Primary

  A Republican operative and I were going to Summerville, SC for a "fat cats" dinner.  As we were heading down there, he asked me about my campaign experience, and I started off with McGovern for President in 1972.  He about ran off the interstate and screamed "You're a Democrat?".  I told him no.  I am an independent.  I vote for the person, not the party.  I assured him that I was sincere my my desire to see Andre become Governor, because of the nice things he had done for me.  The man calmed down, and we headed on to Summerville.  He had MapQuest for the directions.  When we got to the exit, he went past it.  I asked him why, and he said because the directions had us going to Charleston and then turning back toward Summerville.  I told him to turn around at the next exit and take the Summerville exit.  It saved us around 45 minutes.  

 When we got to Summerville, we found this big farm on the outskirts of town.  The owner had money.  Our meeting was at the farm.  We were told we could work the crowd, but we couldn't eat.  After everyone was served, they let us eat.  Amazing food from the farm.  All but one of the candidates showed up.  She had to go to her son's soccer game.  That didn't sit well with those wanting to give money to the campaigns.  They had a straw poll, and she came in last.  Even the state senator who cried during his speech got more money than she did.  

 After the fiasco with Sanford, I went to a Christmas party at the State House.  There were actually two parties.  One was thrown by Andre and the other by Mark.  The crowd was big at Andre's.  There were a few people at Mark's.  I made a snide remark to the Comptroller General  about Mark.  I was called aside and was told he still liked Mark.  Oops.

 A week before the primary, Andre was travelling in the Myrtle Beach area with Mike Huckabee.  It was time to pull out the big guns.  Nikki Haley was having a rally at the State House.  Her big gun was Sarah Palin.  When I saw the crowd at that rally, I knew we weren't going to win.  The primary went to a run-off between Nikki and Congressman Gresham Barrett.  Nikki Haley won.  It was close.  Barrett had told me at the Summerville dinner that if he wasn't running, he would support Andre.  I also heard that from other folks, but politics can be unpredictable.  At the end of the campaign, Andre gave me a rather large and heavy framed portrait of the State House.  It is too heavy to hang on the wall.