It must have been a really slow news day if an article I wrote on Commonvoice.com became the hot topic of the day at the Palmetto Journal! I was rather surprised when I found out that I was mentioned heavily in the most current posting on the popular South Carolina political website on Thursday. If you haven’t seen the article yet, then read it here.

Whoever the new owner of the Palmetto Journal is, he is certainly an individual who seems to lack any real credibility in regards to politics and people. For example, his opinion-laden assumptions about the people who contribute articles on Commonvoice.com shows just how ignorant he is about who we really are. He mistakenly thinks he knows who we are without ever meeting us face to face.

As for the actual meat of the article posted on the Palmetto Journal, I would like to examine what the author wrote on Thursday and offer my comments on what was written:

“Pranks and jokes during political campaign seasons date back many years...it comes with some surprise that Republicans are wailing, whining and gnashing their teeth over the photo...”

While I agree that “pranks and jokes” have occurred in previous political campaigns, I think it is disingenuous for anyone to view this picture and the connotations made therein about it in relation to our next governor as anything but horrendous. Associating Mark Sanford with the Taliban in any manner is borderline slanderous and extremely distasteful! There’s nothing funny about it at all. If this is viewed as an appropriate and funny joke in the eyes of the Hodges campaign and state Democrats, then there are going to be a lot of Democratic voters who will be switching their vote from Hodges to Sanford in just a few short weeks. You can take that to the bank! Only then will there be “wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth” coming from Hodges, Harpootlian, Geddings, Reiff and the rest of the South Carolina Democratic Party when they are booted out of Columbia for good on November 5, 2002.

“Most of the whining has come from Sanford's campaign, but right-wing bastion CommonVoice has harbored a large part of it as well.”

I am sure the editor of Commonvoice.com doesn’t mind having his website described as a “right-wing bastion.” While I am unashamed of my personal belief in conservative principles, the liberal point of view is not squelched on Commonvoice.com by any means. With the addition of Mike Cubelo several months ago as a contributing writer as well as several enthusiastic readers who regularly comment on the articles posted on the website, the left-wing has just as much of an equal opportunity to have their opinion expressed on Commonvoice.com as conservatives do. That is what makes Commonvoice.com so unique from the other political websites in South Carolina. Regardless of what your political and/or ideological leaning is, your voice can and will be heard. That is exactly how the editor set up the website to function. That is why I am honored to be a contributor to the website. I appreciate hearing all sides of an issue.

Common Voice columnist Jimmy Moore, who did his thesis on the Christian Coalition in SC for graduate work at Pat Robertson's Regent University...”

Okay, so I attended a graduate school named Regent University where Pat Robertson is the Chancellor. What does that have to do with the picture that was distributed by Reiff?! This is the same old tactic that is used by liberal Democrats who like to take the focus off the topic at hand. While we are on the subject, it is true that I attended “Pat Robertson’s Regent University.” Nevertheless, it would be an incorrect assumption to automatically draw the conclusion that I agree with everything that Mr. Robertson believes in politically and/or spiritually. I do not.

Moore's hyperbole is just a bit over the top...

Speaking of hyperbole, that is just about all the Palmetto Journal has going for it these days. The tall tales that have been posted about Mark Sanford in the last couple of weeks rival the stories of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan! I believe that is something along the lines of the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you say?

No one recalls Moore making similar comments about the SC GOP hiring Ed Matricardi as its new Executive Director a few months ago.

I have had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to meet Mr. Matricardi in person. I find this young man to be an extremely intelligent and experienced addition to the Republican team in South Carolina. He is highly qualified for the position he holds with the state Republican Party. He has been exonerated of all charges brought against him and will show himself to be an invaluable asset to the success of Republican candidates across South Carolina for many years to come!

Jimmy Moore would be chuckling if the shoe were on the other foot and this were a picture that resembled Hodges that was sent to five or six reporters by a Sanford campaign staffer. He as much as says so when he compares Hodges to Elmer Fudd in his column.

There is a big difference between comparing Jim Hodges to Elmer Fudd and Mark Sanford to the Taliban. It is clearly apples and oranges. Being compared to a cartoon character is funny in the purest sense of the word. After all, cartoons are supposed to make you laugh. But attributing a political candidate with an organization that was directly responsible for terrorist acts that has cost the lives of thousands of people is not at all funny. It is disgusting and a sincere public apology is the very least that should be done by Reiff and the Hodges campaign. While Republicans may laugh at the Elmer Fudd comparisons to Hodges, the Democrats need to evaluate whether their handful of laughs at the expense of associating the Taliban with Mark Sanford was worth it when they lose on November 5th!

Common Voice is letting its bias show on this one...whether it be Jimmy Moore, or Bob Jones University press flack Jonathan Pait (who edits Common Voice), or any of the other conservatives on the masthead of Common Voice including former Congressman Bob Inglis, GOP hack Chip Felkel, talk show host Ralph Bristol, and Dr. Oran Smith, former editor of Southern Partisan magazine and author of The Rise of Baptist Republicanism (published by NYU Press...”

Ah, don’t you love how the Palmetto Journal conveniently left the lovable liberal Mike Cubelo off of his list of “biased” writers on Commonvoice.com. Besides myself, the only other conservative contributing writers who regularly posts articles are the editor, Ralph Bristol, Joe Lolli and Ben Graydon, who was conspicuously missing from this hack job done by the Palmetto Journal. Anyone who accuses Commonvoice.com of being biased in its opinions needs to come join the conversation. No matter what your political leaning is, your opinion is welcomed on Commonvoice.com. Period. Exclamation point!

“...and probably a lot more objective than Jimmy Moore's thesis for "Pat Robertson Community College".)”

You would be surprised to read my thesis on the South Carolina Christian Coalition. It is not what you would expect from someone who graduated from the university that was begun by Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson. I’d be happy to distribute a copy of the paper for a nominal fee (to cover shipping and handling costs) to anyone who would like to read it for yourself. You’ll find that it contains a little more intelligent thought than what one would expect from a “community college” (speaking of calling people names that you disagree with!).

Mark Sanford and his minions have manipulated the art of attacking the messenger to an advanced level this campaign season...The next phase involves the flacks and hacks (people like Will Folks and Jimmy Moore) further attacking the messenger with name-calling, invective and flag-waving.

Oh, I see. Not only am I a “right-winger,” “hyperbolic,” and “biased,” now the Palmetto Journal has tagged me with labels “flack” and “hack.” How hypocritical is it to attack me and my fellow contributing writers on Commonvoice.com (sans Cubelo!) a list of names and then turn right around and bemoan the idea of “name-calling, invective and flag-waving?” That is beyond being disingenuous. That is extremely typical of the actions implored by liberal Democrats!

The old Palmetto Journal was a well-respected website enjoyed by many South Carolinians who wanted to stay on top of the political scene. The new Palmetto Journal bears no resemblance to its predecessor.

I guess these concerned citizens will need to visit Commonvoice.com and SCHotline.com from now on to find the information they are looking for.