Category Archives: Publisher’s Keystone

Does Santorum have a shot at being the GOP standard-bearer?

Does Santorum have a shot at being the GOP standard-bearer?
In one of my final official duties as chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, I had the honor of hosting the FOX News-sponsored First in the South, Republican Presidential Primary Debate last month in Greenville, SC. As I watched the debate, I was struck by how Rick Santorum’s words connected with the audience. At…
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Is President Obama using a “school uniforms” approach in creating policy?

Is President Obama using a “school uniforms” approach in creating policy?
As I read this morning’s question, I immediately thought about a book published in 2010 titled, “Switch, How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.” Though the authors, Chip and David Heath, are better known for the bestseller, “Made to Stick,” the premise of this book is how to affect transformative change through “little bite-size…
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Latest Scandals Are a Reflection of Character

Last week, Americans watched in astonishment as scandal after scandal involving well-respected government institutions (the Secret Service, the GSA, the U.S. military) unfolded, and each new revelation just angered us more. The Secret Service scandal prompted Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee and Congressman Carolyn Maroney (D-NY) to…
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Discuss the Foreign Policy of the GOP Candidates

Discuss the Foreign Policy of the GOP Candidates
Voters are looking for more than words. They want a clear vision backed up by a discernable plan. Vague platitudes like, “America must continue to lead …” or “We must have resolve to do what is necessary …” will not cut it. For instance, on the issue of taxes and spending, what has traction right now…
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Is the Democratic Party, the party of women?

Is the Democratic Party, the party of women?
Only 15 percent of women hold top positions in American corporations.   As of 2010, women make up 46% of the workforce but comprise 3% of Fortune 500 chief executive positions and 7.6% of Fortune 500 top earner positions and hold just 15.7% of Fortune 500 board seats. Gender gap with women is not a “Republican…
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A Thousand Cuts

‘One of Margaret Thatcher’s defining characteristics as a politician was a need for enemies. To fuel the aggression that drove her career she had to find new antagonists all the time to be successfully demonized, confronted and defeated.” John Campbell in his book The Iron Lady devotes an entire chapter to this unusual premise. In simple terms,…
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School Choice: A Tale of Two Sons, Two Schools

I am the product of public education: from Irmo Elementary School to a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Likewise our identical twin sons have received excellent educations in public schools from Pine Street Elementary School to the Freshman Academy at Spartanburg High School. I can point to seminal teachers…
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Is Snowe’s departure a sign that the center is truly crumbling in Congress? And will her retirement hurt the GOP’s chances of a Senate majority?

Is Snowe’s departure a sign that the center is truly crumbling in Congress? And will her retirement hurt the GOP’s chances of a Senate majority?
For many Republican women, Senator Snowe’s departure is not about speculating on whether the “center is crumbling” in Congress or whether the Senator’s retirement will hurt the republican Senate majority.  For many, these questions are rhetorical in nature.  Any time a long-term member of congress retires, power structure is shaken and the same “sky is…
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In Defense of Catherine Templeton

Catherine Templeton, currently South Carolina’s Director of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), is a dangerous woman. Really sneaky dangerous. Sneaky because to look at her credentials, she appears to be a smart, principled, accomplished attorney with a solid record of public service and conservative ideals. Ah HA! There it is! “Conservative woman.” The entrenched powers…
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The Gender Elephant: One Bite at a Time Pulling In or Pushing Away the Coveted Woman Vote? Which bite of the elephant will yield a winning strategy for a 2012 White House bid?

The Gender Elephant: One Bite at a Time Pulling In or Pushing Away the Coveted Woman Vote? Which bite of the elephant will yield a winning strategy for a 2012 White House bid?
  Which bite of the elephant will yield a winning strategy for a 2012 White House bid? The fight for women in politics can be broken down to four elements—audience, message, timing and messenger. This framework will decide the right message to garner the support of women who constitute 46% of the workforce and 52%…
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