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SCHotline.com, Andy
Arnold
March 30, 2003 - I am a South Carolina Democrat
and proud of it. Although there are many reasons, a big factor
is the central role that diversity and tolerance play in the
Democratic Party's mission. However, this diversity of opinion
can present a real challenge when it comes time to find a common
message and a shared agenda. In the last election, Democrats
did not meet this challenge, and failed to forge the focus and
unity that wins elections. Some of us believe our message was
too negative too often. If Joe Erwin has his way, this will
change.
Joe Erwin is a long-time Democrat, who is seeking to become
the South Carolina Democratic Party's next chairman. Although
Erwin has been active in Democratic politics for over 30 years,
he is best known as an entrepreneur who owns and runs Erwin-Penland,
a successful marketing and public relations firm in the Upstate.
But that's not all: Erwin is the co-founder and co-owner of
a successful magazine (Greenville Magazine) and a "venture
formation" company (First Base Ventures). The creative
energy and drive to succeed that infects Erwin's business ventures
are exactly what the Democratic Party needs...right now.
While Erwin is a business success story, he remains committed
to the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party. Erwin
believes in equal opportunity, balanced-budgets and a clean
environment. He is committed to Hope Scholarships and public
education. He is committed to pro-growth economic policies that
promote higher paying jobs while not forgetting those temporarily
displaced by a changing global economy. In short, Erwin is a
"New Democrat" who fuses America's entrepreneurial
spirit with traditional Democratic principles.
It may be equally important that Erwin is a businessman who
understands budgets, taxes and jobs. At a time when government
deficits are at record levels, we need bottom line-oriented
discipline to prevent mortgaging our children's future. Erwin
understands that "borrow and spend" is not a viable
economic strategy. It is easy to find politicians who talk "pro-growth,"
but it is another thing to find a political leader whose businesses
actually generate economic growth everyday. Not to mention that
the logistical and financial challenges that the Democratic
presidential primary will place on our party demand that we
select a new-economy executive to be our leader.
However, Erwin is not unopposed. His opponent is a proud Democrat
with strong ideals. Margaret Feagin is a state employee who
works for the Department of Social Services. Despite a try at
running her own small business, Feagin is best characterized
as a bureaucrat. A party run by a bureaucrat will be different
than a party run by an entrepreneur. Erwin's focus on better
managing the party's bottom line and his experience as a communications
professional are just two such examples. Feagin is a good Democrat,
but not the best choice to run the Democratic Party.
Moreover, there is another and more practical difference. Feagin
is proposing that the chairperson receive a salary. Erwin wants
no salary, and wants to continue to use the savings to maintain
a paid executive director. In fairness, the chairperson's duties
are a full-time job. However, a struggling economy combined
with the million-dollar price tag for a presidential primary
simply makes the timing of this proposal problematic. Although
Erwin understands that the demands of the job are full-time,
he also understands that the party's finances will not support
another full-time salary. Fortunately, Erwin is his own boss,
and can dedicate as much time as is needed to do the job right.
Finally, Erwin has developed a strategic vision that concentrates
on organization and communication as well as leveraging his
reputation to recruit top notch candidates at all levels. Honest
people will follow honest leaders. He believes that the politics
of personal destruction only erodes the ability to govern once
elected and causes gridlock between two parties that are constantly
at each other's throats. Erwin, who is passionate and feisty
on the issues, wants us to rise above personal attacks and to
instead attack the issues. He will lead by example.
Our party appeared to lose its focus and its voice in the last
election. Strategy replaced ideals, and negative attack ads
seemed more prevalent than big ideas. The prestige of our state's
party appears to have been eroded. Joe Erwin has the ideals,
values and talents necessary to restore the South Carolina Democratic
Party's vigor in the competition of ideas and the contest of
elections. It is why I believe without a doubt that Joe Erwin
is the best Democrat to lead our state's party.
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