# SC Governor disappears for days **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 23, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705 "2009-06-23T12:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/1 "2009-06-23T12:03:25Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090623/ap\_on\_re\_us/us\_sc\_governor\_where](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090623/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_governor_where) And he is now found. I am a Sanford supporter, but I smell a rat here. I don’t want to be the first one to say what I think happened here, so I will let someone else do it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/2 "2009-06-23T12:31:23Z")
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I’ll add that, regardless of what he was doing, the reaction to this is a bit of an overreaction. So he took off for a few days - so what? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/3 "2009-06-23T12:31:37Z")
Obviously burying a dead prostitute. Seriously though, the official story is that he was upset and worn out from losing the stimulus fight and disappeared without informing anyone (including his wife) for days on end to, I don’t know, clear his head or something. I used to run away from home without telling my family where I was going after losing fights, too. You know, back when I was seven years old. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/4 "2009-06-23T12:44:28Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. > > I’ll add that, regardless of what he was doing, the reaction to this is a bit of an overreaction. So he took off for a few days - so what? The governor of a state disappears in the middle of the night, taking a state-owned SUV on his own, and doesn’t tell anyone where he is going (or at least, anyone who bothered to communicate the fact his location was known) for days? You think this is acceptable behavior for a state governor? :dubious: :smack: Oh, and he’s on the Appalachian Trail. Somewhere. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/5 "2009-06-23T13:09:29Z")
I’m placing bets on nervous breakdown now. Apparently, on the day before he disappeared, the SC legislature overturned TEN of his vetos. I think that would send ME to a cheap motel with a couple of fifths of Jack. I’d also like to note that we only started hearing about this yesterday. I don’t know when it became a news item in SC. But if Sanford were a young blond woman, Fox News would have been having 24-hour coverage starting Thursday evening. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/6 "2009-06-23T13:10:15Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I don’t want to be the first one to say what I think happened here, so I will let someone else do it. He’s going to come back wreathed in light, bearing a pair of stone tablets? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/7 "2009-06-23T13:26:19Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The governor of a state disappears in the middle of the night, taking a state-owned SUV on his own, and doesn’t tell anyone where he is going (or at least, anyone who bothered to communicate the fact his location was known) for days? You think this is acceptable behavior for a state governor? :dubious: :smack: I for one don’t think it’s acceptable. If you want to be able to “disappear” for a few days you should go find another job. As a governor you take on a lot of responsibilities and that includes being on call and available 24/7. If you can’t handle that you have no business being a state representative. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/8 "2009-06-23T14:28:24Z")
This is already being discussed in this thread: > **[So the governor of South Carolina is MISSING?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=522025)** > > How is thisplaying in South Carolina? Is it normal for Sanford just to up and vanish for a few days? It seems kind of weird for the governor to take off without telling even his wife where he’s going. If this thread does not turn into a serious debate pretty quickly, it will be closed. ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/9 "2009-06-23T15:20:35Z")
At the very least he’s unprofessional, at worst, presently not qualified to govern. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/10 "2009-06-23T17:10:59Z")
Question for debate: what does this do for Sanford’s presidential aspirations? I would say it ends them pretty conclusively. You can’t be a governor and pull off stunts like this. At the very minimum, Sanford should have explained in advance where he was going and how long he would be gone and designated someone to perform his duties in his absence. If a President did something like this it would probably spark a national and even international crisis. If Sanford runs in the primaries I bet his opponents will use this story relentlessly to attack his judgment. I can’t see what answer he could possibly give. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/11 "2009-06-23T17:14:05Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Question for debate: what does this do for Sanford’s presidential aspirations? I would say it ends them pretty conclusively. > > You can’t be a governor and pull off stunts like this. At the very minimum, Sanford should have explained in advance where he was going and how long he would be gone and designated someone to perform his duties in his absence. If a President did something like this it would probably spark a national and even international crisis. > > If Sanford runs in the primaries I bet his opponents will use this story relentlessly to attack his judgment. I can’t see what answer he could possibly give. I agree; his Presidential aspirations are done. It sounds to me like the actions of a closet alcoholic. Disappear for a few days so that the wife and kids don’t see the boozing and whoring around.. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/12 "2009-06-23T17:25:14Z")
I wonder if “hiking on the Appalachian Trail” is going to be the euphamism of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/13 "2009-06-23T17:38:34Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > If Sanford runs in the primaries I bet his opponents will use this story relentlessly to attack his judgment. I can’t see what answer he could possibly give. When the 3:00 AM Phone Call comes, Sanford will say “Man, this job is _hard_. I gotta ‘drop off the radar’ for a week and clear my head.” ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/14 "2009-06-23T17:56:15Z")
Not necessarily fair, but I’m enjoying the fact that Sanford will not be able to touch any piece of public infrastructure for at least the next decade [without](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/23/sanfords-hiking-trail-got_n_219474.html) someone calling him a hypocrite (the Appalacian trail received about a half million in stimulus money). ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/15 "2009-06-23T18:22:25Z")
Interesting that I was reading an article in my paper that named him as one of the governors who could potentially run for President in 2012. Guess this shoots that down. Interesting timing though, reading the article and knowing that he’d just shown up from doing a “walkabout” and blown what they were saying about him. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/16 "2009-06-23T21:27:02Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I wonder if “hiking on the Appalachian Trail” is going to be the euphamism of the day. Works for me. “Going Galt” was starting to get old. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/17 "2009-06-23T21:31:02Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Obviously burying a dead prostitute. For four days? More like burying a live prostitute. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/18 "2009-06-23T22:56:34Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I wonder if “hiking on the Appalachian Trail” is going to be the euphamism of the day. Especially given that this last Sunday was [Naked Hiking Day.](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gRIPysHRXmAMONvkhYEDoSd6tzTAD98TMG6G6) :eek: ETA: Well, this adds to the mystery; it appears the car taken by the governor was [found at an airport.](http://www.wyff4.com/news/19837234/detail.html) > [@](#): > > On Tuesday, sources told News 4’s Nigel Robertson that a state vehicle is missing and was tracked down, not to the Appalachian Trail, but to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. > > Sources told Robertson that a federal agent spotted Sanford in the airport boarding a plane. Robertson was told that the governor was not accompanied by security detail. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/19 "2009-06-24T00:43:39Z")
Impeach him! \ ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sc-governor-disappears-for-days/500705/20 "2009-06-24T01:59:19Z")
The sniggering may be continued in the thread to which I linked, earlier. This non-debate is closed.