‘Groundhog Day’ in South Carolina’s 1st District

Our regular Silence, who apparently is way too chipper in the early morning, posted at 7:08 a.m.,

Here it is folks, the big day, the main event! Who will be the champ, and who will be the chump?

To which I responded that most likely, Mark Sanford wins. Again. As he has been expected to do since the beginning, in spite of some polls giving his opponent hope along the way.

But you know, it would be nice to see something different, something new, happen in South Carolina. Getting stuck with Sanford again is SOP here; we expect no better.

I’m reminded of what Bill Murray says at the end of “Groundhog Day,” when a new and different day finally dawns. He notices something that varies from all the previous days, and says, with cautious optimism, “Something is… different.” Andie MacDowell says, “Good or bad?” To which he replies, “Anything different is good.”

Had the film been set in her native South Carolina rather than Pennsylvania, Ms. MacDowell might then have said, “Nothing different ever happens here.” Which would have ruined the movie, but would have been depressingly true. We are famous for our ruts.

I don’t know that Elizabeth Colbert Busch is the electoral equivalent of getting Andie MacDowell in the end. I don’t know enough about her. But I know it would be different. And when the status quo is this well known, different is good.

Here’s hoping for a happy ending in the 1st District. The alternative is another 18 months of Sanford jokes at South Carolina’s expense.

3 thoughts on “‘Groundhog Day’ in South Carolina’s 1st District

  1. Silence

    Your blog’s clock is wrong – I think it was likely 8:08 a.m.
    That said, I”m a morning person!

  2. Brad Warthen Post author

    Actually, it was REALLY 7:08. My blog refuses to recognize Daylight Saving Time. I guess.

    Back when I was on TypePad years ago, all the times were in Pacific time. So this is an improvement.

  3. Ralph Hightower

    Expect jokes of South Carolina on Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and other late night shows.

    The Onion has already taken notice.

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