Reaching Across The Aisle
In a congressional district drawn specifically to virtually assure Republican dominance, Joe Cunningham concocted the perfect recipe for victory, combining his youth, his message of Lowcountry over party affiliation, his opposition to drilling for oil off the Carolina coast and his disdain for special-interest groups to become the first Democrat to represent South Carolina’s 1st District since Mendel Davis left office in January 1981.
It certainly didn’t hurt that when voters went to the polls Nov. 6 to choose between Cunningham and former State Rep. Katie Arrington, they were well aware that many local elected officials who usually vote Republican were in the Democrat’s corner. His supporters included Isle of Palms Mayor Jimmy Carroll; Sullivan’s Island Mayor Pat O’Neil and Council Member Rita Langley; Mount Pleasant Councilman Jim Owens; and Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin.
You say in the article that Joe Cunningham is “more republican than Katie”. If that is true, why doesn’t he change party affiliation now that he has won this seat and take away a little of the Democrats’ power. We all see what is happening with only days into the new Congress. Is that what these Republican Officials from IOP and Sullivan’s etc. wanted? Do you really want impeachment rather than security on our own borders? Do you really want $54 Billion to go to Foreign Aid, rather than stay in the US/South Carolina? Do you really want Volvo and BMW and Boeing to re-think their moves to SC when President Trump can’t help them any longer? Was it just about drilling off-shore? Or was there something more to the “passing of the torch” as Joe captioned his photo with outgoing (out voted!) Mark Sandford? All men together? Are you really Republicans yourselves? A lot of questions the district needs answers to and the sooner the better.