Krugminator2
02-18-2017, 11:54 PM
Sanford has always been different—“odd,” “eccentric,” “a character,” to cite common descriptions by colleagues—and he is simultaneously something of a crusader for his causes of debt, deficits, spending and government transparency. “The thing you have to understand about Mark is that he’s both quirky and professorial about his beliefs—a lot like how Ron Paul was,” says Tom Davis, a state senator who is Sanford’s former chief of staff and among his closest friends.
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He worked for weeks alongside Sen. Rand Paul to prepare a House companion bill to replace Obamacare, and introduced it this month as the conservatives’ legislative vehicle of choice. And from a tactical and ideological standpoint, he is already viewed as a leader of the GOP resistance: In conversations since Election Day with leaders of the congressional right, Sanford is universally mentioned as one of the few House Republicans who looks forward to future confrontations with Trump. “Sanford will never back down,” Justin Amash, his colleague and fellow Tea Party troublemaker, tells me.
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At that point, Sanford made a decision: He would hoard as much campaign cash as possible and spend none unless absolutely necessary. The strategy has been successful—and is fueling rampant speculation in South Carolina about what he’ll do next.
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Mark at his core is a libertarian,” Felkel says, but “South Carolina is a state that can’t afford to be libertarian. … His district benefits greatly from the federal government.”
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When I ask whether he’ll rule out running against Graham, Sanford is less than equivocal. “I don’t know where life goes,” he says.
Very good article on an underappreciated Congressman. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/mark-sanford-profile-214791
I could see Sanford being a Senator, the Libertarian Party nominee, or maybe an outside chance of being a serious Republican candidate for President.
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He worked for weeks alongside Sen. Rand Paul to prepare a House companion bill to replace Obamacare, and introduced it this month as the conservatives’ legislative vehicle of choice. And from a tactical and ideological standpoint, he is already viewed as a leader of the GOP resistance: In conversations since Election Day with leaders of the congressional right, Sanford is universally mentioned as one of the few House Republicans who looks forward to future confrontations with Trump. “Sanford will never back down,” Justin Amash, his colleague and fellow Tea Party troublemaker, tells me.
***
At that point, Sanford made a decision: He would hoard as much campaign cash as possible and spend none unless absolutely necessary. The strategy has been successful—and is fueling rampant speculation in South Carolina about what he’ll do next.
***
Mark at his core is a libertarian,” Felkel says, but “South Carolina is a state that can’t afford to be libertarian. … His district benefits greatly from the federal government.”
***
When I ask whether he’ll rule out running against Graham, Sanford is less than equivocal. “I don’t know where life goes,” he says.
Very good article on an underappreciated Congressman. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/mark-sanford-profile-214791
I could see Sanford being a Senator, the Libertarian Party nominee, or maybe an outside chance of being a serious Republican candidate for President.