So after I left the back porch today and fed the donkeys, word drifted in on the wind. Not from the weather channel. From the vultures. And if you’ve ever been around Red Bank, you know those birds don’t circle unless they think something’s dying.
Apparently, I’m “acting too much like a Democrat.” This little sermon is being preached by some of the Lexington and State GOP leadership, who have apparently decided that a real Republican must support a Republican no matter what. No questions. No thinking. Just clap, nod, and vote.
Now here’s where the manure hits the fan. Those same folks endorsed my opponent while I was a twelve-year incumbent. Why? Because I voted against a total abortion ban. Not because I stopped showing up. Not because I stopped serving my district. But because I refused to pretend that complicated lives fit on a bumper sticker.
So spare me the lecture about loyalty.
By their logic, if R. J. May were running in House District 88, I suppose I’d be expected to support him over a decorated, retired U.S. Army Colonel. Party label over character. Rooster over workhorse.
Let me be clear. I didn’t just meet Colonel Chuck Hightower at the feed store. I know him. I respect him. I was honored to present him with a Quilt of Valor while serving in the Senate. That wasn’t politics. That was recognizing service and sacrifice.This isn’t a rebellion. It’s just common sense, which seems to be in shorter supply than sunshine lately.
So today I’ll sit on the porch, sip my tea, watch the donkeys in the pasture, and remind myself that in South Carolina, we still get to choose who we support.Some folks follow brands.I follow character.
And if that makes me “too much like a Democrat,” then y’all might want to check which pasture you’re standing in.
While I Breathe I hope.
WHILE I BREATHE 