Rep. Tim Scott is about to join a very exclusive club — he will become one of the few African-American senators in U.S. history and will be the very first from the south since the 19th century!
On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley named Scott her choice to replace the outgoing Sen. Jim DeMint. Although the governor credited her choice of Mr. Scott to his business vision and commitment to conservative principles, his appointment was likely more of a move to increase minority visibility within the Republican Party.
Republicans lost the 2012 presidential election handily, due to a strong coalition of African-American, Hispanic and Women voters. The Republican Party has seemingly distanced themselves from these groups for a number of years, however they are beginning to realize that a changing demographic means they will have to be more inclusive in the future.
“It is a historic day in South Carolina,” Gov. Haley said during her announcement of Scott at the Capitol in Columbia. “He earned this seat for what I know he is going to do to make South Carolina and our country proud.”
Upon taking the podium, Mr. Scott led a moment of silence for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims in Connecticut. He then took the opportunity to thank his mother, a hard-working single woman, who he said “understood that love sometimes comes at the end of a switch.”
Notwithstanding he's a tea-party favorite: Based on my very limited observation of him (yesterday was only my 2nd time hearing him speak) he seems sincere and doesn't come across as a right-wing extremist or flame-throwing ignoramus. <side-eyeing Allen West>
Too bad he's in the Republican Party but I appreciate the historic significance of his appointment to the U.S. Senate.
Will watch to see how he does and if he's able to get elected to that seat in 2014.