Dickerson v. Scott on November 4

In September, in another blog, I wrote about Joyce Dickerson.  For those of you who may not know, there is an election coming up, on November 4.  And you may know that there is an election, but you may not know who is running against Tim Scott.  The answer is, Joyce Dickerson.  And the reason you may not have heard of her, is that all the money, I mean, all the big money, is on Tim Scott.  He is being financed by all those cats from all those foundations that have the word "freedom" in them.  You know, freedom as in don't mess with my freedom to keep making big bucks and not have to be responsible to anyone for how I do it.

Well, in the time it has taken for Nikki Haley, who has never met a big donor she didn't like, to appoint Tim Scott to take care of her supporters in the US Senate, he has become a Big Name in politics.  Not because he is smart, because he is not.  Not because he makes tough choices, because he doesn't.  Not because he cares about the people of South Carolina.  Tim Scott's claim to fame is that he is an African American.  Yes, the media loves Tim Scott for being an African American senator the same way they love Nikki Haley because she is a woman governor.

But Tim Scott, like Nikki Haley, are rubber-stamp Tea Party conservatives.  Scott has been, since his appointment by Haley, groomed by the right wing, and he is delighted to do their bidding, and to believe that he is doing it for the good of the people.  But if you look at his voting record, there is no question whose camp he is in.

He may send out flowery emails on all the days that commemorate our veterans, but he does not hesitate to vote against anything that might improve their lives when they are done fighting for their country.  He is quick to tell how he was raised by a hard working mother who sacrificed to help him get where he is today, but he will flush down the toilet any bill that might give other children that same chance, or make the going a little easier for the moms that raise them.  He has learned to talk about how he is pro-small-business, but small businesses take a back seat to the big corporations that control him.

And then there is Joyce.

Even our own Jim Clyburn couldn't quite figure out why a woman would want to run against two men in the SC primary election.  But she knew why she needed to run, and without a whole lot of help, she beat her opponents.  She is outspoken and unafraid, and she will be heard.

Joyce Dickerson is uncompromising when it comes to working for the middle class and the disadvantaged.  She understands that freedom includes the right for a woman to determine her own reproductive health care, and without the intrusion of the government.  She knows that supporting the veterans isn't just about waving a flag and sending out emails on Veterans Day, but about making sure they have health care, and jobs or the opportunity to train for jobs that will provide them a living wage when they get home.  She will fight for a living wage for workers and the right to affordable health care.  Joyce will make sure that our children don't go hungry, and that they will be educated in good schools by well-trained and well-paid teachers.  Improve our roads?  Keep the oil barons out of our port?

What Joyce's candidacy means to me is just about every issue that matters.  She's not afraid to speak her mind and follow that up with action.  I can imagine her on the floor of the Senate, and being interviewed about critical issues and votes.  She is a woman we could be proud to have represent us in South Carolina.  What a breath of fresh air!

So, if a breath of fresh air is what you think we need, please be sure to vote.  Equally important:  don't be afraid to talk to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors about the upcoming election.  Ask them what they are unhappy about, and then tell them how Joyce Dickerson will work to change those things.

Joyce Dickerson for US Senate