Even if Gov. Mark Sanford remains in office for the next 18 months, it’s imperative that the voters of South Carolina, in general, and the business community, specifically, begin to understand the intentions and leadership styles of the candidates who want to lead this state.
Before last month, the pick for our next governor was critical. This person would be asked to deal with a state reeling from double-digit unemployment, a lackluster education system — worsened by tax reform based on retail sales in a recession — and a state budget riddled with multiple mid-year budget cuts.
Now after Sanford has been caught in lies about an affair on another continent and after he put his self-interests above that of the state for at least a year, there’s even more urgency and more care that must be taken in selecting our next governor and lieutenant governor.
Don’t kid yourself, because of a crippling state constitution; the only weapons the governor of South Carolina has to affect change are headlines and the veto pen. The more resourceful governors have been able to work the halls and backrooms of the Statehouse to gain advantage and eke out legislation through arm twisting and compromise, but we knew Sanford wasn’t that kind of governor when we hired him. He was the maverick, the man of principle who would veto an entire budget and make the General Assembly come back to override him year after year. He was re-elected by a landslide because he appeared to be a man of the people. Then he just disappeared.
Unfortunately, the focus of the next gubernatorial contest could be about who has the highest moral turpitude instead of who has the best ideas and leadership skills for dragging South Carolina out of the recession and onto a path of sustainable growth. Therefore, it’s required of the business community to narrowly focus the debate on what really matters.
The leadership of the state is the business community, and South Carolina’s future, beyond the late night comedy routines, depends on correctly determining who should be the next governor of our state.