The Swamp Wins in Horry (6/12/2024)
It is often an uphill battle when one follows their conscience. Taking a path other than the one of least resistance is frequently unrewarding, at least in the short run. We, as the grass roots movement, are usually supporting the underdog, the candidate with less money and resources. We may be on the losing side more often than not, but that’s ok. It just means we have integrity. It means that we stand for something. It means we don’t take the easy road just because it’s easy.
That said, last night was a big disappointment in Horry County. Establishment candidates with big money behind them held on to their seats in the house and senate. The “republicans” that are the closest thing to democrats seem to always win here. Upsetting, yes, but it’s also strengthened my resolve.
I often wonder what more I can do to raise awareness about how poorly the people here are represented. I consistently drive the point home that we have 40% conservative legislative output in this state and that we deserve better. Too many constituents don’t take enough interest in this. Only 8.47% of eligible voters showed up at the polls in Horry County. Statewide it was about 13.5%. Perhaps they will start taking more interest as their taxes continue to rise, as their roads don’t get fixed, or as home building continues to rise as standards for doing so decline.
In order to arrive at the solution, the underlying problems need to be identified, then we can fight to fix those problems. Here’s what I came up with.
Big Money. Like I said before, establishment candidates have a lot of money behind them, much of it coming from the chamber. Power and influence is what keeps that money coming. Freedom Caucus candidates cannot be controlled, so in order to keep the cash flowing, malleable shills need to be supported by special interests. Also, several PACs pump money into the least conservative candidates. That’s why everyone received so many mailers, ad nauseam. Billboards too. Here in district 61, the establishment candidate spent over 6 times what the potential Freedom Caucus candidate spent. I wrote a piece a few days ago about all these backers and what their interests are. Henry McMaster and Drew McKissick certainly didn’t help matters either, as they both pushed for the most swampy candidates on the ballot. We need to expose these people for what they are. Perhaps we can find ways to lessen their money supply.
Manpower. At least here in my district 61, they had far more people knocking on doors. A group called Americans for Prosperity (an anti-Trump, pro-establishment PAC) was knocking on doors upwards of three times claiming that the Freedom Caucus candidate was lying about their preferred liberal incumbent. We simply could not keep up with that, nor did we have time to go back and reiterate that they in fact were not telling the truth.
Open Primaries. They are a big problem here in South Carolina. Something we need to tackle, but with the current house makeup, a potential bill will never see the light of day. Establishment candidates benefit from democrats voting in republican primaries, because they will cross over and vote for the most liberal candidate on the republican side. In this state, I don’t see how one can claim to be conservative while actively courting democrat votes, yet we see it every election. Primaries are de facto elections in many areas of the state. Locally, they are much more significant than the general election.
I’m sure there are other issues that we, as conservatives, can pinpoint and improve upon. Perhaps we can look to the rest of the state for guidance as well. The Freedom Caucus, despite the massive amount of money spent against them, retained the seats they had and may have even picked one or two up. Yes folks, there is a silver lining.
As upsetting as last night was, the path is crystal clear. I will not stop exposing these people. I will not stop shining a light on these corrupt special interests. I will not stop fighting for We the People. We will continue growing our number as conservatives and we will not stop until this government truly represents us. Establishment shills, you are on notice.