Alabama. Mississippi. Texas. Utah. Virginia. North Carolina. Florida. Louisiana. Oklahoma. In the quest to elect the most embarrassing public officials, South Carolina is up against some formidable competition. Considering the field, the fact that we always seem to be at least in the top three is pretty impressive.
People who follow South Carolina politics have long known that “R-Greenville” is shorthand for “right-wing Christian halfwit likely to make the national news.” The most notable example lately is David Thomas (R-Greenville), who blew a gasket over ads meant to attract gay tourists from the U.K., but nobody in recent memory has excelled Mike Fair (R-Greenville), who wanted to outlaw oral sex between married couples.
Greenville County’s neighbor to the southwest, Anderson County, must have been feeling left out, because in 2004 they elected Kevin Bryant to the state senate. Now Bryant is poised to make “R-Anderson” a label as instantly recognizable as “R-Greenville.”
From USA Today:
A Republican state senator from South Carolina is being criticized for a post on his blog that shows photos of Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden wearing similar clothing, along with a line that states the difference between the two is “a little B.S.”
The image was posted on Sen. Kevin Bryant’s blog on Friday without an explanation from the politician. It appears to be a photo of a T-shirt, with images of bin Laden and Obama wearing turbans and the words “OBAMA” AND “OSAMA,” with the “B” and “S” each highlighted in red.
Bryant did not return messages left seeking comment Monday.
Surprised? Check out Bryant’s “core values“:
As a conservative, Bryant’s values are well rooted in the belief that Big Government is detrimental to the citizens of South Carolina. He believes the grip of excessive regulation on S.C. businesses is leaving free enterprise in jeopardy and believes this current trend must be corrected to preserve prosperity. Reflective of their convictions that our nation must begin to regard human life, respect the family unit, and acknowledge the moral basis from which we were founded, the Bryants are members of the NRA, National Right to Life, Christian Coalition, and Concerned Women of America, S.C. Waterfowl Association, Palmetto Family Council & S.C. Policy Council.
(In fairness, it should be noted that the Waterfowl Association and the Policy Council, unlike most of the Bryant’s associations, are not completely dominated by lunatics.)
Bryant on marriage: “Bryant is wholeheartedly committed to the sanctity of marriage as prescribed by our Creator.”
Bryant on Bryant: “Bryant is a born-again Christian, having trusted Jesus Christ as personal savior not by works, but through faith. He came to this saving knowledge at 8 years old. Christian principles are an important part of Kevin’s enthusiasm to display a servant leadership approach to public office, as well has his business, family, and community obligations.”
To understand South Carolina politics you have to realize that most South Carolina voters, especially in the Upstate, consider all of the above to be good reasons to vote for Kevin Bryant.
Don’t worry, America. South Carolina promises to keep amusing you for years to come.
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Senator Bryant now post that he “wanted to create a local discussion of Sen. Obama’s weak commitment to the war on terror”.
His original post had nothing to do with Senator Obama’s commitment to the war on terror. The obvious intent was to depict Obama as a Muslim and/or a terrorist. The logic was that considering Obama sounds like Osama and that if dressed somewhat alike, they must be the same. His message was that if we vote for Obama, it would equate to a vote for Osama because their names are simular. Senator Obama has already been accused of being a Muslim, something that has been proven to be untrue. Senator Brayant’s post was an attempt to rekindle that false notion. To try to sell this concept based on a man’s name and looks is something that isn’t expected out of an elected representative of a state. Is this the best South Carolina can come up with? It’s considerably disturbing that he now flip flops by saying his intentions was to bring up a disscusion on Sen Obama’s stand on the war. What does his looks or the sound of his name have to do with his political thinking?