Right, left wings share blame for shameful partisan politics
The recent lecture given by South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian did not express the values promoted by Student Government. While engaging, it did not promote a better understanding of leadership or hope that reflects the mission of SG. While I must appreciate the candid nature and otherwise enthused swagger exercised by Harpootlian's presentation, his message conveyed a sense of cynicism rather than hope. His lecture did raise many valid points, I must also question the basis from which he drew some of his claims.
For instance, South Carolina's legislature has shown a history of ethical violations, a point he dwelled on quite frequently. What he failed to mention is that many of those violations involved members of his own party. In fact, while he alleged the machine nature of Republican dominance today, one must ask if the Democratic Party in South Carolina has been so innocent and devoid of scandal.
The answer: an obvious no.
One must remember what solidified the Democratic base in this state — Lt. Gen. Wade Hampton and the "Red Shirts" of the 1876 election. These Red Shirts organized midnight rides to promote Hampton's candidacy. For 80 years, the party ruled as a machine, dominating politics into the new millennium until Sen. Fritz Hollings left to retire. While he served our state honorably, it was also during this time that South Carolina was under investigation by the Department of Justice through the Abscam and the Operation Lost Trust investigations.
Those stings led to convictions of many players in South Carolina politics, but most significantly was the conviction of Democratic Rep. John Jenrette, the highest ranking South Carolinian to be indicted in our history. These investigations charged many Democrats. In turn, 28 members of our legislative community faced federal charges. The majority were Democrats, which in turn was a major catalyst for the surge of Republican legislative membership throughout the mid-1990s.
While I don't doubt Harpootlian's leadership, a cornerstone of leadership is to instill hope for progress. After leaving the lecture, my hopes were not bolstered, and in fact I gained a better understanding of the adversarial nature of South Carolina politics. We need leaders to understand the value of cooperation.
