The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Will Folks: ‘My Sacred Honor Requires Me to Endorse DCCC Fundraising Poster Boy’

Posted on | March 30, 2013 | 20 Comments

CHARLESTON, S.C.
Surely everyone remembers how the gallant gentleman Will Folks tried to derail Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign by asserting that “his sacred honor” required him to claim that he had a sexual affair with her when he worked as a political consultant to her.

And now Folks, whose career in South Carolina politics included a stint as press secretary to Mark Sanford, employs his bizarre habit of first-person plural references to himself — “our founding editor” — to provide an “unenthused” endorsement to his former boss in Tuesday’s primary runoff. In the 16-candidate GOP primary, Folks had endorsed state Sen. Larry Grooms, who finished third behind Curtis Bostic on March 19.

In the Byzantine world of South Carolina politics, a corrupt cesspool of power-crazed backstabbers that is to Republicans what Chicago is to Democrats, Folks is a local legend. He went from playing bass in a rock band to working for Sanford, but got thrown under the bus in an ugly scandal; some still insist Folks was the victim of a “honey trap” set-up.

The subject of Will Folks came up over dinner with sources Friday at R.B.’s Seafood (where I had grilled flounder with hushpuppies, fries and collard greens to die for). One veteran South Carolina politico told me that Folks is dangerous because he is loyal to no one: “He’s his own man.” My observation that Folks seems like a narcissistic sociopath drew only a shrug in response. Evidently, narcissistic sociopaths are so commonplace in GOP politics here that nobody even notices.

Are these people indifferent to the public interest, or just blind to the downside risk of backing Sanford? Having seen the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in more than a few special elections, I think South Carolina Republicans might be underestimating what kind of political hell is about to be unleashed on the 1st District. Sure, Cook rates it R+11, but when the entirety of the Democrat machinery concentrates on one district — and keep in mind, OFA has got nothing better to do between now and the May 7 special election — it’s hard to say that any district is “safe.” Plus, there’s the fact that Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch (who’s raised $3 million for the race) has a celebrity-media connection.

While the Sanford forces talk about “redemption” and “forgiveness,” the unforgiving Democrats will make his past a national issue — reviving the “war on women” meme — which is why Ann Coulter endorsed Curtis Bostic:

Already polls show Sanford tied with, or losing to, the Democratic nominee. MSNBC has barely been able to conceal its glee. This is one they hadn’t even counted on!
Win or lose, MSNBC will be able to gloat nonstop about Republicans being a Party of the serial adulterers. So it’s win-win-win for the Democrats.
There’s no “win” for the GOP with Sanford, except that Mark Sanford is bored and no one will hire him. So the country has to take one for the team — Team Sanford!
The country is important, but Mark Sanford thinks his redemption is more important.

Of course, the Sanford campaign is doing a “kitchen sink” attack on Bostic, accusing him of everything from RINO-dom to international human trafficking, in order to create the idea that Bostic — a Marine veteran and married father of five — is as scandalous as the Appalachian Trail hiker.

Will voters here join the gallant gentleman Will Folks in backing Mark Sanford? Or will they rally behind Curtis Bostic?

 

Category: South Carolina

Comments

20 Responses to “Will Folks: ‘My Sacred Honor Requires Me to Endorse DCCC Fundraising Poster Boy’”

  1. Mandy_G93
    March 30th, 2013 @ 3:37 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Will Folks: ‘My Sacred Honor Requires Me to Endorse DCCC Fundraising Poster Boy’ http://t.co/lNw3T9LIh2 #TCOT

  2. Dan Collins
    March 30th, 2013 @ 3:47 pm

    Won’t Folks for Senator.

  3. Joe Giles
    March 30th, 2013 @ 4:12 pm

    Joe Giles liked this on Facebook.

  4. K-Bob
    March 30th, 2013 @ 5:14 pm

    “Are these people indifferent to the public interest, or just blind to the downside risk of backing Sanford?”

    What downside? We run a loser, we lose, we head to the bar. You don’t mean to imply there’s a risk we could ever win anything do you?

  5. Esau's Message
    March 30th, 2013 @ 5:39 pm

    I have no desire to know what Stephen Colbert does with his sister. Are you sure you want to report on this race, Stace? (Hey, that rhymes.)

  6. Esau's Message
    March 30th, 2013 @ 5:39 pm

    Will Folks Himself.

  7. Esau's Message
    March 30th, 2013 @ 5:39 pm

    Sorry, forgot the comma.

  8. RichFader
    March 30th, 2013 @ 6:42 pm

    Just as enlightened self-interest and greed (all due respect to Gordon Gekko) are not the same thing, there’s being your own man and there’s being a narcissistic sociopath. Folks sounds like the latter. Sanford sounds like a Hall-of-Fame-caliber case of the latter. It takes a certain level of audacity and self-delusion to clown yourself, your staff, your state and national parties, and last but not least, your wife and family (and really even your paramour, for that matter) because you couldn’t keep from screwing around, and think you’re entitled to any second act that doesn’t involve you getting flogged in public a la Peter O’Toole as Henry II in “Becket”.

  9. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 30th, 2013 @ 6:49 pm

    My sacred honor makes me go all Pamplona on this douchebag and gore him in the gut.

  10. Joanie Scott
    March 30th, 2013 @ 7:08 pm

    Thanks for the link to Bostic’s website. I just donated $25.

  11. Disgraced Mark Sanford for South Carolina? No. Curtis Bostic For Congress and Weekend Links!
    March 30th, 2013 @ 8:21 pm

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  12. DaveO
    March 30th, 2013 @ 8:30 pm

    Interesting. Progressives reject Christianity and feel that government is the source of redemption. How is this any different from Sanford? He’s accusing Bostic of being a RINO while living the life of Ted Kennedy? He’s lied like a rug, making Harry Reid look like Diogenes, and there are people backing Sanford?
    Will Folkes is comic relief in terms of vague, non-medical diagnoses of sociopathic narcissism – the sh*tbags backing the Progressive-GOPer Sanford are truly off the charts.

  13. DaveO
    March 31st, 2013 @ 12:54 pm

    What is Honor, and why is it sacred? In today’s context, is Honor a Holy noun/verb?

    People know the term from Glenn Beck’s broadcasts of the Founding Fathers’ commitment to revolt from the British crown. But, what is Honor, and why is it sacred? In today’s context, is Honor a Holy noun/verb? What is the value of Honor in a society seeking the glories of Ahab and Jezebel, safe within the loving arms of pharisaism?

    Honor’s value is reflected in how evil men and women hide their purpose and actions by referring their motivation to sacred honor – not just honor, but Sacred Unassailable Honor. Like Cindy Sheehan in a saint’s sackcloth.

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  15. Thomas L. Knapp
    April 1st, 2013 @ 1:32 am

    “Evidently, narcissistic sociopaths are so commonplace in politics that nobody even notices.”

    There, fixed that for ya.

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