Knowledge really DOES help
OKAY…who's tired of politicians who whine about the media sensationalizing everything when in reality what is happening to them in the media is THEIR OWN fault? Me, me, me!! Over the past year, I've come to the conclusion that one true sign of a sorry politician is when they always blame the media for their problems. Hello. YOU made the decision…the media is doing their job to share with the rest of us what you're doing…even when you're doing bad or stupid stuff that doesn't make you look so good…they still tell. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE THERE FOR… 
anyhoo…
Part of being a good politician is knowing what/how much to say because you NEVER know how the electorate will take it. Regardless of what message you *think* you are sending you are speaking to a bunch of very different people…all of which will interpret something in their own way so my advice to politicians…don't EVER say things that require you to "explain" yourself because you'll always end up digging yourself in a deeper hole.
So here's a good example…I'm guessing y'all heard about what's going on with Andre Bauer…I would say, NOT a good politician considering he obviously didn't think before he started running his mouth, perpetuating stereotypes that don't even reflect the truth. Luckily, today, the Herald Journal did a little "sensationalizing" by pointing out how ignorant this guy really is about the topic at hand.
Bauer: "there is no end" to how long people can receive welfare in South Carolina
Fact: South Carolinians can receive welfare payments for a maximum of 24 months.
Bauer: welfare recipients should have to do something for the money
Fact: welfare recipients must perform 30 hours of worker training every week or lose their benefits
Asked repeatedly whether he had learned anything from this incident, Bauer repeatedly said "no," then added, "I learned that the media sensationalizes what they hear. I learned that no one wants to have a serious conversation about the issues."
But a serious conversation on these issues would have to involve facts.
What he should learn is how many people get these benefits, and under what circumstances. What he should learn is to think before he speaks. What he should learn is how to apologize sincerely for a mistake.
Amen. Good Job EVIL media.
And to think this whole mess stemmed from a conversation he had with his Grandmother. Really? I don't know what kind of conversations Andre had with his Grandmother where the justification of starving animals ever became the topic of conversation but my Grandma usually stuck to simple stuff like…"Shut up while you're ahead."
Now that is some good Grandma advice.
t
p.s. Really Andre…thanks for bringing more of the same onto our state.
SeedingSpartanburg.com
on 27 Jan 2010 at 5:49 pm # Philip
Yep. It’s been great watching Jon Stewart and Colbert thank SC for giving them all the great material.
on 30 Jan 2010 at 1:35 pm # PeePaw
Once upon a time in ancient times, there was a Congress. They were called a Republican Congress. They worked together with a President. He was called a Democrat. They worked together to produce a bill. It wasn’t what everybody wanted, but most said it was a pretty good bill. It changed the way that America assisted families. It stopped assistance for dependent children, that could last a long, long time. It began temporary assistance for needy families that was short-term, and had obligations to develop the recipient for work. This bill was called Welfare Reform. A lot of people say this bill is just a myth, but it really does exist. And, it really did change welfare, Andre. Now, go outside and play. And don’t get in my car. You mashed the gas pedal so much last time, it flooded, and I couldn’t get it started.
I wish Andre’s grandma had told him that story.
on 30 Jan 2010 at 2:48 pm # Blog Report: Iced In | Spartanburg Spark
[...] up, we’ve got a new post from Tammy over at Seeding Spartanburg. She’s got a few thoughts on the “blame the media” pity party Andre Bauer’s been throwing for himself since the whole “poor kids are a lot like stray [...]
on 02 Feb 2010 at 5:01 pm # Leah
Thanks Tammy, it’s been awhile since I posted and I had the same stomach virus Christmas Eve. I later found out a lot of people did.
I was reading your other posts about living in LA (I lived in San Diego 20 years) and coming home, I came home because of ill mother and ill in-laws and now they’re all gone. Sometimes we think of leaving, my husband and I, now that the “reason” for being here is gone, but gosh darnit, Spartanburg has more potential than just about anywhere I can think of. We love Arizona, Colorado and Utah but the real estate is still over-priced out west. It is too late in the game to take on a huge mortgage just to live somewhere cool again.
Spartanburg has enormous potential but there is too much class division here, too much racism still. The “haves” and “have nots” and who’s your mama or who’s your daddy. I went out west and made it on my own merits. That is a whole different ballgame than being “in with the in crowd”. Spartanburg needs to drop the divisive rhetoric as constantly posted in the Stroller column. We need a break, all of us, from that pettiness. The problem is this area is too, too political and less cultural. Everything is politics, politics, politics, religion and Bar-b-q. The irony is, Spartanburg is more like LA in its obsession with “place” and “name” and “position”. Nobody cares about this stuff in a lot of places, you must make it on your own merits.
Bauer is part of the “GOBN” (Good Ol’ Boy Net) and calling people stray animals appeals to the “haves”. But how they “got” is typically they all had an in or a leg up or a head start based on “position”. If they had to make it on their own merits among strangers of various faiths, colors and nationalities, they couldn’t cut it. Now they point at people born into poverty and blame them for not having an “insider” job like they have. It makes no sense. let’s drop Andre and his bunch into an area they have no connections into the inner circles and see how well they fare. Yes, yes, some people rise to the top no matter what, no matter where but the majority do not. Perpetual Good ol’ boy and perpetual have nots is the cycle that needs to be broken in this town. We’ll see if that leap of imagination or intelligence can be done here. If so, we will then move forward but not until.
on 07 Feb 2010 at 3:25 pm # Will R
Leah,
That is one of the best descriptions of this place I have ever read. Good job.