That has been my experience, too.

Both Haley and Grooms suffer from low name recognition but Haley has been getting some positive national as well as state-wide exposure so I sense some significant momentum there. She’s talking definite workable solutions rather than generalities and has the intelligence and know-how to get things done–as she has a record of doing.

She will use the bully pulpit of governor very well just as she has done in the past with her encouraging regular, everyday citizens to get concerned and work to accomplish specific tasks vital to reforming the state government.

That has been my experience with her. I’ve seen her apply good common sense in her judgement and her reactions to the corruption in the statehouse are the same as mine and just about everyone else I’ve talked to. There is outrage out here and folks are waking up to see just how far their government has gone.

Her actions and philosophy indicate that she is there with us on principles and willingness to change things to make a much more transparent state government so that we can FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL and put the statehouse crooks on record every time they do something.

None of the “big three” good ol’ boys are anywhere near this in philosophy nor political courage. We need someone with guts who has taken a stand for the regular folks in this state. I really think we’d be represented by Nikki Haley.

On the other hand, if we allow bauerbarrettmcmastah to get elected, we’ll just be a means to whatever big government ends they’re after.

I attended several tea parties in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Boiling Springs. From what I saw and who I talked to, I got the sense that there are a lot of folks participating in these tea parties that are also supporting Nikki Haley. Maybe the Lowcountry tea party folks have more of a reason to know who Larry Grooms is–and he certainly has latched on to the tea parties down there–but I’d still say Haley is the preferred candidate of most of the tea partiers that I have met.

Even if that’s true–and it might be–I’m not saying it’s not–there are still a LOT of good people who are in the Grooms’ camp. They are full of passion and it’s good to have passion about something you care about. When the tactics used in support of that passion goes too far, however, it should and has been called out.

I can’t help but give them the benefit of a doubt no matter how misguided I think their choice is and no matter how much our choice for reform is unfairly and viciously maligned over absolutely nothing.

If you’re right about Grooms, it won’t be long before his money either runs out or, if it does not, its true source comes to light.

It would be a shame, in the meantime, for people with nearly identical goals–reforming this state’s government to rid it of the institutionalized corruption therein–should be attacking another candidate who is on their side.

I appreciate the attempt to dig for facts here and I like how GarnetSpy has clearly presented in his text the facts as the facts and his opinion as his opinion. As long as TRUTH is the object, the media, the bloggers, major networks, and papers are doing their jobs as they should be. Questions have to be asked and investigations made. If we’re going to pursue true reform, everyone has a role and everyone needs to see what is going on.

If nothing else, unless we’re in a huge echo chamber here, it’s interesting to see what a huge difference, for good or bad, just a few concerned people can make. It should encourage other people to get more actively involved.

Amanda has a lot of energy and enthusiasm and we agree on a lot of things.

I can confirm some of the things she has said and I’m disappointed in the tactics their campaign has chosen.

I think we can and should all get along, pursue the positives between the people we support, and let the best man or woman win.

We’ve got monstrously big targets in bauerbarrettmcmastah who are funded with years of vote-selling and influence peddling. THEY are the targets we should be pursuing–as I have been consistently, I think.

(Despite what you may think, I am not paid by ANYONE–though I’m flattered that this very amateur activist and concerned citizen is mistaken for a paid flunky. I’m a big fat zero when it comes to power and influence and I’ll be lucky if I’m able to just survive through this depression.)

For me it’s all about REFORM and stopping the good ol’ boys. I’ve never included Grooms in that. It would be nice to not burn bridges between a lot of good folks out there who are really concerned about the corruption in the statehouse.