Town Hall Highlights Contrast Between Sanford and Turner

The 70-plus voters who attended Rep. Shannon Erickson's (R-Beaufort) second Town Hall for First Congressional District candidates last night were witness to two very different approaches to campaigning.

About two-thirds of the auditorium at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort was full as both Mark Sanford and Teddy Turner each spent an hour onstage with Erickson talking about their views of conservatism in 2013.

Sanford, of course, was the better known of the two candidates. The audience listened closely as he spoke with equal candor about his now-famous personal failings and the type of measures that need to be taken to help the country escape from under trillions of dollars of debt.

The former governor recalled his time in Washington representing the First Congressional District from 1995-2001, noting that, should he regain the seat his previous service would be counted toward his tenure.

Sanford touched on a range of topics--from the 2nd Amendment to defense spending--talking about he'd addressed such issues earlier in his career and how he would again.

If Sanford emphasized his experience, Turner emphasized just the opposite.

To many voters in SC1, Turner is an unknown quantity. What they know of him is through the prism of his trailblazing father, Ted, which is not necessarily a plus when one is attempting to attract conservative votes.

But, as if checking off boxes, Turner listed his Republican bona fides in the fiscal and social arenas, while also reminding voters that he was not a career politician--a jab directed at Sanford to be sure, but perhaps a few others in the SC1 race as well.

Both man appeared at ease, albeit for different reasons. Sanford clearly enjoyed discussing policy and taxes, digging in to the minutiae of an issue. While Turner thrived on the new personal connections he seemed to be making and recounting stories of past adventures to potential voters.

For at least one voter, Turner's approach worked. "I had no idea who (Teddy Turner) was," said the voter, who identified himself as a Jim DeMint conservative. "But I'm planning on voting for him. He's comfortable with who he is and he has a good understanding of the the issues."

More on Turner later today and Sanford in the coming days.

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