Carry on, South Carolina – from Mark Sanford to Andre Bauer
South Carolina is a perfectly fine place, I’m sure. The Palmetto state is doubtless beautiful, and a fine place to reside. However, its recent political history has been talk show cannon fodder. Gov. Mark Sanford went on his soul-searching trip on the Appalachian Trail (aka Argentina) with Maria Belen Chapur. The Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (he of the “Andre Bauer for governor” campaign) has searched his soul and made a startling admission: “Poor children are stray animals,” referring to those who take public assistance.
Is Andre Bauer going to need payday loans if he voted out of his job?
Bauer decided it was a good idea to actually say this, out loud, to a local South Carolina newspaper, The State in an interview. Andre Bauer, in his own limited way, was trying to address the culture of government handouts, which is a legitimate issue. “In government, we are too often giving a handout instead of a hand up,” he said to the newspaper. But then he went on to tell a little story that couldn’t possibly help his public image:
“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed.
“You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that. And so what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better.”
12.6 percent of South Carolina is out of work
Thus, the timing of Andre Bauer’s comments – from the campaign trail, no less – could have been better. Fellow politicians have called for him to formally apologize for his comments, but Bauer has refused so far. Andre Bauer is himself a child of divorce who was on reduced price lunches.
“This is out of love and compassion,” he said. “If I have to take a hit, then fine. … I will take short-term pain for long-term gain.”
Does charitable work cover up mistimed political statements?
Various media outlets, including The State, report that Andre Bauer donates to a variety of charitable causes. However, in the world of politics and the media mirror of public perception, will Andre Bauer’s proclamation that “poor children are like stray animals” sink his career and bring even more shame to South Carolina? I think we’d all give payday loans to figure out what it is they put in the water in South Carolina!
