Mark Sanford Is An Idiot…But He’s a Good Politician
I very rarely delve into discussions about politics at home, with friends, or in the workplace. I believe one’s political views are personal, and I very rarely feel the need or desire to share these views with others. I’ve lived in South Carolina for all but 4 of the 38 years of my life, and I have seen the political machine at work for many years. From Strom Thurmond to Fritz Hollings in the US Senate to Carroll Campbell, Mark Sanford, and most recently Nikki Haley in the Governor’s office, South Carolinians have traditionally elected people who have worked to make our state a better place for all of us to live…for the most part. All of these leaders worked to carry out the wishes and desires of all South Carolinians even if that meant making unpopular decisions at times…like making video poker illegal. Thanks Jim Hodges!
Over the years, we have had the pleasure of allowing a number of misguided politicians fill leadership roles as well. A couple come to mind, but most recent award winners include former Lieutenant Governors Andre Bauer and Ken Ard. Bauer liked to drive fast, and Ard was charged with misappropriation of campaign funds. Some would say that Thurmond would fall into this group as well. Thurmond was a classic flip-flopper politician who once ran for President as a “Dixiecrat”, and was a Democrat and then a Republican starting in 1964. Talk about a politician who knew how to play to his constituency. Thurmond managed to stay in office until 2003 and was even accused by author Dave Barry in one of his columns of coloring his hair with Tang…you know the bright orange stuff.
All of us would say that Mark Sanford would fall into this group as well. Sanford, a real estate developer and a fiscal conservative, was originally known as the Congressman who slept in his office while in Washington because he didn’t want to waste taxpayer money. Sanford was elected to his first term as governor in 2003 and was on the fast track to becoming a possible Republican nominee for President in 2012 until he went “to hike the Appalachian Trail” which is code for going to Argentina to visit your mistress (Maria Chapur). To the citizens of South Carolina, Sanford appeared to be a happily married man to his wife Jenny, and the father of 4 children, but apparently, he was not.
Sanford claimed to ”follow his heart” in order to find his “soulmate.” For all intents and purposes, his political career was over at that point. He completed his second term as governor, got divorced, went into seclusion, and eventually got engaged to Chapur. In late 2012, Senator Jim DeMint decided to hang it up and leave the dysfunctional world of the US Senate to run the Heritage Foundation, a highly conservative organization in its own right. This left an open Senate seat that needed to be filled. A couple of weeks later, Governor Haley selected Representative Tim Scott to fill the position. Scott would become the first African American member of the US Senate from South Carolina, however he left vacant a seat in the House in a notorious Republican district in SC (I know they are all Republican). Sanford, after talking with his ex-wife, decided to come out of hiding and throw his name in the mix. At first I thought his was strange, but then I thought at least he had the common courtesy to check to see if she was running first.
The Republican primary, which was held a month ago, was filled with a number of political novices who had very little name recognition and very little experience with the political machine. After a runoff, Sanford won the Republican nomination and advanced to meet the infamous Stephen Colbert’s sister, Elizabeth Colbert Busch in the election that will be held on May 7 for the seat in the First Congressional District.
South Carolinians are a forgiving lot. We keep re-electing Lindsey Graham even though he continues to hangout with John McCain, and we will probably give Arthur Ravenel’s son, Thomas, another chance at political office at some point even though he was convicted of federal cocaine distribution . Almost all of us believe that ”Shoeless” Joe Jackson should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame even though he was part of the infamous Black Sox scandal in the early 20th century. We appreciate people with humility. That is a key characteristic displayed by Sanford. His ability to come across as just a normal guy who “followed his heart” resonates with the citizens of SC. That was the case until Mark Sanford decided to be a Dad on Super Bowl Sunday.
Apparently spending quality time with his son on Super Bowl Sunday was not part of his divorce settlement – especially when it’s spent at his ex-wife’s home. I guess the lawyers forgot to negotiate that clause. Once the National Republican Congressional Committee caught wind of this indiscretion, they stopped backing poor Mark, but that hasn’t stopped him. He continues to travel throughout the Lowcountry visiting restaurants, shaking hands, posing for pictures, and trying to connect with voters. He even posted a campaign ad that contained his cell phone number. I hope he has another phone for personal calls.
His personal life is a mess, but his political ideals still match-up with most South Carolinians. He has received a number of endorsements from many of his friends and colleagues, including the aforementioned Lindsey Graham and most recently Larry Flynt…that should really help, right?
Sanford still believes he has a chance to win, and I think he does too. Also, South Carolinians tend to pull for the underdog, and right now he is definitely a big underdog!
Would I vote for him? Probably.
Personal life aside, I agree with many of his views, but I still can’t discount the past even though he has always been one to take responsibility for his actions. He is a fiscal conservative, who has shown a willingness at times to work across party lines on more moderate social issues. That is typically where I fall in the grand scheme of things.
Tomorrow is a big day for my friends that reside in the Lowcountry. Do they vote for the lady whose brother appears nightly on Comedy Central and is a relative political novice, or do you vote for the underdog, the guy who many people have said deserves a second chance?
It will be interesting to see how it turns out.
I’ll be watching. Will you?
Dirty Jobs – The Lost Episode: Dental Hygienist
I went to the dentist today with my girls. I think a dental hygienist has a tough job – a dirty job. Let me know what you think.
Dirty Jobs – The Lost Episode: Dental Hygienist
How many of you have ever watched the TV show Dirty Jobs? For those of you that may not have watched the show, the format of the show involved the host, Mike Rowe, working alongside a small team of workers performing a job that many of us would consider “nasty” work. The show traveled to various locations across the US and aired on the Discovery Channel until the end of last year.
I watched the show on a number of occasions and often times, I found myself thoroughly disgusted by the conditions that Mike worked in. From inseminating cows to cleaning out septic tanks, Mike would show the viewer what it takes to keep America moving. The show stressed the importance of these professions and how they make our lives easier everyday.
Now to the point of this blog.
Today, I had the pleasure of taking my three wonderful daughters and myself to the dentist for our 6 month cleaning and exam. Carrie was supposed to go with us, but she had “meetings” at school today. So it was me and my three girls.
Getting one’s teeth cleaned is something that someone with good dental insurance should have done on a routine basis. Surprisingly, I have decent dental insurance and very rarely have to pay out of pocket so I don’t mind going to have my teeth cleaned.
As most of you know, a trip to the dentist doesn’t involve a great deal of facetime with the dentist. 95% percent of the time is spent with the dental hygienist. The hygienist, who is usually a woman, has the pleasure of doing all of the dirty work.
The normal routine for a hygienist when working on a patient is to take x-rays, spend some time scraping plaque and tartar from the teeth, and then polishing them. For people that go to the dentist every 6 months to a year, that’s how it goes.
However, I’m pretty sure they see some nasty stuff – even before the dentist walks in the room. Stinky breath, abcessed teeth, gum disease, rotten teeth to name a few. A dental hygienist has to have a strong stomach and a kind heart at times. They have to stay professional even when faced with the worst possible conditions.
I really think Mike Rowe missed a prime opportunity here. I can see it now. Mike in scrubs talking with Mr. Johnson about the importance of flossing and brushing as he scrapes the protective layer of plaque off of his teeth with the little scraping device. The dental hygienist stands beside him laughing as Mike asks how she likes her job. And this is an easy patient.
Mike’s next patient has chronic halitosis and appears to have early onset gingivitis. He gags when the patient opens his mouth. The smell is overwhelming. I can see Mike looking at the hygienist and asking her, “How the hell do you do this everyday?”
The next patient is a screaming 5 year old child. I can see Mike as he looks at the hygienist and says, “Are all of your patients this happy to see you?” – as they strap the kid down in the chair as the mother sits in the room texting on her iPhone.
Finally, Mike gets to assist the dentist with an extraction. I can see Mike administering the nitrous oxide to the patient and then to himself. Then he asks the dentist when he gets his shot with the pliers. He’s obviously pretty high at this point. Of course, the dentist tells Mike he can’t let him do that. To which Mike replies that he needs to get a real feel for the job and snatches the extraction tools from the dentist and promptly pulls the patient’s top front teeth.
That would have been a great episode.
So the next time you go to the dentist, be sure you thank your hygienist for a job well done.
They have a tough and sometimes dirty job to do.
Meltdown! 8 Year Old Style!
Do you live with a child that’s an introvert? I do, and sometimes I lose sight of that. Read about what happens when a parent forgets.
Meltdown! 8 Year Old Style!
As many of you that know me and follow my blog know, I am the father of the three wonderful daughters. My oldest is 10. My youngest is 4. My youngest acts more mature than the 10 year old at times, but she is really only 4.
My middle daughter, Ansley, is 8. Ansley is a very pretty girl. When she was a baby, her face resembled that of a porcelain doll. She has beautiful blue eyes and brown hair and is quite tall for her age. Ansley is different than her sisters. Her sisters like to stay on the move. They enjoy activities and seem to always need to be entertained. Ansley enjoys laying around in her pajamas, watching TV, and eating junk food. Her idea of a great Saturday is never getting dressed and never leaving the house. She’s a kid that needs to unwind. Ansley needs what I call “Ansley time.’ She is a classic introvert in my opinion, and that’s OK. Her mother and I are introverts, and we’ve turned out just fine.
There are days when Ansley is a delight to be around. She’s inquisitive and cheerful. She loves to talk about things that happen in school, in church, and just life in general. She asks questions about God, science, and other things that might interest her at that moment. However, there are some days where a switch flips, and she turns into what I call “Evil Ansley.” I referenced “Evil Ansley” in a prior post when her mother was away at a conference. We had dinner together that night. That was the night she picked fights with her sisters and dropped her ice cream on the floor. It was not a night to remember – especially with Mommy not around.
Well “Evil Ansley” paid a return visit to the Vereen house this fine Thursday evening. Carrie and the girls got home a little late this evening. They decided to grab some dinner and go watch a friend’s baseball game at the neighborhood field. When they got home there were chores to do, and the girls needed to get their lunches ready for school tomorrow. Ansley came out to help me water the yard. All seemed to be going well. The girls took showers and started to get ready for bed.
Every night, we have to remind the girls that they need to do two things. Brush their teeth, and brush their hair. It never fails that they forget to do one or the other. It’s baffling to me. Surely, I never did anything like that, right? So if someone can tell me why this happens, I’m all ears.
In our house, Carrie usually handles the chore of getting them ready for bed. I believe the girls need some privacy. So, I usually go upstairs after their dressed and ready for bed to kiss them goodnight and talk a little bit. When I reached Ansley’s room tonight, she was sitting on her bed playing her Nintendo DS. The conversation was polite but short. I could tell she was tired.
When I looked at her though, I noticed that she hadn’t brushed her hair. It was what southern women would call a “hot mess.” I asked her to put down the game to brush her hair. She gave me “the look,” slammed the Nintendo DS down on her bed, and grabbed her hairbrush off the top of her dresser. She took a few cursory swipes at her hair and returned to her game. At this point, her hair was even more of a “hot mess” than when she started, so I grabbed the hairbrush and tried to help her get things straightened out. This turned out to be a huge mistake!
This really set her off.
She looked me and said, “I have already brushed my hair!”
I replied. “It doesn’t look like it to me!”
The meltdown had started.
I continued to brush her hair. There were only about 900 more tangles to get out. Ansley wanted me to stop so she flopped back on her bed. The hairbrush was still in her hair. The meltdown was now in full effect.
As a father, I believe a young lady needs to take care of herself from a grooming standpoint, and properly brushing one’s hair is one of things that needs to happen on a nightly basis. That along with a nightly bath or shower and brushing teeth are just standard protocol. These things just need to happen. Ansley and her older sister frequently disagree with this idea, and Ansley was definitely disagreeing tonight.
I finally finished brushing her hair, and I told her it’s time for bed. Apparently she’s not ready for bed so she objects. The angry tears were in her eyes. I just needed to kiss her goodnight and walk away, but I can’t. I tried to explain to her that good hygiene is important. That if she doesn’t brush her teeth, she’ll end up with cavities, and that if she won’t brush her hair, we’ll just get it cut really short. This really set her off. I’m definitely not going to win this battle. I really should walk away, but I still can’t. There was a lesson to be learned here. Surely a highly ticked off 8 year old little girl will listen to reason at this point.
Finally, Carrie has joined in on the conversation. She has heard most of the discussion and decides it’s best for Ansley to go to sleep. They can continue their story another night. Ansley disagrees. The meltdown was finally complete! The tears were flowing.
Ansley said a few things I didn’t understand.
I give her a hug and a kiss and tell her tomorrow will be a better day!
I’ve come to the conclusion that my daughter is a full-fledged introvert. As most of us know, introverts expend a great deal of energy when they are in social situations. They need time to recharge their batteries. They need to be alone for a little while. Most introverts enjoy diversions that allow them to gather their thoughts and prepare for the next activity. Ansley fits the mold. She expends a great deal of energy all day at school interacting with teachers and friends. She goes to an afterschool program where they do their homework and then have scheduled activities. Some days she heads straight to soccer practice right after that. By the time she gets home, she needs some quiet time, but there is more to do before she heads to bed.
For an introvert, this can be exhausting, and that is what I experienced tonight with Ansley. She was done! She needed some Ansley time, and I can respect that! Her mother and I are the same way!
I will do better next time and try to avoid the meltdown!
Wish me luck!
