Stuffed Suits - The Punk Posse running South Carolina

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The Punk Posse running South Carolina

Posted by Chief Monkey | 20 February 2011

I read recently that there's four main reasons for getting into politics whether it be as a candidate or behind the scenes as a consultant. They are the four P's

Power, Prestige, Profit and Principle

While the last P would seem to be the obvious choice for most, it's the reason the political ruling class gives to hide the real reasons. I've personally worked on many campaigns starting with Ronald Reagan in 1979 and 80 as a teenager right up through this past year's elections. In the elections I've been an actual paid staffer, not once have I made more than I do outside of the political arena. I prefer to think my reason for being involved is principle and will continue to work with campaigns for individuals I feel most represent my core beliefs as a conservative and Republican.

Today's consultants and staffers are much different than those in the world I cut my teeth in. They're mostly a "look at me" crowd that fits right in with their peers wearing pants below their asses or doing various other crazy things to draw attention. When most should be doing all within their power to get people to see their candidate, they are instead doing anything possible to draw attention to themselves.

Each election year, there's a problem that continues to grow at an astounding rate. Political consultants or hacks are more and more taking over campaigns that were once run by volunteers and dedicated party staffers and/or close associates of the candidate.

Which party you're in is irrelevent. Both sides, Democrat and Republican, continue to rehash the same individuals to manage campaigns that continue to staff those campaigns with wet-behind-the-ears poli-science grads that are willing to do anything to satisfy their "mentors" in regards to the daily operations of a political campaign. These "mentors" over the years have included the likes of Rod Shealy, Richard Quinn and Warren Tompkins. Lee Atwater, the shrewdest of the shrewd, would be considered the Godfather of South Carolina political hacks.

The most glaring similarity between the 3 listed above is that they are all known more for negative campaigning than espousing the virtues of their specific candidates. While Rod Shealy is gone now (passed last year at the age of 56), Tompkins and the Quinns are full speed ahead with the intent of damaging opposing candidates to such a degree that their candidates "seem" like the guy in the white hat.

The Quinns now seem to have established themselves as the elite consulting group in South Carolina. Tompkins group has been on a decline for a while with high-profile candidates such as Gresham Barrett in the Governor's race and Mitt Romney in the 2008 Presidential primary underperforming in spite of seemingly endless resources. All of the negative campaigning directed at Nikki Haley from the Tompkins crowd apparently backfired as Barrett finished a distant second to Haley in the primary last year. While the Quinns performed even worse in that primary with Henry McMaster, they quickly aligned themselves with Haley during the runoff, performing quality damage control to a tee.

The offspring of those above consist of those like Wesley Donehue, South Carolina's self-proclaimed poli-web specialist, Robert Cahaly who is Rod Shealy's heir to the sleazebag title and various 20-somethings that can affectionately be known as the "punk posse", a term I recently picked up on. Another addition to this crowd is Will Folks, who uses his blog FitsNews.com to influence various political races and endorses candidates while making mincemeat of those he detests, which seems to number in the thousands.

Folks was a staffer with Governor Mark Sanford before being charged with domestic abuse in 2005 and, after alledgedly being dismissed from the Governor's staff, as some have reported, decided to open his own political consulting firm, which eventually led to FitsNews. While seeming to be supportive of Nikki Haley for Governor last year during the primary, Folks decided to go after Nikki and reported having an affair with her several years ago and published some texts on his blog to justify his assertions and to supposedly "prove" the affair did indeed happen. Accordingly, Wesley Donehue was pressuring Folks into releasing the information of the affair claiming he had a picture of the two together. Folks made many assertions that proof of the affair existed but never actually showed this "proof" to anyone. Donehue, while seeming to care greatly for the families of those involved, alledgedly continued to "pressure" Folks on the issue.

This situation above is the perfect example of what's wrong with South Carolina politics. Robert Cahaly makes a living having his minions push negative information about opposing candidates as shown by his actions while working for Ken Ard during the primary and general election. This punk posse is all intertwined and repeatedly work together even while they may represent candidates opposing each other during elections. Many times, a political hack is inserted into a campaign as a consultant simply to assure the candidate doesn't pose a serious threat to his/her foe in a specific election. I personally have no doubts that Donehue and Folks were working together against Haley in the Governor's race. Donehue works for the Senate caucus and killed the broadcast of his Pub Politics show in which Jake Knotts called Haley a raghead. Knotts is Andre Bauer's watchdog and Bauer was running in the Gubernatorial primary as well. Some money changes hands and accusations against Haley are nationwide news.

The way Will Folks uses sex to drive traffic to his website in order to increase unique visitor numbers enhances the "influence" he has with various candidates for office and the political hacks. By posting images of popular figures in web searches being naked, half-naked or just playing on the beach in a bikini causes traffic to FitsNews to increase allowing Folks to show very misleading numbers to potential advertisers (campaigns). Folks gets paid not only for the obvious advertisements on the top and right hand columns of his pages, specific blog postings regarding candidates or public officials are obviously in the best interests of those willing to pay for that information being public on a somewhat influential website devoted to politics and T&A. While the numbers indicate a large number of visitors to the site, the overwhelming majority of those visitors are from google searches including those looking for images of Demi Moore, Susan Sarandon, Rihanna or many others baring some skin. Most of those numbers are in no way interested in South Carolina politics they're simply looking for some flesh. Just another example of what the newer generation of political consultants are using to influence elections in South Carolina.

Here's an example of a websearch I'm referring to:

You want to fix the problem with South Carolina politics, get rid of the punk posse. Quit letting them recruit candidates they can mold to whatever positions the establishment wants them. The Quinns and those in the state Senate and House that are calling the shots need to be held accountable and the only way to do that is to stop voting for their candidates. Do your research and elect those citizens that are truly interested in whats best for the citizens of the Palmetto state.

Don't let the Punk Posse run roughshod over the citizens of South Carolina.

Comments

0 #10 JB E 2011-02-25 17:44

Another problem with the punk posse is you can't break into it, if they don't decide to anoint you. I was an eager and very active College Republican Poli-Sci Major, at USC, who tried over and over to become involved on campaigns, but all I was ever told was to volunteer, while I witnessed people my same age who were not as smart, active, or as passionate, being given well-paying campaign jobs. The major difference was they were either in the right frat, or that they could afford to go out and drink at the right bars. It is time for the pols to forget the old ways and open up the campaign staffing process to people who actually care about the candidate, and there success.

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+1 #9 Working Tommy C 2011-02-24 15:52

http://www.redstate.com/melissaclouthier/2011/02/24/will-folks-blogging-school-boy-fantasies/

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0 #8 Dick Smith 2011-02-24 11:53

I agree completely. I have been disgusted by the antics/ethics of the Columbia consultants since I first ran for office in 2001.We had quite a few wannabe consuktants here in
Aiken but happily most of them (not all)have been marginalized by being exposed.

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0 #7 Jack 2011-02-23 11:55

Let's cut off the money that keeps them going. Combine the "first in the South" Republican primaries of GA, FL. and SC on the same date to make the candidates have to spread their funds over all three states. This cuts the SC consultants power to command premium fees substantially.

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+1 #6 Shanky 2011-02-23 09:49

Is it just us or does Wesley look like one of those chimps... Entertaining but so far from the truth, please!?!

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0 #5 Liz 2011-02-23 07:28

Well said, but if anything, underplayed. These punks do the dirty work for their "Christian, squeaky clean" masters. We need to throw the punks and their masters out.

They distort everything they touch. Fire them and their masters.

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