South Carolina Red Line

1/ The UofSC College of Nursing (CON), including its dean, Jeannette Andrews, who is quoted in this article, has intentionally infused the nursing program with social justice and DEI, according to her own words. Andrews is co-author of a 2021 paper with UofSC nursing faculty describing the overhaul of the CON to expose nursing students to a curriculum that focuses on social justice and DEI through social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH are, everything and anything that impacts health, like transportation, housing, microaggressions, nutrition, pollution, racism, voting access, etc. It puts health departments, like SC DPH, in a powerful, centralized role for implementing global policies across our social sectors, funded by taxpayers.

I don’t know. Here are a series of thoughts. • What would be the very specific goals of a grassroots network? Who are the charismatic leaders people might follow? What is the structure? Will there be milestones, deadlines, and support? • Grassroots conservatives are most motivated to get something done to advance constitutional conservative priorities. Is SCGOP prepared to support true constitutional conservative agenda? • Many likely believe that a “grassroots” network would become a tool of an inefficient political machine, a bureaucracy. Would this become a less-structured version of the SC Forum, a tool of politicians and activists? • Imagine convincing discouraged voters to support the body that they believe —wrongly or rightly— has failed them. Most mistakenly believe their vote is the sum of their responsibility and don’t understand that active participation and citizen oversight is needed. • Grassroots is its own thing and might even have priorities distinct from the leadership of the SCGOP which is a subset of a bigger heirarchy and has been content with that. • The SCGOP might play a significant role as something like one of the coordinating Advisory Board leaders, but would also have to be answerable to the grassroots coalition. I don’t see any way to retain a true grassroots support network that answers to the SCGOP. Certainly not one that is sustainable past a period of crisis. That’s not to say the SCGOP can’t build its own “grassroots” army, but they haven’t seen fit to make it a priority. And it won’t retain true conservatives for long unless it delivers conservative results. • If it is restricted to voter registration, then SCGOP could lead, (but only if it’s got the above leaders, milestones, etc.). I think most people could get behind that and maybe develop other skills that build the network. • Scott Presler would be my first choice to approach for training.

We’re lacking a coordinated state-wide, county-by-county grassroots network that could support candidates and —where possible—reinforce one another. At the minimum, a voter registration and email list.

Please allow me time (later today) to sit down to write a concise background summary that will explain the document links that I will provide and post here.

I don't believe that SC can cut income taxes and still expand social services and entitlements as outlined in the long-term multi-sector "health and racial equity" plan being implemented through SC Department of Public Health, SCDES, and partners in the universities and health sector. Then there are the economic growth plans & UN SDG-inspired "climate change" green energy pursuits via SC Commerce (& partners Energy, etc.) that also involve "energy justice" for low income resident, costly energy efficient construction requirements, etc. SC is creating a bloated, social justice-oriented state system, just as we find in blue states. It will take money from the pockets of working citizens to pay for it. The pressure on "Republican" officials to buy in will now be supercharged after the recent election, whereas they just rubber stamped it before.

A classical education opportunity through Clemson University via the Lyceum Scholars Program and the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism. @thepalmerworm @educatedandfree @RepAdamMorgan

This is talk straight from the universities, departments where DEI has the greatest hold, usually education, library science & journalism, women’s studies, nursing, some social sciences. Even in red states. Outside of that, “racial equity” (anti-capitalism) organizations (like GARE).

@awkward_gay Please check with @fitsnews and @IAmNickReynolds who have previously written about it. I recall from my own poking around that the parent group has ties to some interesting groups. I asked Grok to provide a basic analysis of what’s going on at @TheSCForum, including naming some funders. Here’s what Grok provided. Thanks for the prompting! “The South Carolina Forum’s Civic Assembly is not simply a gathering of ordinary residents producing unfiltered ideas. It was created and is run by political operators, and the process is structured so that organizers, experts, and sitting lawmakers help shape what comes out of it. Andrew Shue (through the national nonprofit The People) launched the effort with co-chairs Trav Robertson, the former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, and Dave Wilson, a longtime Republican strategist. Current state legislators from both parties serve as official Legislative Advisors and are involved in keeping the proposals practical. The parent organization has received substantial funding from center-left sources, including the Skoll Foundation, contributions tied to Democratic fundraiser Andrew Burkle, and the Bohemian and Rockefeller Foundations. The roughly 100 people who meet for three days are chosen by lottery, but only from a pool of those who signed up through an interest form or took part in earlier online and in-person stages. Organizers say they use a stratified sample meant to match the state’s demographics and political mix, and they state that participants are not a hand-picked group of activists. In practice, the people willing to register for multi-day civic events tend to be more politically engaged than the average resident. The assembly also hears from experts and works with facilitators and the legislative advisors; organizers have described the advisors’ role as helping steer proposals so they remain realistic. Earlier public input is filtered through the organization’s platform and analytics before it reaches the room. The result is an unelected, temporary body that generates advisory recommendations for the elected General Assembly. The lottery and demographic goals distinguish it from a purely appointed committee, but the originating leadership, agenda-setting, expert framing, facilitation, and direct involvement of sitting legislators mean the final proposals are guided rather than a pure, unmediated product of everyday South Carolinians.”

Um, what? Are we normalizing this shadow legislation-proposing body organized by political insiders and funded by left-of-center outside organizations dedicated to “saving democracy”? Surely, it’s filled with “regular folks” and probably no activists, right? And the process is guided by neutral policy experts? It’s fine. 😒