In a 2007 speech caught on video during the John William Pope Civitas Institute’s Conservative Leadership Conference, then-South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford argued that conservative principles should trump all, even individual politicians’ desires.
“And too many people in the political sphere will not allow themselves to be out there as even a possibility in the way of casualty,” explained Sanford, then-governor now candidate for Congress in South Carolina’s First Congressional District’s special election.
“Movements… cannot be won without causalities,” proudly boasted the Governor comparing the political arena to WWII, “causalities were apart of the process.”
In what amounts to partial bits of irony coupled with a huge dose of eeriness, this was exactly the message championed by so many national level Republicans and conservative leaders who felt Sanford was getting in the way of the obtaining future political victories. However, the adage among political operatives — “campaigns matter” — ultimately proved true. Sanford’s universal name recognition and organization bested a crowded field and held off his run-off challenge against lawyer Curtis Bostic’s all too late momentum.
The race has since, in true South Carolina fashion, become chaotic. The NRCC pulled out of the race after news was made that Sanford would be due in court just two days after the special election for having trespassed on his popular wife’s property. ViralRead exclusively learned that his staff too was caught off guard by the news, further excoriating the arguments that were made in the run-off about Sanford’s apparent abrupt political arrogance. And if polls amount to anything, Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch has maintained her lead.
Oh, and Larry Flynt endorsed and contributed to Sanford yesterday, calling him a “sex pioneer,” in an obvious attempt to get attention or further damage Sanford or the Republican brand. Likely all three.
My video endorsing @marksanford for Congress “America’s great sex pioneer.”hstlr.co/7kxbq
— Larry Flynt (@ImLarryFlynt) April 30, 2013
In the closing remarks of the archived video clip, Sanford, in praising Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ok.), drew a lesson for the audience, “and he loses, and he loses, and he loses, and the irony is, if more people were willing to go down and lose with him, we’d win more as conservatives.”
Ironic indeed.
One senior congressional staffer told ViralRead that consensus among the Republican conference in the House was to not get involved, hoping that Sanford loses, so that they can work to recruit a more politically viable figure immediately to start running against a Democrat stuck in a very Republican district.
