Meet Mark Sanford

Along with Tim Pawlenty, the first subject of this sporadic series of video clips (mostly from YouTube) of potential national GOP candidates (whether for the Vice Presidency in 2008 or the big job later), the other candidate on everyone’s short list is South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Sanford is regarded as a rock-solid conservative (a somewhat tongue-in-cheek self-described “right wing nut,” even), like McCain he has made a name as an anti-pork crusader, and he has a great resume – six years in Congress, six as a Governor – giving him far more experience at the same age than the likely Democratic presidential nominee.
So how does Sanford play on the small screen?
Read On…

Here is a somewhat choppy clip with Gov. Sanford talking to Tucker Carlson about the GOP’s loss of direction on domestic spending since 1994:

Here’s a lengthy interview with Carolina Business Review, discussing everything from local tragedies to executive accountability to education reform (school choice) to immigration to Sanford’s prickly relationship with South Carolina legislators even in his own party – I love the line about how voters wonder why government should be growing faster than their own paycheck:Here is Gov. Sanford talking about the value of taking losses, both at war and in domestic politics, to advance a cause:

Here is Sanford practicing the venerable art of not answering a question, in this case his position on “Z Visas” in the immigration bill in mid-2007:

Here’s a joint appearance with Jim DeMint on rates of spending, economic growth, earmarks (Sanford leads off the first clip and comes on at 2:44 of the second clip), and the connection between spending and corruption:


Here he discusses a $50 million land conservation initiative (the second half of the video is other people talking):

Here he is discussing his business-competitiveness agenda in a low-key talk with a newspaper editorial board in South Carolina, including laying out how he expanded the governor’s role in the annual budget process:

Here is a long and rambling endorsement speech for a candidate for state treasurer:

CONCLUSION: Sanford is smart and detail-oriented, and comes off as a solid, common-sense grownup in the Dick Cheney rhetorical style, but without the snarl. But he’s also rather dry and a little slow-talking in a laconic Southern way, a style that may not appeal to everyone. He’ll never be accused of upstaging the boss, but also never make anyone worry about his readiness for the big job.