Ketner to form nonprofit
Alan Hawes
The Post and Courier
Democrat Linda Ketner talks with Rotarian Julee Johnson before a debate with Republican U.S. Rep. Henry Brown on Oct. 14 at the Rotary Club of Charleston.
Following her narrow loss in the 1st District Congressional race, Linda Ketner announced Tuesday she's forming a new nonpartisan, nonprofit group to try to make the coastal district a better place to live.
She also wouldn't rule out running again in 2010.
The final tally showed Ketner, a Democrat, beat incumbent Republican Rep. Henry Brown by 54-46 percent in Charleston County, but her win there couldn't offset losses in Berkeley, Dorchester, Georgetown and Horry counties. Brown's 52-48 margin was the slimmest margin for a Republican here in at least two decades.
Ketner wrote to her supporters saying, "I'm sorry we didn't win, but our numbers and ideas are capable of great impact and change, so don't be disheartened. When a door closes, a window is opened." She met with her supporters Monday to discuss where to go from here.
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Day later, Brown wins, published 11/06/08
On Tuesday, she invited the 163,000-plus people who voted for her to join other moderates in her new effort, which she said would be further defined in coming weeks. It could include Town Hall meetings and regular summits to hash out ways to improve education and address issues such as the environment, small business, jobs, growth, poverty, health care, crime, arts and commerce, women in political office and social justice.
Her statement said it's "possible" she would seek the seat again in two years.
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 16 comment(s)
Posted by yeahright on November 12, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If she really wants to make the coastal district a better place to live, she can start by taking all of her campaign signs down.
Posted by wjhamilton3 on November 12, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just returned from a visit to Pensacola on Florida's Gulf Coast. I met a lot of wonderful people, Democrat and Republican while working on the election, including several candidates for Mayor. They all made it very clear that a region can't count on tourism, real estate development and retirement to make it. They were struggling with declining real estate values, wages and in some places population. Educated young people were leaving. They had developed a nagging problem of both crime and police brutality. Municipal services had been cut back. They were facing tax increases to pay for a reduced level of service.
Over time tourism doesn't cut it. Disney is brighter. Mexico is cheaper. Building and running attractions gets very expensive.
Retirement now means having people arrive with fat 401ks at age 68 who may be bankrupt at age 75 or 80, but still need government services. They try to shed real estate as they planned, downsizing their big dream house, but
Real estate, fed by cheap debt and speculation is already overbuilt and it tanks. The downsizers hit a market where values are way down and little equity is left in their home.
We have a much larger medical and higher education sector than Pensacola, but we had better avoid going where coastal Florida is. They've had a boom/bust real estate cycle for nearly a century down there, but with the impact of all the Hurricanes they're getting, they've been worn pretty thin. Farming, citrus and ranching aren't what they were. For the eight year old retired resident of the twenty-two year old starting out, it's pretty bleak.
We had better do something if we're planning to emerge from this recession in a competitive position. If Henry Brown can't deliver his share of the work, he needs to be replaced by a better Democrat or Republican.
Posted by islandbenzbc on November 12, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ketner needs to take her money and her "partner" and move to San Francico...
Posted by justjerry on November 12, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Funny how a 52-48 percent margin for Ketner is a narrow loss and the same victory for Hussein Obama is a landslide.
Posted by islandbenzbc on November 12, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
JimIslander: I believe it's still President-elect Obama...he has not yet ascended to the throne. By the way, I wonder if George W allowed him to sit in the big leather chair while he was visiting the White House Oval Office?
Posted by wjhamilton3 on November 12, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If Ketner was on her way to congress now, a lot more infrastructure stimulus funding would be on the way to the Lowcountry for transit, roads and bridges. Lot of Republican contractors and suppliers would be meeting payroll and placing orders. Too bad for them. Henry Brown is about to become a very expensive luxury. Let's hope the Republicans enjoy him. I've had a lot of things that don't work cost me money over the years.
Fortunately we have James Clyburn and a President who remembers us fondly. Let's not let our Republican Governor and Congressman be our spokesman when the Feds are handing out stimulus money.
Posted by justjerry on November 12, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
...drink the Koolaid...drink the Koolaid...
I will show a significantly larger amount of respect to President Elect Obama than was ever shown by the loyal opposition to President Bush. The Senator did, after all, fairly purchase the election with the full support of 52% of the country and 95% of the 'unbiased' media.
I am sure that Ms Ketner will run her new organization with the passion that she ran her election and hopefully they can do some good and come up with solutions that will not put the country deeper into debt. I am not in the district that she ran in. I am, to my never ending dismay, stuck with the absolute waste that is Jim Clyburn as my, and I use the term loosely, representative. It is unfortunate that trying to have some fiscal responsibility - which neither party in Washington can claim over the last eight years - is looked at as a bad thing. Hopefully the theme for 2012 will be "It's the spending stupid."
Posted by UrGatorbait on November 12, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Too bad Ketner didn't win and displace that tub o' good ol' boy lard in DC that many are happy with.
If she runs again in '10, I'll vote for her again or anybody else that can dislodge that slug from DC.
Posted by justjerry on November 12, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a suspicion that by 2010 there will be an even louder outcry for change from the American voters after two years of Obama and four years of Pelosi/Reid. Unfortunately, we will have to endure the suffering until then.
Posted by islandbenzbc on November 12, 2008 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
justjerry: I hope there is something left to take back in 2 to 4 years...
Posted by guidedbystewart on November 12, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, jerry I have already endured the last 8 years of Bush, I doubt things could be much worse.
With Bush, the proof is already there while Obama has not even started his presidency yet.
Now, who is really the kool-aid drinker?
Posted by Tides on November 12, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet there was voter fraud in favor of Brown.
Posted by justjerry on November 12, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was doing pretty well under Bush until Pelosi and Reid took over. I do wish that him and the Republican Congress didn't spend like Democrats for the first six years, that would have insured that the revenue increasing tax cut would have stayed in place. Any person who could look at Obama and say 'gee, I think we should elect him so that he can carry out the the same mission as the Democratic Congress that has a lower approval rating than the lowest rated president" will never understand the big picture. But, he is our president now and like it or not everyone will have to endure the pain of his policies and pay for them for years and years to come.
Posted by Tulane75 on November 12, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with Jerry that 52%-48% should not be considered a landslide in one election, but a close race in another. Nevertheless, comparing percentages in the congressional race with percentages in the presidential race is like comparing apples and oranges.
The congressional race is based on popular vote while the presidential race is based on electoral votes. 365 to 173, a difference of 192 electoral votes could be considered a landslide, not that this characterization matters.
Posted by jnot on November 12, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obama: Popular majority, electoral landslide. He's no more a muslim than McCain is Vietnamese. The only way he won't be your president by the end of January is if you leave the country. The only real test of democracy is respecting an election that goes against your beliefs. I never failed to call Bush "my president" no matter how painful a pill it was to swallow. Both Bush and McCain are supportive of Obama... get on board.
Bush: Lower approval rating than Nixon's lowest... in fact the lowest approval rating of any president ever (that's been recorded).
Henry Brown: I don't like him but he's my congressman. If he'd lost the election, his contribution to the district would have been mostly in the form of tips at the bar.
Linda Ketner: Would have been much better in DC but I'm delighted she's going to do some good with her base of support.
Posted by zoomru on November 12, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Linda Ketner .....Mrs. FOOD LION !!
I highly suggest you get get busy FOR PROFIT !! Are you going to stand by and let Bi-Lo team up with SUNOCO on the fuel points and not Jump on the issue ??
We have farmers in our state thet could be producing ALGAE Bio-desiel for your Food Lion truckers to use to deliver products to your stores!!
Do you care about our STATE's FARMERS ...or do you still want to kiss Hugo Chavez and Ahab the Arab !!
Start ..ACTING like a Democrat !!
Start ..ACTING like a South Carolinian!!
We have landfills that should be CLOSED...FOrever !!!!
We have WIND !!
Wake up !!!!!!!!!!