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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Bob Barr: "Does This Look Like the Face of a Spoiler?"
Posted by Greg Hambrick on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr was in town on Tuesday and we caught what we can only assume was his least enthusiastic crowd: students at the College of Charleston. There may have been 50 or 60 people there. About seven gave the man a standing ovation at the end (and I'm pretty sure three of those people weren't students and another one felt obligated).
Oh, don't listen to me. Barr was introduced as a proud alumni of Tau Kappa Epsilon and they were my frat's arch rivals back in the day. Since we were back on campus, I felt obliged to be spiteful.
Barr is a former U.S. Congressman from Georgia who will appear on 46 or 47 statewide ballots come Election Day. Let me spoil it for you now: He will not win. But that's not really the point. The campaign is about sending a message of dissatisfaction with the two main parties. Libertarians believe in most of the principles that Republicans believe in, but their argument is that the Libertarians "really" believe in them.
A fine example may be the recently proposed Wall Street bailout that failed regardless of support of key Republicans. Barr and other Libertarians say the House was right to refuse the $700 billion plan.
"Give the market a chance to operate here," Barr says.
It was evident that we were on campus because progressive student issues came up. One student asked about the rights of poppy farmers in Afghanistan. Another girl argued with Barr over his support for off-shore oil drilling anywhere, anytime. A third student asked about gay issues, and got what is the reasoned conservative approach — repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and everything else is up to the states.
An often returning issue for third-party candidates is their exclusion from debates. When it looked like McCain would sit out last week's debate, Barr sent out a news release claiming he would happily take his place. McCain showed up and Barr ended up hosting an anti-debate event available online.
"They might end up saying, 'I don't like Barr,'" he says of an imaginary inclusive debate. "But at least they would have the option."
As for the argument that he's a "spoiler," Barr said that it's a cheap shot to blame someone else for your own failure. Candidates should strive to put together a platform that draws a plurality of the voters or face the consequences.
If someone voters for him, Barr says, "That's not taking votes from McCain. … That's not taking votes from Obama. (They) wouldn't have those votes in the first place."
Green Fair a Hit
Posted by Greg Hambrick on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 3:20 PM
As any event planner knows, the best you can do is plan everything as meticulously as possible and then cross your fingers. Waking up on Sunday to a beautiful, sunny day, the prospects looked good for the inaugural Green Fair in Marion Square. There were a few jitters when it came time to announce the Sustainability Institute’s “Energy 101” presentation at noon and no one was sitting in the tent, but we walked around and recruited. That session, and every one that followed throughout the day, entertained near capacity crowds who learned all about staying healthy, saving money, and eating right, all in the most environmentally ways possible.
An estimated 5,000 people attended the Fair, and Marion Square stayed packed throughout the day. Most food vendors sold out, and the exhibitors reported great responses. Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, who piggybacked main sponsor Santee Cooper in their tent space, gave out what seemed like hundreds of “Clean Coal” t-shirts, hats, water bottles, and fans. It was a little odd at an environmentalist event to see hordes of people sporting this attire, but Director of the S.C. Sierra Club John Ramsburgh put it in good perspective when he announced from stage that the term “clean coal” was “intellectually dishonest.” When that’s the biggest controversy of the day, it’s fair to say you’ve done well.
Beginning with Sean Waterman, the bands attracted increasingly large crowds throughout the afternoon. By Sol Driven Train at 5 p.m., a few hundred onlookers sat on blankets or danced in front of the stage. The beer tent, obviously a huge attraction, raised around $5,000 alone for Lowcountry Earth Force. And an estimated 95 percent of the trash that could have been generated was recycled, composted, and otherwise diverted from the landfill and incinerator.
From the Birds of Prey Center demonstration to Hank the Pirate’s kids’ show, there was never a lack of entertainment to be had. I’m honored to have played a role in the planning, but am truly in awe of Suzie Webster, Anna Richardson, and Blair Barna for actually making it happen. After countless meetings, phone calls, and emails planning the details for half a year, it’s almost surreal to see it come to fruition. Hopefully more than a few people were inspired to make changes in their lives. And now that it’s really caught on, does anyone have any synonym suggestions we can use to replace ‘green’ in dialogue? —Stratton Lawrence
Old Guy's Running Mate Says Its Time for a Fresh Face
Posted by Greg Hambrick on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Guess who said it:
“I’m the new energy, the new face, the new ideas and he's got the experience based on many many years in the Senate and voters are gonna have a choice there of what it is that they want in these next four years.”
If you said Barack Obama, you're wrong!
It was Sarah Palin, the running mate of the 72-year-old presidential candidate, talking about Obama running mate Joe Biden. Those in glass houses …
A Minute from Myles: Citadel-Princeton Band Action
Posted by Greg Hambrick on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Intern Myles Hutto offers his two cents on the recent exchange. Check out our thoughts here.
Clarinets and CadetsWhen the Princeton scramble band walked down Citadel’s “Avenue of Remembrance,” sacred ground that honors the university’s alumni killed in action, they knowingly or unknowingly offended some Cadets.
There are two very different accounts of the event. One tells of angry cadets picking on nerdy, defenseless clarinet-players, while the other paints a picture of cadets defending their turf and honor in the wake of a blatant display of disrespect.
The animosity between the two schools almost seemed like symbols of that nations’ countering political views. The Citadel’s values of service and country stand in stark contrast to the Ivy League arts school’s association with elitism and liberalism. Whether these ideas associated with Princeton are well-founded is debatable, the Citadel’s reputation, however, is not open to debate, taking great pride in its traditions of duty and country.
Stigmas and reputations aside, the event runs an eerie parallel to the beginning of the Civil War. In January 1861, Citadel cadets opened fire on the “Star of the West,” thus starting the deadliest war in American History.
What does the clash of Cadets and the Princeton marching band mean? Does it mean that its fun to pick on kids with clarinets. Well, yeah. But could it also mean the nation is moving closer to a second Civil War?
The recent scuffle is a sobering example of the growing rift amongst Americans. As the nation moves closer to an election it is increasingly evident that America is divided and disillusioned. The fact that the two candidates in this election are almost dead even exemplifies the level of separation in America. The country is headed toward its third straight election that falls straight down the middle.
We must heed the lessons of history. When congress and the government fail to please everyone (let alone almost half of the country), sooner or later differences in opinion will stir people to action. Right now there is a major difference of opinion in this country.
Could it be possible that America is reaching its breaking point not even 150 years later? Whatever the event on the Citadel’s campus means, let us remember that there was nothing civil about the Civil War. And please leave the kid with the clarinet alone.—Myles Hutto
Below is the halftime show, complete with Citadel cadets drowning out most of the show.
Monday, September 29, 2008
S.C. Mayor "curious" if Obama is antichrist
Posted by Greg Hambrick on Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 5:10 PM
Really. Not kidding.
Fort Mill Mayor Danny Funderburk says he was “just curious” when he forwarded a chain e-mail suggesting Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is the biblical antichrist. “I was just curious if there was any validity to it,” Funderburk said in a telephone interview. “I was trying to get documentation if there was any scripture to back it up.”
For the record, there is no scripture to back it up.
When asked if he believed Obama was the antichrist, Funderburk replied, “I’ve got absolutely no way of knowing that.”
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