dredging and deepening at the Port Of Charleston. The 4th
largest on the east coast, but was once third, but lost the 3rd spot
to Savannah because it’s not deep enough. She went onto say that her opponent
voted against the bridge and against deepening the Port. Sanford tried his best to demean Colbert and
laugh edher statement off and continued to say, “I don’t think if that was the
case you would have written me a 500 check to support me when I ran for
Governor.” This finally gave the Sanford
gang something, to temporarily applaud, but it was short lived. WCBD count on 2
anchor and one of the evening’s moderators, had to clarify with Mark Sanford statement by asking, is that;
“your response”? Sanford continued then, to jab for applause by stating
again, she gave me a 500 dollar check for my campaign then...and I see it
bothers her now. It continued the short lived applause. Colbert, reminiscent of
the last Obama/Romney debate, when Obama had to tell Romney to “please continue
Governor”, went onto say she was glad Sanford brought that up and she
had hoped he would. Colbert replied to Sanford, “you
and I have known each other for years and you knew what my role was with
governmental affairs within the company. You said you were in support of
dredging the port, trade and all the things we needed, and you didn’t. You
turned around and did the opposite.” The crowd went ballistic. Sanford went on to say, let’s think about this
and before he could get you wrote me a check again out of his mouth the room
went ohhhhh, almost a booo. Colbert went
on to say, ok Mark next question. The patch.com moderator even looked
disappointed in Sanford. And this was pretty much how the rest of the night went;
Sanford just never seemed to touch with the audience.
When the Affordable Health Care act came up, Sanford was
eager to say he opposed it and if he was
in Congress now he would vote to repeal it. Something that’s wasted countless
sessions and time in Congress already to no
avail. Colbert supports Medicare expansion because it creates and saves
health care jobs. When fiscal responsibility came up and both were asked, how
they’d vote, Sanford gave a long overdrawn speech that had one moderator
reminding him to stay within time so both candidates get the same respect.
Colbert hit a near homerun when she said, “when the country is losing jobs and
we all are tightening our belts that is not the time to take taxpayer money and
take a rendezvous out of the country for personal reasons”. Sanford claimed he
couldn’t hear the question and asked Colbert to repeat, where she then simply
replied, answer the question. Sanford wanted to appease the republican audience
by bringing up for a fifth time Nancy Pelosi. Someone then yelled out,
she’s not here. Sanford, in many ads and in the debate, criticized
Colbert for what he believed, her to be pledging her loyalty to Nancy Pelosi. After all that, Sanford
admitted he would sign the Grover Norquist pledge, yes basically admitting he
would make a deal with someone who is not in his district and is not affected
by what goes on HERE. Colbert stated that her only pledge is to the citizens
of the first district.
Finally the next big moment came when both candidates were
asked, "are they are in support of Marriage Equality"? Colbert was the first to
answer and said, “I’m a supporter of full equality and this is a matter of
Civil Rights and equal protection under the law..that’s what this is and to
quote Dick Cheney, “Freedom is freedom for everyone.”” Sanford; admits to
voting for the defensive marriage act ,that his stance has been consistent and
that marriage equality should be left to each state to decide. When asked that
he, Sanford, who had voted to impeach former President Bill Clinton for infidelity.
Would he do the same now? Sanford states a man should not be punished for the
rest of his life.
But he should not be given the keys to everyone else’s
bedroom three years later either. There was nothing new from Sanford, he really
thought he could do some grand standing and get through the night, but
Colbert showed she was no Jenny Sanford and that she was a strong, independent
business women who means business and that’s what I saw. Several republicans
that were watching with me also saw, and by the way have now changed their vote.
Even being trying to be unbiased, Sanford just didn’t convince me he’s a man that cares
about anything other than retaining power for his own self glory and Colbert did show
that she is a business woman with the knowhow of fiscal responsibility to move
South Carolina forward.
It’s was a much anticipated debate, but the big surprise was
the toughness of Colbert not to back down. The facts remained the facts that we
are already aware of and out of their own mouths our community got our answer. LGBT people now know who supports
them and who doesn’t. The decision is
now a no brainer.
I've enclosed the full debate
Related Topics on TMP
Thurs. April 11, 2013
Wed. April 3, 2013
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