Even though the midterm elections are the political equivalent of cold porridge when it comes to pumping up the electorate, you’d think that the people interested in running for elected office would manage to shamble out of bed on Nov. 4.
Not so, apparently. U.S. senate candidates Det Bowers and Nancy Mace, two contenders in the state’s Republican primary, have voted in S.C. primaries a combined total of twice in the past 20 years.
Bowers, defending his refusal to vote, cites his 13-year career as a pastor, saying that he didn’t want to influence his congregation. This, in itself, is a respectable sentiment. But Bowers voted for Mark Sanford’s 2002 run for governor. How is that not an endorsement of a candidate by his own logic?
Mace registered to vote in South Carolina in 2012, moving back to the state after nine year’s absence. She can’t be faulted for failing to have a long voting record, but her time away from state politics surely won’t do her any favors in the coming election. She also failed to register to vote until after the 2012 presidential primary. During the primary, she worked with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential campaign. Starting with the obvious: If you are going to run for office, your prospective voters will expect to know what you stand for. Voting, at whatever level, can show what issues or people you’re willing to put your faith in. It’s a solid track record that keeps candidates from changing their tune whenever it suits them.
Also, if you’re going to run a campaign (in which the goal is to get people to vote for you,) it’s probably a good idea to show some minimal effort of involvement in politics. That includes, at the very least, voting for state primary candidates.
In fact, the state election primaries usually usher in the most decisive change, as the minority party is more or less slated to lose from the outset. And because of smaller voter turnout, a single vote will statistically count more.
It’s almost shocking that two serious candidates for federal office would fail to keep up with such a fundamental responsibility.