Electorate is impatient, malleable … or not

That something odd is going on with the South Carolina electorate isn’t a controversial statement. But trying to peg what actually is happening is more difficult.

Haley’s thin record leaves little leadership hope

JUNE 18, 2010 – - The really bitter irony of the June 8 elections is that the angry people who voted for Nikki Haley as the GOP’s choice for governor are in for a big shock one day: Instead of being a change, she represents more of the same. The hyper-ambitious Haley is little more than Mark Sanford in drag.

New SC poll still has us scratching our heads

MAY 31, 2010 – With about a week before the primaries, a new InsiderAdvantage/ Statehouse Report poll still has us flummoxed.

The poll, taken the night following the May 25 headline-grabbing accusations that GOP Rep. Nikki Haley had an extramarital affair with a blogger in 2007, showed voters still preferred her over three male opponents. Of the respondents who said they would vote in the Republican primary, just over 30 percent said they’d cast ballots for Haley, compared to 20 percent for Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and 14 percent each for U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett and Attorney General Henry McMaster.

Holleman, Nelsen, Lord, Chellis get nods

MAY 28, 2010 — Democrats and Republicans have important choices to make June 8 in party primaries and none may be as important as the bids of candidates who want to be the next state superintendent of education.

With the current superintendent, Democrat Jim Rex, running for governor, the winner of this open seat will be in charge of managing more than $2 billion in state education funding – about 40 percent of South Carolina’s general fund budget.

New poll shows Haley, Sheheen in leads

NEW INSIDERADVANTAGE/STATEHOUSE REPORT POLL: Despite allegations that GOP Rep. Nikki Haley had an extramarital affair with a blogger, she commands a 10-point lead over her three male challengers in the Republican race for governor.  State Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden has a 9-point lead over state Superintendent Jim Rex in the Democratic primary race.  To [...]