Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Will Jim DeMint run for president in 2012?

Posted by Chris Haire on Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 2:40 PM

I have never been a good prognosticator. Never. Never. Never.

My NCAA brackets are always a complete mess — thanks in part to Clemson University’s penchant for first round losses.

My theories about Lost are always way off-base.

And I thought Hot Tub Time Machine would be the greatest movie of all time, at the very least a box office hit.

But this time I know I’m right. In fact, following a conversation with Dave Woodard, a Clemson University poli-sci prof, I’m absolutely certain that Jim DeMint is running for president.

See, a few weeks back when DeMint announced that he was going to limit himself to two terms in the U.S. Senate, at first I was left scratching my head. But after chatting with Greg Hambrick, City Paper news editor and Rock Bottom blogger, I was convinced that DeMint made this announcement only to set himself up for a presidential run in 2012. Now, I’m certain.

Why?

When I asked Woodward, who co-authored Why We Whisper: Restoring Our Right to Say It's Wrong with Jim DeMint and a man who counts the South Carolina junior senator as a friend, about a possible presidential run by Jim, the Clemson professor said, “Jim is not an ambitious politician. He never has been. He’s been a reluctant politician, from the time he ran for Congress in 1998.

“I can’t believe that he himself is ambitious enough to want to be president. Now, there are a lot people around him who do and who think that he can be because of his vision and what he says,” Woodard added. “When nobody else can do it, Jim DeMint would do it. But right now, I feel like he would prefer for Mitch Daniels to run or Mitt Romney to run. He doesn’t have, I think, any personal ambitions to run for the presidency. He’d much rather back who he thinks could do the job and help them.”

That said, Woodard added, “It’s pretty clear to me that Jim is touching on some pretty deep feelings and emotions that are getting a real response from a lot of people.”

Hmm. I don’t know about you, but there’s something in Woodard’s words that sound like DeMint just might be crafting the 2012 personality that he’ll put before the American people, the one where he’s an aw-shucks-political wonk who’s doesn’t want to be POTUS, but if the people twist his arm again and again and again, then, well, dammit, he’ll do it.

Another factor that might further push DeMint into a 2012 run: his new status as something of a kingmaker. Well, that is if Marco Rubio and the other candidates that DeMint and his Senate Conservatives Fund PAC have endorsed win. (Last week, DeMint threw his support behind Ken Buck in Colorado while today he endorsed Marlin Stutzman in Indiana, both times going against the establishment GOP candidate.)

“Suddenly, Jim DeMint is a kingmaker, and has the magic touch like King Midas, and everybody wants to talk to him,” Woodard said, adding that if several of DeMint’s candidates win, then, “You’ve got a new power in the Senate, and it’s somebody who is outside Mitch McConnell and all the mainline Republican leadership. This is somebody over to the right that is having great political success, and nothing resonates better in Washington than getting somebody else elected. Everything else is secondary.

He adds, “If Jim DeMint delivers on these guys, there’s going to be a lot of people listening to him and what he says.”

Of course, that’s Dave Woodard’s opinion. Only Jim DeMint truly knows what he’s going to do. Then again, he can always change his mind.

Topics: State Politics, National Politics, Local Politics

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Comments (6)

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Jim Waterloo DeMinit still has to get passed an ethics and income tax investigation. DeMint has lived in an apartment at C-Street House where he has not been paying market value rent. Someone has been paying part of his rent. This is a violation of ethics rules and not reported on ethics statements. It is also taxable income which hasn't been reported. DeMint has not come clean on this. Mr. DeMint who is paying your rent and what did they get for it?

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Posted by charlestowne2 on April 20, 2010 at 4:44 PM

It's hard to fathom DeMint going the presidential route, but who knows. More importantly, "Hot Tub Time Machine" is the funniest movie I've seen all year.

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Posted by Jack Hunter on April 20, 2010 at 5:20 PM

Jim Demint would be a great candidate and president. We desperately need someone who will cut all this wasteful spending. A solid public servant who will put the country before party.

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Posted by MrMom on April 20, 2010 at 7:11 PM

Jim Duh-Mint is a moron who has no business near high office. Try to name 3 significant pieces of legislation he has authored.

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Posted by CharlestonNative on April 21, 2010 at 10:26 AM

Charleston Native,

There's a big difference between authoring (or proposing) legislation, and actually getting it passed.

Here are "3 significant pieces of legislation" for you to mull over.

S.J.RES.27

S.34

S.2990



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Posted by I P Yuengling on April 22, 2010 at 4:59 PM

Jim Demint would be a great opponent for Obama he has facts that can support issues about the encomny taxes and budgeting... a debate speech without focusing on the faults of what he thinks Obama is doing wrong.
I see he Worked with and Meet a Few of our past Presidents in the White House. World Peace may take away from the Freedoms our fore fathers work for us to have and Most of All you can't mess with ISREAL and not defend it and expect AMERICA to get into a better state the way ISREAL won in 1948 has in their Land that's the way we say AMERICA is our Land if not then expect islamic leader ruling in other countries to rule. what other countries can support ISREAL? RABBI made it clear what ever happens to ISREAL has a effect of the United States encomny.
I believe there is a Government Jim Demint with Friends from TEXAS and VIRGINIA can find for the greatest election match of all time for 2012!!!!!!!

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Posted by the lamb on March 4, 2011 at 6:24 PM
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