By Paul Gable
The Rankin campaign mailers have raised questions about the accuracy of the message being promoted for Rankin’s reelection.
One side of last week’s mailer showed Rankin in a picture with Chief Mark Keel of SLED, Chief Amy Prock of Myrtle Beach and Chief Dale Long of Conway. The title was “Luke Rankin is Standing with Law Enforcement to Keep South Carolina Safe.”
Rankin is certainly standing with three police chiefs in the picture. However, any implication which may be drawn from the picture that the chiefs support the Rankin campaign are false. Emails were sent to all three chiefs asking whether they had approved the use of their picture on a Rankin campaign mailer and whether they endorsed Rankin for reelection.
Chief Keel and Chief Prock responded. Both said they had not given approval for their picture to be used on the campaign mailer. Both also said they don’t endorse candidates. The picture was taken at a South Carolina Police Chiefs Association Meeting at the South Carolina State House last month. Chief Long did not respond.
Likewise, the four accomplishments listed on the left of the mailer were a result of four bills introduced in the SC House of Representatives and eventually passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by Gov. Henry McMaster. Rankin voted for the bills and they became law. However, being introduced in the House, indicates the legislation was initiated by House members, not Rankin. Therefore, taking credit and making them seem as personal accomplishments to be promoted to voters, just because he voted for the bills, is a long stretch for Rankin to take.
This tracks with the first mail piece sent out by the Rankin campaign which attempted to take credit for $1.5 billion in road improvements in Horry County. These improvements were actually proposed through one-cent local option sales tax legislation approved by county council and ultimately approved by referendum of the voters. An additional $5 billion in road improvements mentioned in the first mailer are currently being considered in a county ordinance which received first reading last week from county council and will ultimately be voted up or down in a referendum on the November 2024 general election ballot. None of the $6.5 billion in road improvements, if the latest referendum passes in November, can be tracked back to any special effort by Rankin.
One issue which can be traced back to Rankin is the recent defeat of legislation proposed to amend the current state tort reform law. The legislation was held up for over a year in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Rankin chairs, and never made it through the Senate in the recently concluded two-year session of the General Assembly.
This tort reform legislation would change the percentage of liability any one defendant can be held responsible to pay. It is something small business owners throughout the state have been requesting for a while and it is something which could ultimately reduce insurance premiums of citizens throughout the state and reduce prices for goods and services. However, tort reform is unpopular with the trial lawyers in the state because it could directly reduce their income from civil lawsuits.
Deception, some would call it propaganda or misinformation, in political campaigns and political speak in general is an ever-increasing tactic in today’s political environment. The belief is that voters will not devote the time necessary to research the actual facts about candidates.
In the first two mailers, the Rankin campaign has attempted to deceive the voters about his record. This is a tactic from the past, but is not as easy today with the advent of social media and its instant messaging.
But, maybe the real question is why is the Rankin campaign, after his 32 years of service in Columbia, feels the need to claim credit for issues and legislation with which, at best, Rankin had only minor association?
The voters in Florence County never had to be told the accomplishments of former Sen. Hugh Leatherman. They saw them every day.
Speak Up…