In a previous article, it was mentioned how South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster spent his precious ad dollars attacking his opponent, Joe Cunningham instead of touting his own accomplishments. The blog indicated that perhaps Good Ole Henry didn’t mention what good he’s done because he hasn’t done a thing.
Well, apparently Henry got the message… sort of.
In a recently released ad, a dyed-in-the-wool Republican thanks McMaster for not giving in to pressure and shutting down the state in response to the COVID pandemic. The ad continues with McMaster himself making the claim that he did not allow the state to be shut down.
Except, he did.
On March 31, 2020, McMaster issued an Executive Order closing all nonessential businesses in the state. He lifted the order on June 7, 2020 all the while boasting that the state never totally shut down. Meanwhile, several companies instituted their own COVID restrictions in defiance of the governor’s order.
The commercial opens with the typical “Working Class Joe” crowing about how “proud” he is of McMaster for “saving jobs”. There’s no explanation as to how he did this, but the implication is that by refusing to completely close businesses, he somehow magically allowed these businesses to survive.
The ad continues with McMaster himself taking complete credit for the so-called success. There is no mention of the Federal Payroll Protection Program or the multiple COVID relief packages that allowed these businesses to stay afloat. Oh no! It was all his doing!
Yeah, right.
Also notably absent were the number of South Carolina COVID fatalities. These numbers were undoubtedly increased because of his demand that businesses reopen. So, by taking this action, McMaster is responsible for the needless deaths of who knows how many?
Not something you’d want pointed out if you’re seeking re-election.
In July of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, McMaster was demanding schools reopen for in-person learning, putting both students and teachers at a very high risk, all in the name of getting people back to work, no matter the peril they’d be exposed to.
And yet he wonders why there is such a teacher should in the state.
Then there are the intangible cases caused by McMaster’s orders reopening the beaches of South Carolina. College students, with their over-inflated sense of invincibility, flocked to the shore and no doubt caused the virus to spread as they brought it back to their colleges and hometowns.
Perhaps if Henry wants to tout his “success”, he should look at the entire picture first. Then perhaps he won’t come off looking like such a fool.
That’s why, on November 8th, you need to vote for Joe Cunningham. South Carolina needs someone who will consider what’s best for all the residents of the state, and not just the ones who agree with him. While Joe may not have all the answers yet, he will undoubtedly take into consideration all the options.
And he most certainly will not try to reframe his failures as successes.
