Will we get Veeped?
Jonathan Pait
October 18, 2002
In yesterday’s Capitol Watch column we heard rumblings of a possible presidential visit to South Carolina. This comes as a disappointment to the Democrats. Word has it that they were gloating about the fact that though Bush was in the south – even Georgia – last week, he did not stop by to show support for Sanford, Graham and the other Republicans up for election. Republicans were grinning because they knew that a possible visit was already in the works before Bush’s latest foray into Dixie.
Much is said about the part South Carolina plays in this election. Obviously, the most important one on the national scene is the Graham/Sanders race. Don’t think that the other races aren’t on the minds of the national parties. For the most part as the local goes, so goes the national. This mid-term election isn’t the prize. It is merely stocking stuffer to prep for the main event.
With that in mind, will we see more involvement from the national level over the next couple of weeks? If the Republicans are smart there will be. As much as some would argue that Graham has overplayed the Bush connection, that is probably only for those of us who breathe political air. Bush is an extremely popular President and he has managed to tie himself with national loyalty.
Bush, unlike Clinton, has a multi-dimensional popularity. Clinton was popular to many because of his personal charisma. The foundation of Bush’s popularity is not so much in his charisma, but his place of representing the nation in a time of trial. He has gone a step further and built on that by projecting a persona that enhances that figurehead status. To many of us, it is more than a “projection” – it is what he is.
The fact is the administration brings more than just personalities to the table. Having the executive branch come by, for a majority of Americans, is like waving the flag. Watch those South Carolina Republicans grinning like children with candy should the President pay a visit to the Capitol City. Everything points to that being a reality soon.
What about the Upstate, will we have the administration giving us a visit? You’ve got to think that politically speaking it would be no-brainer for the Bush handlers to have a visit planned for us. Could we get Veeped? It makes sense that South Carolina could get a one-two-punch. If Bush lands in the midlands, Cheney could touch down in the Upstate.
Even if the right hook, left hook combination gets thrown, you have to wonder if it will land with enough force to produce a TKO. It certainly wouldn’t hurt. Bush and Cheney, come on down! One thing is sure, they won’t be speaking at Bob Jones University.
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