By Bill Davis, senior editor | One of the biggest Republican winners from this week’s general election wasn’t even on the ballot: Lt. Gov. Henry Dargan McMaster.
McMaster became the state’s most vocal and public supporter of President-elect Donald Trump beginning in January after U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) dropped out of the race.
McMaster, a longtime state GOP workhorse, took his support national by delivering an introductory speech for then-candidate Trump at the GOP Presidential Convention.
McMaster told Statehouse Report that he and his wife got to know Trump though a series of campaign rallies and became impressed with his words, successes and energy. He also said that a long list of fellow Republicans from the national and state levels gave their approval, helping him to switch horses.
McMaster said he knew something was up, that Trump was special, early on when other candidates were drawing several hundred supporters at campaign stops in South Carolina while Trump attracted thousands, and venues were turning away thousands more.
“I knew this was going to be a really tough contest, and that not only was Trump the best candidate, he was the only candidate that could win the tough challenges,” said McMaster. He added that there was no one in the Republican national stable that could have defeated Hillary Clinton.
McMaster’s point was that the party needed a candidate from left field. “Right field,” he corrected with a laugh Thursday night as he readied himself to attend a concert by Nobel laureate Bob Dylan.
And he was right.
When asked about the scores of highly-criticized comments and tweets Trump issued during the campaign, McMaster said the press exaggerated them.
“I know what his words were, and they were not what the press said,” said McMaster, referencing the brouhaha over the “Gold Star” Khan family. “That’s how they do it: They take a little and add to it and show it 24 hours.”
Many Americans, and a host of Internet captures of Trump’s words, may differ.
Some observers are waiting to see if McMaster gets offered a job in the Trump administration, or if Trump will repay the political patronage and return to support McMaster during what many expect will be another run for governor in South Carolina.
Bauer also supported Trump
Former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer got into the act, supporting Trump on national television in the waning weeks of the campaign.
Bauer stressed two things, though. One, he didn’t agree with “everything” Trump said on the campaign trail. And two, he has no personal interest in running for office or cashing in on his support.
“The idea of going back out there and begging for money from my friends again makes my skin crawl,” said Bauer, fresh from a CNN set in New York City.
While McMaster “early called” the election for Trump, national pollsters had not only egg on their collective faces, but an entire omelet, according to one national number-cruncher.
But Winthrop political scientist Scott Huffmon, who oversees the state’s most influential polling center, argued that pollsters actually got the presidential race right.
His argument was that most polls put many states as “toss-ups” and that Trump managed to win just about every single one of them. “If the weatherman said there was a 35-percent chance of rain, you’d take your umbrella,” said Huffmon.
Huffmon conducted polling in Virginia, saying Clinton would win by 5 percent. He was off wildly. She won by 4.9-percent.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
I hope Trump does take McMaster to Washington, and drowns him in the flood of right-wing backlash that is coming. Trump has already started what he said he would do — dump the workload off on Pence. And he’s loading up on Washington insiders despite having campaigned against that. But then, what did we expect? Trump knows almost nothing about running government. Watch for him to become the Commander in Chief of golf and to spend more time in Trump Tower than the White House. I forecast a quick disillusionment among the nutters.