Lindsey Graham vacated his Senate seat. South Carolina now faces the question that has plagued democracies since Athens: who do we put in the chair?
Nancy Mace floated to the top. So did Henry McMaster. These are the names emerging from the GOP's deeply competitive process of "standing near a microphone when reporters needed a quote."
Mace represents South Carolina's 1st district. McMaster governs the entire state. Both possess the key qualification for modern Senate service: they already hold a different job in the same building.
The selection process will be rigorous. Someone will make phone calls. Other people will return those calls. Meetings will occur in rooms with flags. At the end of this gauntlet, one person will emerge with the constitutional authority to vote yes or no on things while seated.
Graham's departure creates what political scientists call "a vacancy." This is when a seat exists but contains no ass. The condition is considered temporary in most states.
Retail traders are already speculating on which candidate will better serve their interests. The answer is neither, but that won't stop them from creating a Reddit thread with 47 rocket emojis and a price target based on a YouTube video they watched at 2 AM.
McMaster has executive experience. Mace has legislative experience. Both have the experience of wanting a promotion, which in politics is the only experience that matters.
The seat will be filled. Someone will take the oath. Bills will continue to pass or fail at the same rate they always have. And absolutely nothing about your portfolio's performance will change because South Carolina picked one Republican over another Republican to sit in a chair that a different Republican just left.
Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash
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