Politics in South Carolina have been seen in a negative light lately. With actions and remarks made by Governor Mark Sanford, Representative Joe Wilson and Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer covering the headlines all over the country, South Carolina students are speaking out.
While many students willingly gave their opinions, for the purposes of the article they would like to remain anonymous.
A senior at the College and Maryland native said that she has seen a lot of disagreement between politicians, specifically in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.
“In my lifetime no one has ever gotten along, but no one has ever been as rude as Joe Wilson,” she said.
Last September, President Barack Obama was speaking to the House of Representatives about his plans for health care reform when Republican representative from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, shouted out that Obama was a liar.
 “It wasn’t the only interruption during Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives. Earlier, Republicans laughed when Obama acknowledged that there are still significant details to be worked out before a health overhaul can be passed,” according to the Associated Press.
John McCain, a fellow Republican, also feels that Wilson was out of line.
“[Wilson was] totally disrespectful -- [there’s] no place for it in that setting or any other and he should apologize immediately,” McCain said.
Along with Joe Wilson’s outburst giving South Carolina a bad name, there’s the Sanford story. Sanford went missing for a week, and it was later revealed that he had been having an affair with a journalist in Argentina.
“I’m surprised that he wasn’t impeached,” said the student from Maryland. “If he thought he wasn’t going to be caught he’s stupid.”
Having lived in Maryland, this senior at the College was able to give an opinion on the situation from an outside point of view. When asked how others viewed politics in South Carolina she said, “Politics are a joke.”
While living outside the state, the senior from Maryland admitted that she didn’t know much about South Carolina politics.
“I knew it was a red state and I knew about Strom Thurmond,” she said.
Collectively, many students at the College feel that politics in the South and South Carolina in general are stuck in the past.
“I think it’s time for people to move on,” said the student from Maryland. “It’s just happening really slowly here.”
Another senior at the College and Charleston native said that the “overall political climate [in the U.S.] is moving liberal and [South Carolina] hasn’t adjusted.”
This senior from Charleston also said that South Carolina has a strong religious climate that it is taking time to overturn.
A sophomore agrees with these students, saying that South Carolina politics are “a mess.” She feels that the issue goes back to the post-Civil War era. From then on, conservative and racial issues have been institutionalized into South Carolina. She said that racism is the biggest issue affecting politics in South Carolina.
Freshman Alanda Parker also agrees with these students.
“I’m from Clemson and people who have grown up here see things a certain way because of their race,” Parker said.
Although many people currently see South Carolina politics in a negative light, many students are hoping for change.