Political "Experts" say Haley will win, don't mention Democrat brand liability

Political scientists say Sheheen (below) will
lose the governor's race again because of
straight ticket party voters. But the real reason
 may be because he is silent about the damage
Obama (above) policies have done.  

The State newspaper reported on the musings of five college political science experts from a Thursday gathering to discuss the 2014 S.C. governor's race. 

They predicted a Nikki Haley re-election, but they left out a lot of the reason why.

Challenger Vincent Sheheen has not once denounced any of the unpopular and failed policies from national Democrats that have damaged the country. Sheheen has instead tried to bring down Haley. She has rejected the policies of President Barack Obama, from Common Core to the expansion of expensive healthcare programs for high-risk patients. 

Haley has fought Obama in court to bring in Boeing jobs and she had to defend voter integrity laws instituted by the state. Haley has beaten Obama in court each time. Sheheen has not made Obama policy an issue, and voters may not trust him because of that.

The political scientists did agree that Haley is the favorite.

The State says: Gov. Nikki Haley has the edge in her November rematch against Democratic challenger Vincent Sheheen,” according to the panel of S.C. political scientists.

But there was a “but.”

“But the state senator from Camden could pull off an upset by getting a large turnout of his supporters, the experts added,” The State's Andrew Shain intoned.

Not sure why Shain would add his opinion so high in the story in The State on Friday.

Shain said: “Two of the five political scientists foretasted “a 10-percentage point win for Haley.”

One of the “experts” who picked Haley was Clemson University political scientist David Woodard.

Woodard, who taught Sheheen as an undergrad, established an anti-Haley campaign in 2010, before she defeated Sheheen by 4.5 percentage points.

Another of the political scientists is blaming Sheheen for his predicament.

According to The State: “Francis Marion University political scientist Alissa Warters called Sheheen’s campaign “lackluster.”

Sheheen has tried to use jobs to tear down Haley, a security breach and problems with people tied to the state's social welfare system. Not much has stuck for Sheheen.

The experts mentioned petition gubernatorial candidate Tom Ervin, a wealthy Upstate trial lawyer who is self-funded at more than $3.5 million. They said Ervin's money is not likely to take enough voters from Haley because: “Too many voters push party buttons to elect a slate of candidates.”

Woodard said “Vincent Sheheen is a great candidate. He just has the wrong letter after his name. He’d be a superstar (in the GOP).”

Maybe these experts should have mentioned that each party has a platform, and a record. And as long as Sheheen is singing the party line, and Haley sticks close enough to her party, Democrats will continue to lose in statewide offices.
Maybe that's a reality that is just too hard for them to admit.