SCHotline Partner Jeffrey Sewell - Biography
February 14, 2007
JEFFREY SEWELL BIOGRAPHY
There aren’t too many political consultants in South Carolina who can pull off a Frank Sinatra-style ascot at a down home country barbecue, but that’s the first thing you need to know about Jeffrey Sewell: He’s not afraid to be himself. And speak his mind.
True to a debonair style that belies his brass tacks, “run it like a business” approach to campaign management, this former dot-com executive turned campaign operative is quickly making a name for himself in Palmetto political circles as a go-to inside player, a big-picture strategist, a talent manager extraordinaire and (not to neglect his bread and butter) a technological guru with the best data in the business.
“Being successful in business or politics boils down to two things – managing people and managing data,” Sewell says. “Winning strategies rest in the identification of superior personnel, the utilization of superior information and the creative, efficient management of both.”
In a very short period of time, Sewell’s strategies are having a major impact on South Carolina’s political landscape.
Since assuming co-ownership two years ago of SC Hotline, the state’s most popular political website, Sewell has pushed the creative envelope and helped transform the site into a major media player, eclipsing most mainstream in-state media in visits per day and using cutting edge online video technology to conduct exclusive interviews with America’s biggest political luminaries.
Along the way, he’s become a fixture at top-dollar political events, on the opinion pages of the state’s largest newspapers and most importantly, on winning political campaigns.
“Jeffrey helped assemble the talent we needed to win,” says State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, who hired Sewell to help manage his successful GOP Primary in 2006. “He was instrumental in getting our campaign team – and our campaign network – up and running and firing on all cylinders.”
When it comes to campaign networks, Sewell’s data services have helped drive the grassroots efforts of successful candidates ranging from City Council all the way up to Gov. Mark Sanford’s office, and his company Sewell Consultancy boasts some of South Carolina’s heftiest political heavyweights on its client roster.
“These guys are as good as it gets,” says Randy Page, President of South Carolinians for Responsible Government, the state’s largest conservative advocacy group.
Sewell, who has helped manage large scale software implementations and data services for Six Sigma industry giants like Geico, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Owens Corning and SCANA in the past, now brings his technological proficiency and managerial expertise to bear on getting leaders elected and good ideas across the finish line.
Jeffrey Sewell and his wife Vee reside in West Columbia, South Carolina.
A Challenge to Brian McCarty
February 13, 2007
Recently you took the time to publish a message on the internet making some very serious accusations against me and my family.
In these messages, you asserted that I was unfit for service on the Anderson County Council and accused me of, among other things, “bigotry” and “racism.” You have even stooped so low as to accuse me of being a “fascist.”
As incredible as all of these very bitter personal attacks were, what is even mor eincredible is that they were made under the guise of protecting the good name of the Republican party and conservatism in general.
There is a problem with your attack however. The evidence you cite to support your misguided beliefs is a report from the ultra-left wing organization known as the Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Alabama. In fact, you even link to their website. Morris Dees, the extremely liberal trial lawyer who founded the SPLC, hardly seems like the kind of source a true conservative would cite.
You furthermore assert that editorials from several newspapers around the state are critical of my conservative beliefs. Of all the daily newspapers in South Carolina, do any of them have conservative editorial positions? Of course not. And yet you want the voters of Anderson County to turn to these liberal editorialists for information.
Interestingly, the only editorial you actually cite is from Hilton Head; which is about as far away from Anderson as you can get.
So far I have served on the Anderson County Council for two months. Prior to that I served on the South Carolina State Board of Education for two years. Please cite for me any vote I have taken, neither position, with which you disagree.
In your strained personal attacks you never cited thing I have actually said or done in my official capacity.
Have you ever been to a State Board of Education meeting?
Have you ever been to an Anderson County Council meeting?
Obviously not.
In fact, since you live 100 miles away from Anderson, it is not clear to me that you are not merely shilling for someone else.
Assuming that you really are interested in informing my constituents in Anderson County and protecting the Republican Party from conservatives like me, I hereby challenge you to a debate.
We can meet anywhere in Anderson you like, in any public forum you like, and I’ll be happy to respond to any accusation you want to make about my record of public service. Feel free to bring along Mr. Dees and any of your other “anonymous” friends who frequent your blog.
That assumes, of course, that you are not just a paid mud-slinger.
I look forward to hearing your response.
To verify the authenticity of this message, or to accept this challenge, you may call me at 864-605-1000.I look forward to hearing your answer soon.
John Edwards the next GWB in croud pleasing politics?
February 10, 2007
And the campaign blunder of the week award goes to: Team Romney
February 9, 2007
Romney In SC Today: “I was always for life.” (Jim Davenport, “Romney Affirms Abortion Opposition During Stop In SC,” The Associated Press, 2/8/07)
Romney In SC Last Week: “Over the last multiple years, as you know, I have been effectively pro-choice … I never called myself that as a label but I was effectively pro-choice and that followed a personal experience in my extended family that led to that conclusion.” (Bruce Smith, “Romney Campaigns In SC With Sen. DeMint,” The Associated Press, 1/30/07)
SCHotline Exclusive - Sanford Decision Costs Thousands Of Coastal Residents Access To Storm Insurance
February 6, 2007
The views and opinions expressed of A. Citizen a new series we are running on schotline.com do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of schotline.com. A Citizen is a new opinion forum for well sourced news you will not get from the main stream media.
By Andrew Citizen
A politically motivated, election year decision by Gov. Mark Sanford resulted in tens of thousands of coastal South Carolina residents losing access to vital storm insurance – a fact the governor is now attempting to make his Insurance Director Eleanor Kitzman the scapegoat for.
The controversy stems from the Sanford administration’s August 2006 failure to move what is called the “wind pool line,” a boundary that determines which coastal areas are eligible for wind and hail insurance given South Carolina’s vulnerability to hurricane conditions.
Sanford’s failure to move the wind pool line has resulted in approximately 20,000 South Carolinians losing access to storm insurance, a crisis which was the subject of a State House hearing last week.
According to e-mails obtained by SC Hotline, Sanford’s Insurance Director Eleanor Kitzman specifically warned the governor’s office about this impending crisis months in advance.
“Several insurers have advised that they will cease writing new business (policies) and will non-renew a portion of their existing policies due to the wind exposure,” Kitzman wrote in an August 29, 2006 e-mail to Sanford’s Cabinet Affairs liaison Marisa Crawford. “It is my belief that there are not sufficient other carriers to pick up this business when it is non-renewed.”
In addition to alerting the governor’s office to what was about to happen, Kitzman’s e-mail – which included a detailed 42-page report on the coastal insurance situation – also recommended a preemptive solution to the crisis – expanding the wind pool boundaries.
“Expanding the wind pool in the manner proposed responds to consumers’ immediate needs and will stabilize the market while exploring other long term solutions,” Kitzman wrote Crawford in the August 29 e-mail.
The following day, August 30, 2006, Kitzman met with the governor, Ms. Crawford, Scott English and legislative aide Jarrett Martin in the governor’s office, at which time she presented the governor with a formal order to move the wind pool boundary – an order he declined to authorize.
Sanford’s office is now reportedly telling members of the media that Kitzman never recommended moving the wind pool boundary. The governor’s office is also denying that the August 30, 2006 meeting ever took place although it appears on Kitzman’s schedule.
Several months later, when Farm Bureau issued non-renewal notices to approximately 3,000 coastal residents who fell outside of the wind pool area, Kitzman again alerted the governor’s office, e-mailing Sanford staffer Jarrett Martin of the non-renewal notice and reminding him that “all of these policyholders are outside of the existing Wind Pool territory.”
The governor again declined to take the necessary action.
Approximately six weeks later, in late November, Allstate issued non-renewal notices to approximately 12,000 coastal residents.
On top of this, SC Hotline is also hearing rumors that the governor’s office is in the process of replacing Kitzman in an attempt to make her the scapegoat for the coastal insurance crisis.
Neither Kitzman nor the governor’s office could immediately be reached for comment.
The views and opinions expressed of A. Citizen a new series we are running on schotline.com do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of schotline.com. A Citizen is a new opinion forum for well sourced news you will not get from the main stream media.
Duncan Hunter to speak in Greenville tonight
February 6, 2007
7:00 PM - Speak at the Night to Honor Israel
Sponsored by Christians United for Israel
Furman University
McAlsiter Auditorium
Greenville, SC
Ron Thomas is moving on up
February 6, 2007
You may remember Ron Thomas, former Political Director and 2nd
Vice-Chair of SC Republican party who went to work in Washington as the
Director of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the US Department of
Veterans Affairs. He has now been appointed by the President to Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Policy at the department.
Is our next President going to be a dictator?
February 5, 2007
Editor,
Are we following in the footsteps of Venezuela? Is our next President going to
be a dictator? After listening to a couple of the candidates running for office
in two years we may need to start packing our bags and putting our money in
offshore accounts.
This past week Dennis Kucinich D-Ohio wants to get rid of conservative talk
radio all together, but is willing to keep it as long as for every minute of
pro conservative talk is countered with the same amount of pro liberal talk.
What has Mr. Kucinich so upset is that Air America the main liberal talk show
network has filed for bankruptcy, while talk shows like Sean Hannity, Rush
Limbaugh and Neal Boortz thrive. The liberals just cannot handle capitalism or
people making money with their brains.
This past day, Hillary Clinton D-NY was talking to the Democratic National
Convention (DNC), one of her statements was that the government should take the
profits of major oil companies and put them in a national account for energy
alternatives. If this happens, what is to stop her or the government from
taking all of the profits from the local grocer to put into an account to help
feed the hungry, or the local realtor having his profits taken to house the
homeless.
I know this sounds far fetched, but we have two years to elect a new president
and fortunately it will give us two years to look at the candidates and their
records. When I heard the first person say he was running, I was thinking that
this is not good. After seeing and hearing the comments from the aforementioned
and others I am having second thoughts.
Larry Donaldson
Darlington, SC 29532
Dona2026@bellsouth.net
Romney shaking hands with children in Aiken (photo)
February 2, 2007
Former Gov. of Mass. shakes hands with children who greeted him in Aiken, SC.
John Zogby, CEO of Zogby International, is one of America’s most recognized and respected pollsters. NewsChannel 15’s Jim Heath interviewed Zogby for a preview of South Carolina’s 2008 presidential primary. Portions of the interview can be seen in Heaths two part special report “We Pick Presidents.” Part One airs February 15th at 11 pm & Part Two on February 19th at 6 pm on NewsChannel 15.Jim Heath: John Zogby, you recently released a survey identifying past presidents with current candidates. Who turned out most like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, and did that surprise you?
John Zogby: Well, it’s Hillary. And, one could argue it’s surprising because it’s a credible female candidate, so we really have no frame of reference. On the other hand, Hillary is known for saying what she means and meaning what she says, and being aggressive in terms of the federal role in our lives. So in that sense, even though you have two diametrically opposed presidents ideologically, in terms of force of personality, Hillary is right up there with them.
Heath: Is Hillary at all like her husband Bill in personality?
Zogby: No. They are two different people. It’s interesting, I’ve always said there are two political playbooks in this country. Playbook one is Bill and Hillary Clinton and playbook two are we mortals. They’re very good at what they do, but they are very different people. Bill has a natural means of bonding with people and a completely different formative period. From a broken family, single mom, the south, some poverty. Hillary growing up middle class, Chicago, suburbs, Wellesley. The fact of the matter is they’re both extremely smart and they both have their own charm. Bill’s is very well known, but those of us who live in New York and have seen Hillary’s campaigns we have come to realize a combination of that intelligence, that force of intellect, together with a strong personal charm make her a very strong candidate.
Heath: Will Bill Clinton be a positive or negative for her?
Zogby: Oh, he’s always a net positive. He’s very popular. In addition to his personal popularity, and not just among Democrats, remember anybody who posted 60 or 62 percent performance ratings had some real cross over appeal. In addition to that, he also represents eight years of peace and prosperity. And that’s not a bad record to run on. There will always be issues about that relationship, that marriage. But, quite frankly, what more can possibly be said about that? I think it’s probably all been aired.
Heath: Why didn’t John McCain poll like a military president, say Eisenhower, or a maverick president like Teddy Roosevelt?
Zogby: Well, the interesting thing is he is both. But, he’s gone through a process of redefining himself, trying to appeal to the right-wing base of the Party, and appeal to Bush supporters. And in the process of redefining himself, he has undefined John McCain. He is no longer, really, what made him. We know very well from our polling what made him in ‘99 and 2000, and most of the years since. That was, he was a figure of legend, POW for five years, went through a personal hell. But secondly, he was also a maverick within the Party. Now, as he moves to the mainstream, he really is no longer the John McCain that most people knew.
Heath: And Rudy Giuliani is listed as most like Abraham Lincoln. Why?
Zogby: They both defined leadership, redefined leadership. Lincoln was not a nationally known figure, he had only served two years in Congress, but it was that crisis leadership. And anyone who reads anything about Lincoln can’t help but walk away being so impressed that this was a great president. He was our greatest president. This is a great man who defined leadership during America’s worst crisis. Rudy redefined executive leadership in America’s second worst crisis on 9/11.
Heath: Did it surprise you that Barack Obama was more like JFK than John Edwards?
Zogby: Not at all. Obama is very hot right now. Edwards is hot, under the radar. In Iowa and New Hampshire and he’s not to be underestimated. But Obama right now is the ‘flavor of a couple of months’ and he may be the flavor of the year. But it’s oratory. Two different kinds of orators. Obama much more in the northern tradition, the booming voice, the level of articulation. John Edwards much more in the Bobby Kennedy tradition in terms of message, and probably the Bill Clinton in terms of that bonding with common people.
Heath: Let’s have a reality check for a minute. Will the lesser known candidates be out of luck next year because of all the heavyweights in the race?
Zogby: At least for now. They’re out of luck. It’s hard to make some noise when it’s all Hillary, all Obama, to some degree all Edwards. For that matter, Rudy, Romney, and McCain on the Republican side. However, if experience becomes an issue, and it probably will, then look for Biden, look for a Richardson, look for Wes Clark, look for even Al Gore to rise to the forefront. On the Republican side, who is going to represent the right? Right now there are reservations about the ‘Big Three’. And the placeholder at least for now for the right is Newt Gingrich. Whether he actually runs is an open question. Mike Huckabee, or possibly Sam Brownback from Kansas, somebody is going to wear that label.
Heath: How important will the South Carolina primary be for both Democrat and Republican candidates?
Zogby: South Carolina is very important. The south is important to both parties in terms of the nomination, and the general election. Especially for Republicans. It is also the first southern primary. The first non-Iowa, non-New Hampshire primary. And so it’s important for Democrats for African American votes and for southern votes. It’s important for Republicans because it’s like Frank Sinatra said about New York, for Republicans ‘if you can make it there, then you can make it anywhere’ throughout the south.
Heath: And when you look at South Carolina, do you still see the great divide between upstate voters and coastal and lowcountry voters?
Zogby: You know it’s interesting, it’s a tale of two distinct states, but that tale is changing. South Carolina is developing, seeing a heavy influx of, to be sure, on the eastern side, but also upstate as well. New industry, new northerners, mid-westerners, are coming in. You’re not going to have the radical dichotomy in 2008 that you had in 2000.
Heath: Last question. Is it possible that a candidate can win the nomination anymore without being media savvy?
Zogby: It’s very hard to see that. We had two very good resumes winning the Democratic nomination in 2000 and 2004, neither of who were the best media savvy candidates and then actually ended up being savaged by the media and the other side, Al Gore and John Kerry. And so to a great degree nothing is left to chance anymore when it comes to marketing and politics. The presidential race starting today is a daily Super Bowl. And in addition to media savvy, we’re talking about YouTube and MySpace, there is very little room for saying the off color word or the wrong emotion. We’re almost at the point where we’re looking for media savvy plus perfection.
Zogby International has been tracking public opinion since 1984. You can find the stories that include Zogby on our website, www.WPDE.com/politics, immediately after they air on February 15th and 19th.
