Comments on: Governor Sanford’s Office Checks In With Us

By: Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:53:43 +0000

I know in my mind I thought something was up, but maybe even the “lone wolf” Doc fell into the social effects delineated in the Milgram Experiment. Or maybe I was just holding my fire and going along to get along.

I said Sanford’s staff was as clear as Obama was on his Iran position. That was true, but that was not the fault of the staff, as they were duped as well. BTW, I just watched the Sanford presser again, and it made me even angrier. What is up with all that jabber about the Appalachian Trail and world travels? Just say you are a horn dog and stop bringing good things that don’t know you even exist into it.

By: Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:54:55 +0000

my post college excursion was traveling through Europe. It may not sound original, but it meant a lot to me. I have hiked the AT a lot in the past as a Boy Scout and on my own. I hiked a lot in the Army too lol. One thing I can do is put on foot in front of the other.

I will take your suggestions to heart because I know they are true. So many have dreams that are just that, if they don’t decide they must do it, they never seem to get around to doing it. I have seen a decent amount of the world and did it pretty young, I figured I could work until I croak but can’t travel how I want to when I am elderly.

I have heard about going North-South as a more solitary experience, that is right up my alley. I would not mind meeting people, and short periods together, but have no interest in being part of a heard. Also, having read “A Walk in the Woods” by Bryson, I would not be too into some of those last Presidential Mountains if I were too slow and hit them in Winter. Did that think and Winter Warfare School, I have had enough of that lol.

You should post a diary about your hike, I am sure many would be interested.

By: Jeff Walden

Jeff Walden — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:34:35 +0000

Yeah, I started June 9 and ended October 25 last year, north to south (direction basically forced by college graduation, but it was more convenient anyway coming from Boston, and I probably ended up happier with a more solitary experience, northbound is a constant crowd unless you start early or late). It’s not nearly as hard as it might seem — just start at one end with food and gear (too much of the latter of course, but that’s normal, and you can send stuff home when you realize it), hike until you can get more food, resupply, and repeat until you finish. Take rest days when you’re feeling tired, don’t push yourself too hard at the start, and just keep doing it. The key is that it’s not a 2175-mile hike: it’s thirty or a hundred miles (depending which end you start), then another set, and another, until you finish. (Excluding the northern 100 miles, the rest of it resupply is available every several days or so depending how far off-trail you’re willing go to find a store and how far you want to hike each day.) Goals shouldn’t be more than a week or so at most ahead; focusing on the end will mentally wear you out because it’s so many months in the future. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life.

Realistically, if you have the right mindset coming in, the hardest part is finding five or six months of free time to do it. I seized the only opportunity I knew for sure I’d have in the future, some do it between jobs, others wait til retirement, and I have no idea how the rest manage it. (I’m hoping I can get an unpaid leave of absence when I eventually hike the PCT, but I have no idea whether I’ll be able to do so, and that option’s hardly common as far as I know.) Just don’t put it off too long or it’ll never happen.

By: Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:24:43 +0000

it was to a comment that he could not be contacted if on the trail. I know there are many places where he would not have had cell service. I was just saying one could not say conclusively that if he was on the AT that he could not be contacted.

Did you finish a Thru-Hike? I want to do it, it is a goal of mine.

By: Jeff Walden

Jeff Walden — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:58:53 +0000

Sigh; I had high hopes for Sanford, too. Well, as noted in the later front-pager, at least it’s out now and not a year or two from now. :-\

By: Mike gamecock DeVine

Mike gamecock DeVine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:17:05 +0000

convert me. And even when I was a lefty, I meant well!

You obviously do too.

By: leftylurker

leftylurker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:06:03 +0000

I agree with you. This is your site, and I’m a guest, and I’m more than happy to play by the rules.

By: Neil Stevens

Neil Stevens — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:03:42 +0000

But leftys don’t get to use this site to attack conservative Republicans.

There *are* things that we get to say here, that they don’t.

By: leftylurker

leftylurker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:02:50 +0000

I mean that. I like how there are people at this site with whom I can so totally disagree on some things, but yet sense a lot of fellowship in others.

By: ZootSuit

ZootSuit — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:02:35 +0000

Although, in this particular instance, I honestly do agree with him.

By: Mike gamecock DeVine

Mike gamecock DeVine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:59:28 +0000

obviously Redstate policies have played a role in making this site a forum of mine for four years now. This month is my anniversary.

I am also an evangelical sort that seeks to make the sad happy and the happy happier.

Redstate help launch my new writing career into being the conservative op-ed voice at two major newspapers and features on PBS and in the NYT, WSJ etc

I love Redstate. I love my children, who also often make me sad.

And yes, I have appreciated my not infrequent appearances on Redstate’s frontpage. Apparently, the times I have made you sad haven’t caused you to reconsider my policies!

smile

By: Neil Stevens

Neil Stevens — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:55:12 +0000

By: ZootSuit

ZootSuit — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:53:23 +0000

Governor Sanford can go wherever he wants in my opinion, but you have to manage your press better.

Let’s ban him now!

By: Neil Stevens

Neil Stevens — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:48:35 +0000

But clearly something keeps you coming back here.

Maybe you should stop and reconsider that it’s our policies that make this site good enough for you to return repeatedly, despite your having your oh-so-coveted FP access at TMR.

By: Mike gamecock DeVine

Mike gamecock DeVine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:46:00 +0000

By: WilliamPennybanks

WilliamPennybanks — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:07:48 +0000

So after all the dust has settled, it looks like the governor took an unpublicized vacation after the end of the legislative session and his family and staff told the press they didn’t know where he was. Have you ever answered the phone and the caller asked to talk to someone who didn’t want to talk to the caller? “He’s not available, I don’t know where he is, just get off the phone.” Why the big deal? The Lt Gv and other political adversaries started screaming to the media when they weren’t told Sanford’s itinerary. Somehow, the state kept running. Lessons learned; if you want to take an unpublicized vacation, either come up with a better cover story or just tell the press he’s on vacation and it’s none of their business.
I recommend a call to the LG’s office. If you are not put through to the LG, where is he? Why is he unavailable? Who is in charge? These calls can go on all day. He’s an important elected official and needs to answer to the public.

Lt Gov Andre Bauer
Office # (803) 734-2080

By: leftylurker

leftylurker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:54 +0000

The blamstick cometh if I keep talking on the subject. I have been warned.

By: Mike gamecock DeVine

Mike gamecock DeVine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:49:12 +0000

Sanford’s Argentine revelation proves his staff lied re App Trail and also proves his reckless conduct of his office.

I have revised my earlier conclusion based on new facts:

http://www.redstate.com/gamecock/2009/06/22/drive-bys-know-where-sanford-is/

By: leftylurker

leftylurker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:07:21 +0000

Hiking I can understand. I like to get off the grid too.

But saying you’re hiking when you’re really in South America?

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/838823.html

Somebody has been giving/getting the wrong story here.

Governor Sanford can go wherever he wants in my opinion, but you have to manage your press better.

By: Jeff Walden

Jeff Walden — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:20:13 +0000

You don’t need to tell me that a hiker might keep a trail journal, seeing as I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail last summer and attempted to keep such a journal. (I’m actually still writing that journal, and I probably will be for months yet, slacker that I am.)

In any event, when I wrote that comment the last I’d heard was the mess his office had made of the situation, and it sounded like they had no such way to contact him nor that they knew exactly where he was. Occasional net access would be one way to keep in touch, although all things considered I’d be astounded if he didn’t have a cell phone (notwithstanding that I didn’t carry one myself, but I’m a nutcase about using phones as little as possible). Regardless, his office didn’t do much to make it sound to me as though he actually could be contacted — I would hope and presume otherwise, but if I have no evidence beyond what someone’s told me of a fact I have to at least accept the fact as a working hypothesis.

One last question: why couldn’t he have done this October last year in a portion of TN/NC/GA at the same time I was passing through? It would have been awesome to randomly meet him that way (although given my stench at the time I’m not entirely certain he would have been able to say the same ).