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S.C. Statehouse
Report
Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006
VIEW: http://www.statehousereport.com/columns/06.1105.elect.htm
State
needs real two-party system
By
Andy Brack
Publisher
SC Statehouse Report
 NOV.
5 , 2007 - - South Carolina needs a real two-party political
system. Otherwise, the state's political process becomes one-sided,
which isn't healthy for any democracy.
Unless something big changes, it looks like a virtual one-party
system could be coming on Election Day. Republicans are poised
to pick up all of the state's constitutional officers for
the first time and to continue control of the Statehouse.
In effect, the state could be completely run by Republicans,
even though Gov. Mark Sanford often bickers and battles with
the General Assembly.
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PROGRAMMING
NOTE
Andy
Brack, publisher of S.C. Statehouse Report, will
provide analysis and commentary of the 2006 elections
on SCETV
on election night.
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While a complete shift in power to the GOP might be hailed
as great by many, it's really not in the best interest of
the state. For a democracy to be truly healthy, it needs broad
and full debates and arguments over the big issues - - jobs,
health care, education, environment and more.
But with one party completely controlling the agenda, debate
can be muted. Opposition is often steamrollered. The majority
is able to push things through without much of a peep from
the minority opposition. What may be in the best interest
of the whole state - - the common good - - becomes subjugated
to the political ideology of one party.
Republican domination of South Carolina has been two generations
in the making. Before the 1960s, Republicans were almost scarce
species in the state. Then when the late U.S. Rep. Floyd Spence
switched to the GOP in 1962, followed by the late U.S. Sen.
Strom Thurmond two years later, the state's Republican Party
started picking up steam.
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A decade of building and networking led to the party getting
its first Republican governor in modern times with the 1974
election of Jim Edwards. With more party-building and the
hard-knuckled politics of people like Lee Atwater, Republicans
regained the top job in 1986 with Carroll A. Campbell Jr.
With Campbell, a master party-builder, in power, Democrats
started defecting into the GOP in droves. But also during
the legislative sessions during Campbell's tenure in the late
1980s and early 1990s, South Carolina became a true two-party
state. Debates were rollicking. Arm-twisting and politicking
reached interesting new levels. But even though Campbell had
a Democratic-controlled General Assembly and partisanship
was high, both parties worked together to craft generally
good policy for the state as a whole.
In other words, all of the raucous debate forced people with
vastly different opinions to talk and compromise. Important
issues weren't ramrodded through, as they often are today.
In the long run, the democracy was healthier because of the
divergence of opinions that existed.
Since the Campbell era, the GOP has continued to grow in
power as state and national Democrats imploded.
These days while South Carolina Democrats continue to stumble
and falter, Democrats nationally appear to be on the rise
again. One of the chambers of the U.S. Congress may become
controlled by Democrats after several years of GOP control.
Many analysts say this will restore balance to the system.
And while it may also cause change to become hung up due to
politics, that's not necessarily a bad thing in the long run.
Why? Because it means change will be better considered over
time.
In South Carolina, the near-term political reality is that
Republicans will largely be in control as the state continues
to struggle with education, health care, poverty, obesity
and a list of issues that seems endless. It may take a few
years of political monopoly for people to realize a vigorous
two-party system is really better for the state.
A fundamental foundation of American democracy is the system
of checks and balances. While these structures don't erode
with one party in power, if those doing the checking or balancing
have the same political ideas as the ones being checked or
balanced, then true checks and balances lose their power.
A two-party system (or even a multi-party system) keeps checks
and balances healthy. You might want to consider this any
time you vote.
Send your comments to Andy Brack at brack@statehousereport.com.
His book of commentary, Bugging
the Palmettos, is available for
$15.00. Click
here for more.
Recent commentary
11/5: Voting
machines
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
10/30: Great column
Just wanted to let you know that I read your column on a
weekly/daily basis and your latest one, "Look
at job before deciding how it should be filled",
was excellent! Keep up the good work!
-- Michael Reese, Spartanburg, S.C.
10/29: Appoint
constitutional officers
Appoint all Constitutional offices and allow Lt Gov to run
with Gov as a 'ticket'.
-- Tom Marchant, Greenville, S.C.
Recent
feedback
-
-
-
- 10/14:
State
needs inspector general, Jock Stender, Charleston,
S.C.
- 10/6:
Sanford
needs to pay attention to state boards, Patti Bucher,
Columbia, SC
- 10/3:
Sanford
criticism is unfair, Jon Heckerman, Garden City Beach,
SC
- 10/2:
Not
surprised by Sanford's remark, Lynn Bailey, Columbia,
SC
- 10/2:
Rant
on Brack trying to control thought, Lew Richards,
Manning , S.C.
- 10/1:
Taken
aback by Sanford's remark, Jimmy Mackey, Beaufort,
S.C.
- 9/24:
Ban
handheld cell use while driving, Bob Logan, Little
River, SC
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