5 REPUBLICANS, 5 DEMOCRATS TACKLE ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMY

While voters in Virginia and New Jersey were electing their next governor, folks in South Carolina had the opportunity to hear from 10 candidates who want to be this state’s next chief executive.

Five candidates from each party shared a crowded stage at the Rocquemore Auditorium at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg Tuesday to debate environmental and economic issues.

The debate went largely as expected — the first spring training game for Democrats and a chance for Republicans to polish up their talking points.

State Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) immediately stood out from the crowd as the only person on stage to deny the existence of man-made climate change. Grooms said he wouldn’t impose regulations on businesses for an “unproven science.”

Democrat lobbyist Dwight Drake countered Grooms, saying, “I think the science is clear that global warming does exist.”

State Schools Superintendent Jim Rex, in a rare moment in which he didn’t blame Republicans for the state’s environmental problems, joked that climate change could be solved in part by putting a wind turbine in front of the debate stage.

Republican Attorney General Henry McMaster remained largely focused on jobs and his “Path to Prosperity” during the debate.

“The path to prosperity in South Carolina is lit with nuclear power,” McMaster said. The attorney general also said he believes “cap and trade is nothing but a tax.”

State Sen. Vincent Sheheen was the most composed of the Democrat candidates and showed he could have the most appeal to independent voters in his party’s primary.

“We need a new generation of leadership. Being on the good side of things shouldn’t cost us jobs,” Sheheen said.

Sheheen’s chief rival in the race, Mullins McLeod, also had a good night. McLeod said, “Nuclear power may very well be part of the equation, but I think wind and solar is important. There’s another, ethanol, we’ve not talked about tonight.”

The other Democrat in the race, State Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, said job was the number one issue on his platform.

Republican Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said South Carolina could one day “be known as the green capital of the world” if officials were to offer tax incentives to businesses that meet certain environmental standards.

The remaining two Republicans, Congressman Gresham Barrett and State Rep. Nikki Haley, had a largely quiet night.

Barrett said he thought global warming was “a problem” and that he believes South Carolina can eventually achieve energy independence. Haley said she was disappointed with Barrett’s position on offshore drilling.

But what stood out most on the night wasn’t what was said on the stage, but what wasn’t said.

Most of the candidates stuck to their talking points and there were no heated moments or shots between candidates.

The most interesting exchange of the night was between McLeod and McMaster.

“Oil and beaches don’t mix,” said McLeod, to which McMaster responded, “They don’t mix, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be drilling if there is oil there and we can do it safely.”

I expect as this race drags on for another year, though, that level of civility between parties will certainly change.

Photo: C. Aluka Berry (The State)