Hopeful Dems speak at dinner

SUMMERVILLE -- Reasons why the next governor of South Carolina should not be a Republican were outlined Saturday by five Democrats running for that office.

The Democrats: attorney Dwight Drake, state Sen. Robert Ford, attorney Mullins McLeod, state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and state Rep. Vincent Sheheen, each addressed the Dorchester County Democratic Party's annual Alice J. Cicenia Dinner.

Each candidate maintained that the state needs new leadership to improve education and create new jobs. More than once candidates declared that a Democrat needs to occupy the Governor's Mansion to help the state overcome what they said is a poor national image resulting from Gov. Mark Sanford's affair and refusals to take federal stimulus money and U.S. Rep Charlie Wilson's shout during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress.

"After I become governor, we will no longer be the butt of late-night jokes," Sheheen cited as one of the advantages of having him in the state's highest office.

Ford of Charleston noted that his campaign is having trouble attracting the kind of financial backing some other candidates enjoy. But he vowed, if elected, to create 150,000 new jobs.

Ford said 100,000 jobs would come from building "the largest movie film studio in South Carolina," a project he said consultants already are working on. He said more jobs would come from "bringing back the industry that people don't like" -- a reference to video poker.

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Ford noted that in South Carolina, the Legislature has more constitutional powers than the governor. But said he would overcome those limitations by being a "people's" governor, and cited former Louisiana governor and U.S. Sen. Huey Long as an example of what type of governor he wants to be.

Rex, as the state's highest education official and only Democrat currently holding a statewide office, was afforded two opportunities to speak. He address the dinner as the education superintendent and then as a gubernatorial candidate.

On education, he said much has been accomplished but there is still much to do. Test scores and graduation rates have improved, but many schools remain underfunded and more than half of the state's public school students live at or below the poverty line.

Rex said he needs to get to the governor's office to finish the job he wants to do. He urged other elected officials to act "with a sense of urgency" and to display "political courage."

"You can do the right thing but do it so slowly that you get the same result as doing the wrong thing," Rex said.

McLeod vowed, if elected, not to seek any other offices. He said that would remove politics from the decision-making process and allow him to bring about what he said are desperately needed fundamental changes at state level.

"It will never be about me. We've got to stop the politics. We've got to stop the rhetoric and bring the people together," McLeod said.

Drake of Columbia said he's never run for office before but cited his work as an attorney and lobbyist in making accomplishments for the state. He said he knows how to bring people together to get jobs and improve education.

Sheheen of Camden said he would create a small business division within the state Department of Commerce. He said the state hasn't done enough to improve public health care, "and can't even raise the cigarette tax," to support medical care. He said he's voted five times unsuccessfully to raise the cigarette tax and he's fought to keep nuclear waste from being dumped in South Carolina.

Reach Edward C. Fennell at efennell@postandcourier.com or 937-5560.