Do Not Underestimate Tim Scott
When South Carolina Senator Tim Scott entered the 2024 presidential race, his announcement was mostly greeted with head-scratching skepticism from pundits. He was immediately cast as a candidate that would remain stuck in single digits. That still may be true, but he could be the dark horse candidate (no pun intended) of the season.
I say that from both a professional and personal view. My personal view is reflected in the fact that I may switch my vote in the Florida primary from Governor Ron DeSantis – who I like a lot – to Scott. It has to do with messaging – what these guys are saying. As a conservative, I look past the politics of personality and personal destruction – as President Clinton dubbed it – to the positions they take. I like to see if what they think is important is what I think is important.
Most of the current field of Republican presidential candidates seem to be fighting AGAINST. I prefer to know what a candidate is fighting FOR. Ironically, both can be addressing the same issues and even have the same goals – but it is how they fight that makes the difference. It is why I often said I like a lot of President Trump’s policies, but not his pugnacious and mendacious personality. Consequently, Trump is off my list of candidates who will get my vote in the Florida primary – even if he is still in the race.
My preference for Scott may be because of President Reagan. In fact, I have frequently recommended that candidates study Reagan to see the perfect match of issues and personality. Scott seems to have that balance.
Scott has a compelling personal narrative. He was raised in the all too typical environment of a black man. He was raised in poverty by a single mother who worked as a nurse aide. As a maturing young man, he faced all the hardships and temptations of ghetto life. Scott says he overcame those personal challenges through his mother’s instilled faith and the guidance of mentors. His first mentor was John Moniz, the owner of a local Chick-fil-A.
Though he grew up in the South, Scott was born as the era of Jim Crow was ending. His affiliation with the Republican Party was based on conservative values and possibly the fact that the rise of the GOP in South Carolina coincided with his rise into manhood.
After several jobs, Scott started his own Allstate insurance franchise. At the age of 30, he won a seat on the Charleston County Council with 80 percent of the white majority vote – and was the first Republican to be elected to office in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era of the late 1800s.
In 2008, he was elected to the South Carolina State House of Representatives – and in 2010 to the United States House. In 2012, Governor Nikki Haley appointed Scott to the United States Senate – replacing Senator Jim DeMint, who resigned to become head of the Heritage Foundation.
Despite his impressive resume, Scott announced his presidential plans without much name recognition on the national scene. But the more people know about him and hear from him, his popularity is bound to increase. At least, that is how I see it.
What attracts me to Scott is his issue-based, common sense, forward-looking, positive messaging. He has a pro-American patriotic message that clears the air of the left’s foggy mendacious woke narratives. In many ways, he is the one GOP candidate who has embraced the Reagan style and messages.
His “Faith in America” theme has a couple of meanings. A commitment to the moral principles of most religious doctrines and the generic use of the word “faith,” to mean confidence in American values and culture.
Scott has been an advocate of unity throughout his career. In the Senate, he has co-sponsored a number of bills with uber leftwing Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio – including legislation that would penalize and fine bankers for the lending practices that led to serial bank failures.
Rather than talk about the past election – or cast his campaign as another anti-Trump enterprise – Scott talks about such controversial issues as school choice and abortion. He pushes back against Democrat claims of pandemic American racism and the corrupting effects of generational welfare dependency.
Though he does not dwell on the culture war political model, Scott takes on a number of the left’s major narratives dealing with identity politics. He takes a commonsense approach to gender self-determination, trans men in women’s sports, and so-called male pregnancies by trans women.
He remains a long shot, but among his rivals in the single digit category, Scott is one who deserves closer scrutiny and more support. We will have to see if he gets it. To paraphrase a contemporary slogan, Scott seems to be determined to “Make America Proud Again.”
So, there ‘tis.
Larry, Definitely a better choice than either of the two front runners (especially so with your governor, who you ‘like a lot’, who is trying to ‘out trump trump’ with a ridiculous fight against Disney and eliminating personal freedoms in your state)…. The more people see of him, the less they like…
Ever since the Tea Party ascended around 2010, I have been hoping for a Republican savior reaching across the aisle, working together, to get some conservative fiscal policies in place and perhaps even a touch of social engineering. I had those feelings when a younger Ted Cruz from Texas came to DC that instantly disappeared when he hit the Capitol floor and suddenly this man that could get er done from both sides of the aisle in Texas could no longer work, or even socialize, with, well…. anyone… Rubio rose up only to knuckle under in a wimpish fashion. Scion of Paul, a little nutty at times, but always respectful, he Rand away from Daddy’s vision and went right over the edge of intolerable. Collins lacks consistency. Vance, tough but fair, went to the Dark Side by 2020 and never looked back. It seems that whenever I get close, take a look under the hood, they push me away. Hard. I began to wonder was this what their people craved or was it a lack of leadership. Blood lust or compromise? Govern or control?
In comes Tim Scott, I had hope again as my thinking dovetailed with Larry’s supposed (because who can really know the mind of Larry): “What attracts me to Scott is his issue-based, common sense, forward-looking, positive messaging. He has a pro-American patriotic message that clears the air of the left’s foggy mendacious woke narratives.” Funny, I was right with Larry until he accused me of “foggy mendacious woke narratives.” IOW — Larry says woke is a foggy lie, especially the way I tell it. Gee, I find that offensive, not factual, but offensive nonetheless.
It’s hard to work with people who frequently call you demeaning names. It’s impossible to vote for them.
And that’s what happened to Scott. He has ten years in Congress, is considered by most a good guy to work with. A guy you can work with. He’s got a great reputation, on both sides of the aisle. In his announcement speech, he tells the nation he wants to lead us, apparently even lead the half of the country that he says are assholes. He wants to calls us names and get our vote, good luck with that.
I am looking for the guy that will help us build, not the guy building a future only for HIS folk built on top of my destruction. I tire of the hate and the need to feel better by making someone else feel bad. His programs may be interesting, but it gets hard to get by all the bashing of why we are so, so, evil, stupid, lazy, and wrong-headed.
A few tidbits from his speech where I gather he is also asking me for my vote:
“under President Biden our nation is retreating away from patriotism and faith.”
“Under President Biden, our nation is retreating away from work and dignity.”
“…the Biden administration has us retreating away from earned success, aspiration, and accountability.”
“This administration has taxed, borrowed, and spent trillions of dollars trying to replace a hand up with handouts and all they bought us, all they bought us was crushing inflation that has devastated families like the one I was raised in.”
“the far left has us retreating away from excellence in schools. Extreme liberals are letting big labor bosses trap millions of kids in failing schools. They’re replacing education with indoctrination.”
“In Biden’s America, crime is on the rise and law enforcement is in retreat. The far left is ending cash bails. They’re demonizing, demoralizing, and defunding the police.”
“We cannot have innocent people at risk, police officers getting ambushed and attacked and seniors locked in their homes from the time the sun goes down, until the sun comes up. Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every single rung of the ladder that helped me climb.”
“You see, they’re attacking our American values, our schools, our economy, and our security”
“Under Joe Biden, our nation is not a nation in decline, but under Joe Biden, we have become a nation in retreat. Retreating from our heritage and our history. Retreating from personal responsibility and hard work, retreating from strength and security.”
Apparently, my party has created a nation that is in full retreat from our heritage, history, personal responsibility, hard work, strength, security, police, American dream, patriotism, faith, and accountability favoring indoctrination, hand-outs, high taxes, borrowing, spending, inflation, free bails, bashing police. My, we have been busy in the past 2.5 years…. And notice how Tim avoided the term: ethics. Just saying.
I am sorry, but it’s hard to look at Scott’s platforms, possible compromise potentials, and spaces for teamwork, when you’re turning up the heat like this. It’s not even Scott’s normal style, until this moment. Scott has always pushed for his programs. Now – for some reason — he’s going for the throat as a full bird Trumper. Could someone be auditioning for Vice President?
Tim Scott does not want my vote; he doesn’t even want me to look. He just has to destroy us in order to build his brave new world. Another hater.