The Buzz: Obama still winning this S.C. race

Obama still winning this S.C. race

He has as much chance of carrying South Carolina as the state has of hosting the Winter Olympics, but President Barack Obama continues to be the top individual presidential fundraiser in South Carolina.

As of year-end 2011, Democrat Obama had raised $343,497 in the state, easily topping the $162,746 raised by the No. 2 S.C. fundraiser, Republican Mitt Romney.

Obama’s most productive fundraising area was Columbia; Romney did best in the Charleston area.

Among the other still-active candidates, S.C. totals at year-end were:

•  Ron Paul – $113,926, almost a quarter from the Greenville area

•  Newt Gingrich, who won the state’s GOP primary – $103,415, roughly 30 percent from the Greenville area

•  Rick Santorum – $96,594, roughly a quarter – is there a trend here? – from the Greenville area. (However, Santorum’s best fundraising area was in the Midlands if you combine Columbia and the Lugoff-Elgin areas.)

However, perhaps better reflecting the Palmetto State’s intense red-ness, the 11 present and former Republican candidates had raised a combined $743,252 in the Palmetto State at year’s end, more than doubling Obama’s take.

The Republicans struck their richest vein in the Greenville area, accounting for a quarter of their money. The nearby Spartanburg area contributed another 10 percent; Charleston-area donors kicked in another 17 percent.

Democrat Obama did best in the Columbia and Charleston areas, which accounted for more than half his money.

Valentine’s Day texting, Take 1

What is it with disgraced politicos and the Internet?

State Rep. Thad Viers, R-Horry, took to Twitter Tuesday to give his “rules of Valentine’s Day for guys.” His tips included “Don’t be gay” when it comes to picking out a card and “don’t go to a gas station” to buy wine. He compared taking your date to a movie on Valentine’s Day to taking her to “a strip club w/ a buffet.”

Then there was this gem: “#9 BE ADVENTUROUS- I like to fght on top of trains & kill terrists,ur girl may jst wnt to wlk on the beach wth no shoes. Love her! #sctweets.”

Romance tips from politicians are hysterical in their own right. But even more so from Viers, who just last month was arrested for harassing his ex-girlfriend. (On top of that, he was arrested four years ago for harassing his ex-wife’s boyfriend.)

After reading Viers’ tweets, Buzz couldn’t help but notice Viers’ tone mimicked the irreverent style of Will Folks, Gov. Mark Sanford’s former press secretary who has his own troubled romantic history.

Folks left the governor’s office, but reinvented himself as an Internet blogger. Perhaps Viers – who says he will not run for re-election – is hoping to become the next Folks?

Valentine’s Day Texting, Take 2

We know Senate Democrats were stalling Gov. Nikki Haley’s Department of Administration bill, we just did not expect it to get so personal.

Among the Democrats.

After about four hours of debate on Valentine’s Day, state Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, took the floor to urge the Senate – all male, he noted – to adjourn for the sake of everyone’s marriage.

But after five weeks of debate and snide comments from House brethren about the Senate’s deliberative deliberativeness, Republicans were determined to work late.

The vote to adjourn failed. But before the votes were counted, state Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, stood up and said his wife had just texted him and he needed to change his vote to adjourn from “no” to “aye.”

That’s when Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, said Lourie’s wife also had texted him to say she was going out – with or without Lourie.

That’s cute. But what is Lourie’s wife doing sending text messages to Jackson on Valentine’s Day?

(OK, OK. Jackson was joking.)