Defeated Gilland controls her own political destiny

Sen Luke Rankin may have stomped Liz Gilland in last week's Republican S.C. Senate primary. But as the newspaper says in today's editorial, whether she now becomes a lame duck as Horry County Council chairwoman is entirely up to her:

Last week, Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland lost her bid, by a large margin, to unseat S.C. Sen. Luke Rankin. Politics in Horry County being blood sport, some now believe that the wounds she suffered on primary day have left her too weak to meet the responsibilities of her current job.

Well, this week marks the first week of the rest of her foreseeable political life. Gilland can spend the time until the end of her term going through the motions as council chairwoman, as the wounds of harsh rejection leach away her remaining strength. Or she can cauterize the wounds and, using the tools at her disposal, play out the public-life role that's rightfully hers.

Her attempt to move up the political authority ladder to the S.C. Senate, to be the champion of local governments in the legislature, may have failed. But all that means, really, is that she doesn't get to make a paradigm shift and doesn't have to spend half the year in Columbia.

Gilland won the battle for her current job - decisively - in 2006. She still wields the gavel at the County Council, still sets the agenda for council discussions (official and unofficial) and still is the elected embodiment of Horry County government - regardless of whether her detractors or fellow council members like it.

By drawing upon her innate toughness to suppress her disappointment at losing to Rankin - and by exercising self-discipline - Gilland can still use those assets to positive public effect. In local politics, 2½ years is an eternity.

Even though Gilland is right in complaining that the male-dominated local political culture is too slow to recognize her accomplishments and too quick to condemn her for her failures, she should adopt a straight-ahead approach to dealing with the county's challenges. If she ratchets down her natural instinct to take political setbacks personally, to play the victim too readily and to lash out at perceived enemies with insufficient forethought, she can pull this off.

Once it's clear to observers that she intends to be the chairwoman until the last day of her term, her detractors will fall into line - because they have to. In short order, it will no longer matter that in taking on Rankin, her reach exceeded her grasp. All that will matter is that at Horry County, she's still the boss.

Comments?

Comments

[Dr. James E. Dunn]

I really don't fully understand why Ms. Liz Gilland chose to challange Mr. Luke Rankin for the state Senate seat in the recent Republican Primary.

He has been a solid vote getter and well liked, and he has been for many years now; and he has been a member of both political parties during this same time.

Ms. Gilland would have done much better had she chosen to run against federal Representative Mr. Henry Brown, and she would not find herself in the tenuous political position she is currently in had she lost!

Regrettably, she would have had a much better chance had she run again Congressman Henry Brown.

He grudgingly represents the city of Charleston, but he does little or nothing for the communities in and surrounding Georgetown and Myrtle Beach.

DrJED

[Nick]

Maybe that's her plan. Her term is up for re-election in 2010, and so would any member of the House. This way, she tested the waters just a bit, but still is in office.

[Dr. James E. Dunn]

Reasonable idea Nick!

DrJED

[Richard L. Wolfe]

Rep. Henry Brown doesn't do much of anything that I can see. I watch C-SPAN on a regular basis and I can count the number of times that he has addressed the house on one hand and not have to use my thumb. Whatever he accomplishes he does so in secret.

[Denney Clements]

I doubt she could have defeated Henry Brown. I think she lost because her negatives from the airport fiasco and other perceived Horry County failures were too high. I also think she thought she could get to the right of Rankin, who is a former Democrat. But her timing on that issue was off because he got a free ride in his first election as a Republican four years ago, and has compiled a generally conservative voting record in the Senate since then. Besides that, he's generally a good guy whom the voters like.

The only reason we supporter her editorially over him in last week's primary was his abysmal record on matters of local control and legislative meddling. But that issue has no resonance with local voters, so she lost. If she's going to become politically viable for a run at Congress or some other non-county office, or even for re-election as council chairwoman, she's got a lot of spadework to do between now and 2010.

dc

[Rick]

She lost just like Hillary. She is power hungry and let it go to her head. She got a good beat down and I hope it will be a lesson to her. Nobody likes a person whether male or female with a giant ego complex. It was her way or the highway. She got what she deserved!

[Patrick Hill]

Ego complex? Mr. "Give me nine or ten or eleven payraises?" or the highway?????

Are you all also deaf and dumb? I can tell you all read. Not so well write, but you can read!

Luke is diffident on philosophy. Windswept! Dig deeper. This is a good start, though. Same with Brown.

[Rick]

Did you ever hear the expression "my way or the highway"? Like a dictator would demand to have his way. Do it my way or hit the road. Like, you are fired.
Are you for Gilland or against her? To me she IS a Hillary wannabe.

[beachguy(original)]

Her accomplishements are all in her mind. Her 7 million dollar airport fiasco, her worlwide junkets...

Guess what Liz.....Time for you to run for office in Ohio.

Your all done here...put a fork in it.