Election Dust Settling
Dear Friends:
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope your tummy was full and you had the opportunity to join with family and friends to give thanks. May we each count our blessings and thank God for all we have.
At our home, amid the turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and watching football, we paused to thank our great nation. While we sometimes feel as if the fabric of our country is being ripped apart, we should appreciate we have more in common with each other than our differences would indicate.
As we gathered around the Thanksgiving table and gave thanks, we offered a special prayer for bringing us together to ensure our nation remains strong now and in the future. We must be the United States of America because a divided America will falter and fall.
Filling the Veterinarian Gap
A monumental moment for SC! Friday’s ceremonial groundbreaking at Clemson University marked the beginning of construction for SC’s first College of Veterinary Medicine. Finally, SC will educate veterinarians to meet the critical shortage of animal doctors. Currently, SC must recruit vet doctors from other states. A third of our counties have six or fewer vets.
The severe shortage is causing overworked vets to burnout. Having a College of Veterinary Medicine in the Palmetto State will benefit every county, the millions of house pets, horses, and livestock, as well as those who care for them.
The veterinary college was named in honor of Sen. Harvey Peeler, who has championed the initiative for over four decades. Perseverance Counts!
Thank You, Mr. Chief Justice
It was an honor to be administered the oath of office by SC Supreme Court Chief Justice John Kittridge. As I enter my eighth term in the SC House of Representatives, it was a joy to be surrounded by my supportive family in the Supreme Court chambers. (I thought that some of our Grands might break his gavel when invited to pound it.) Chief Justice Kittredge treated our grandchildren to a backroom tour of the Supreme Court’s inner sanctum where Justices argue law when deciding cases. Great education!
Freshman Tutorial
In preparation for SC’s 2025-2026 legislative session, the “newbies” — those Representatives elected for the first time — spent a couple of days at the State House participating in Freshman Orientation. There is a lot to learn! I congratulate them and wish them much success in their public service.
Moon Struck
I’m not prone to be star-struck, but maybe I’m a little ‘Moon-Struck.’ I’ve met many famous people
during my career in TV news, but at the Clemson-Citadel football game, I had an out-of-this-world conversation with retired astronaut Charlie Duke (Apollo 16). General Duke is a native South Carolinian and now resides in Greenville. He was the youngest person to walk on the moon. We swapped aviation stories (I’m a pilot), but he was genuinely impressed when I told him my cousin was the chief engineer who designed the lunar descent engine that got him safely on the moon’s surface. He asked me to tell my cousin, “It worked perfectly.” I did, and my 91-year-old cousin was thrilled when I relayed the compliment.
The Aiken Standard
For 14 years, I have written a monthly column for the Aiken Standard. I appreciate the opportunity to communicate with those who might not subscribe (as you do) to my frequent e-news updates. Allow me to share my column that appeared in the November 27th edition.
Election Dust Settling
(Aiken Standard): It has been three weeks since the political elites and media pundits reeled in shock at Donald Trump’s election and the national Red Wave. The outcome sent ripples through the corridors of power, leaving many to ponder the implications of this seismic shift in the political landscape.
The answer is quite simple. The elites who control our federal government overplayed their hands; confident they knew what was best for the rest of us. Those elites include corrupt politicians, the unelected, unseen, monied power brokers behind the curtain, and the ‘national-lame-brain-media-propaganda machine.’
They pushed globalization, diminished America’s international leadership, have us on the brink of war with Russia, broke our nation’s borders, wasted trillions of our tax dollars driving the country closer to bankruptcy, made us energy-dependent on our adversaries, used lawfare to attempt to eliminate political opponents, fanned the flames of the culture war, worked overtime to divide Americans by race and sex, and pushed ESG and DEI. They worked secretively with big tech to censor us, and if you disagreed with them or weren’t WOKE enough, you could be bullied and canceled publicly or forced out of your job. They play hardball!
Fortunately, most Americans reject their nonsense because regular Americans still possess common sense, value personal liberty, and believe America is the land of opportunity. Later in this column, I will provide more perspective on the national scene, but first, here is what happened closer to home.
South Carolina’s Red Wave
The South Carolina House of Representatives increased its supermajority by adding one more seat to its ranks with the defeat of a longtime Low Country Democrat. There will now be 88 GOP Representatives and 36 Democrats, giving the House Republicans a 71% majority.
The shocker came in the State Senate. Veteran Democrat Sen. Gerald Malloy (Hartsville) was defeated by his GOP opponent. Democrat Sen. Mike Fanning (Kershaw-Fairfield Counties) was also beaten by his Republican opponent by only 29 votes. Two other Democrat senators were also bested by their Republican opponents.
These victories give Republicans four more seats, pushing the Republican majority to 34, leaving only 12 Democrats in the Senate chamber. The victories give Senate Republicans a 74% majority – the first GOP supermajority in 150 years in the Senate.
With Republican super majorities in both legislative chambers, the expectations are high for passage of a legislative agenda that will significantly cut your taxes, address soaring insurance costs, remove burdensome barriers on small businesses, restore school choice and education saving accounts, and prioritize public safety so South Carolinians can live, work, attend school, and thrive with confidence and peace of mind.
National Red Wave
The rabid Democrat/Progressive/Socialist agenda that has impacted nearly every aspect of American life met its match in this month’s election. A majority of Americans said enough is enough. They rejected what was being pushed down their throats. With their votes, ‘We The People’ showed we are in charge. We hire people to “represent” us and fire them when they Lord over us against our will.
Blame Game
It’s amusing to watch national Democrats blame everyone but themselves for their losses. Some blame Joe Biden. Others blame Taylor Swift for not doing enough, but most blame Americans for being racist and misogynist. As they see it, it’s not their fault; it’s your fault Kamala didn’t win. (I accept my share of their blame.)
They fail to consider that their policies are wrong and not what most Americans want. They pulled a palace coup and sidelined the sitting President in favor of a highly unpopular Vice President who never received a primary vote for President. She was unable to distance herself from the failures of their administration. She refused to explain why she supposedly reversed herself on the lengthy list of Socialist policies she had long supported. She offered no vision for America except for joy. She and her handlers relied on the fawning media to hide her ‘duck and dodge’ strategy. And lastly, she didn’t calculate that everyday Americans figured out she’s a lightweight phony politician.
Elections Have Consequences
Only three days after taking office in 2009, President Obama told Republican Congressional leaders that “Elections have consequences.” Obama left no doubt he was in charge, stating, “I won.”
This election also has consequences. President Trump regained the White House with the popular vote and by a wide margin in the Electoral College.
What’s Ahead?
The simple answer is a rocky road – no honeymoon for the President-Elect.
The ‘national-lame-brain-media-propaganda machine’ is still reeling from the election results, and it is in disbelief that it couldn’t command a victory for Kamala. Maybe it will realize that corporate media are no longer driving viewers’ thoughts and are no longer the arbiters of truth they have pretended to be. The Leftist cable channels have seen their ratings cut in half this month. They are in free fall. They have been canceled with this election.
Showing desperation to regain lost audience and in an overture to mend political fences, MSNBC’s married show hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who are staunch Trump haters, frequently calling him a fascist, met with the President-Elect in Mar-a-Lago. But don’t be surprised if their partisan fangs eventually return and target Donald Trump and Republicans.
Of course, they will be joined by national Democrats who will shout from every microphone about how Donald Trump’s every decision and utterance will prove he is evil (i.e., like Hitler, as they repeatedly proclaimed). The national Democrats will stay on the attack to remain relevant to their base. The shrill sound of their resistance will drive away more voters.
Actions Rather than Words
Watch what President Trump does (not just what he says). Remember, he authored the book on negotiating. His pronouncements can often be over the top, but recognize he is working toward the ‘art of the deal.’
Keep a close eye on his decisions, cabinet, staff picks, Executive Orders, and proposed legislation. With the support of a Republican majority in Congress, I genuinely believe he will put America on the road to prosperity and strengthen our leadership that this chaotic world so desperately needs.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
The ‘Red Kettle’ season officially kicked off during festivities in Aiken Alley last week. The local Salvation Army unveiled its goal of $125,000 to make a Merry Christmas for 2,600 local families and elderly folks in need. As a Salvation Army Board Member, I was honored to place the symbolic first donation in the Red Kettle. Be sure to help “Fill the Kettle” as you pass them while shopping.
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