A ‘nerd’ or a ‘flamethrower’: What kind of Republican should represent Myrtle Beach in Congress?
Not everyone in South Carolina has been happy to see U.S. Rep. Tom Rice lately.
For the second time in recent weeks, the SC-7 Republican was greeted by protesters during a campaign stop in Horry County, some of whom lined the highway at a Little River town hall.
Wednesday’s scene mirrored one in January, when protesters met him outside a town hall in Conway.
“You betrayed us. Resign now! Or we will fire you,” read one Conway protester’s sign.
“Betrayer lying sack hateful RINO,” read another.
At both events, the protesters’ vitriol created a striking contrast: While they shouted outside, Rice spoke calmly inside, explaining why he voted to impeach former President Donald Trump and why he thinks conservative economic policies help his district.
But Rice acknowledged the tension.
“I was a tax lawyer and a CPA. I’m like the definition of a nerd,” Rice told constituents Wednesday. “I’m not a flamethrower, guys. I know a lot of people like to flame throw, but I think we’ve got plenty of flamethrowers. I want get things done. I want to move the country forward.”
Conservatives in Horry County, among them the Little River Patriots, have been upset with Rice since January when he voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
Since then, Rice has said Biden won the 2020 election and that there wasn’t significant voter fraud. Both stances have drawn the ire of conservatives.
At events and in interviews, Rice has argued repeatedly that he voted with Trump 94% of the time and that he felt he had to impeach him in order to defend the Constitution.
That’s not enough for some Horry County Republicans.
In fact, some conservatives said they want the opposite of what Rice is offering: More partisanship. More flames.
“He turned on us, he turned on our president. You’re either on my team or you’re not. Boom,” said Sarah Fisher, one of the protesters in Little River.
Another said he liked Rice’s voting record, but couldn’t get over his vote to impeach Trump.
For Rice, it raises an important question: Will he have to change his tone or approach if he is to win re-election?
Logan McVey, Rice’s campaign manager, answered “no.”
But McVey said Rice is taking steps to highlight the “craziness that’s happening” among his challengers.
Though he maintains a significant fundraising lead, Rice is currently facing several well-funded Republican primary opponents, including state Rep. Russell Fry.
Rice took a shot at Fry this week.
On Wednesday evening, he chided Fry for missing a vote in the state legislature to lower state income taxes for residents. Photos and videos showed Fry at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida resort. Trump endorsed Fry earlier this month.
“The SC House passed the largest tax cut in our state’s history. It’s too bad that (Fry) missed the vote because it was more important for him to be at Mar-a-Lago kissing the ring,” Rice tweeted. “It’s funny he always made time to be there to vote on the tax increases.”
Fry, in response, noted he was back in Columbia on Thursday for a formal, final vote on lowering those taxes.
“’Tax Hike Tom’ criticizing me is ironic,” Fry replied on Twitter. “For the record, I’m here at the SC State House and voted for passage of the tax cut bill.”
While Rice may not become a true “flamethrower,” McVey said it’s important for him to point out that he’s “working” while Fry was in Florida.
“Russell Fry was elected to be in Columbia yesterday, not in Flordia. Who’s actually working and bringing back results?” McVey asked. “I think that you know (Rice’s) record will speak for itself especially, when you contrast it with people who are in it only for their personal gain.”
As Rice walks that line, he’s also calling on both Republicans and Democrats to move away from partisanship and “partisan hacks.”
The question is, will voters buy it?
“What we’re supposed to do when we get elected to Congress is act for the benefit of our country and our district, not for the party,” Rice said during his comments Wednesday. “People have gotten away from that. Too much team-partisan-nonsense and not enough ‘Let’s do what’s right for the country.’”
Along with Facebook and sensationalized news, Rice blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Republican leadership and even Trump for polarizing the country.
“Nancy Pelosi is a partisan hack. Republican leadership is partisan. There’s some partisan hacks over there, too,” Rice said. “And you know what? Donald Trump didn’t do us any favors there. He didn’t work across the isle. He’s not someone who tried to bring people together.”
Some Horry County voters, though, aren’t buying such appeals for moderation.
“He didn’t back Trump. It seems like he’s behind the Democratic party and that’s how I feel his stance is,” said Kenny Oliver, a Cherry Grove resident who protested in Conway. “I’d like to see .. .somebody that’s a patriot that’s going to stand up for the country and for the people. That’s not happening right now.”
Cheri Verdone, another Conway protester, agreed.
“He doesn’t speak for us, he speaks for himself,” Verdone, who’s working with Rice challenger Jeanette Spurlock, said.
For conservative voters such as Fisher, one of the Little River protesters, Rice’s pro-Trump voting record doesn’t matter.
What does is that he voted to impeach Trump, and no amount of conservative policy talk will fix that.
“He’s not for the people,” she said. “He’s for himself. That’s the biggest thing I have against him.”
“Rice let us down. People don’t forget that kind of stuff.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 11:02 AM with the headline "A ‘nerd’ or a ‘flamethrower’: What kind of Republican should represent Myrtle Beach in Congress?."
