Child Asks SC1 Candidates: Why Are You Running?

GOOSE CREEK — Twelve-year-old Summerville resident Cameron Jackson wanted to know one thing from S.C. First Congressional District candidates Tuesday night: Why are you running? 

All three congressional candidates — Republican candidate former Gov. Mark Sanford, Democratic candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch, and the lesser known Green Party candidate Eugene Platt — attended Tuesday's forum presented by the Goose Creek chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at Berkeley County Electric Cooperative on Springhall Drive. 

The candidates never shared the same stage with each one coming out and speaking to the audience of about 100 people individually. Colbert Busch and Sanford had their only face-to-face debate appearance the night before at The Citadel during a Patch.com-sponsored event. 

The audience submitted questions ahead of the candidate appearances, and Cameron asked his question be asked of each candidate. 

Here is how they answered:

Elizabeth Colbert Busch 

I want to represent us in Congress because there is a window of opportunity here and now where we can bring together the assets we have with education and industry ... It's so that you don't have to leave home (for a job) and make your mother very sad.

Eugene Platt

I have enjoyed serving as a member of the James Island Public Service District Commission … and before it's too late, again I'm 74, I'd like to offer my service to the people at a higher level. Having recognized the system is broken, it's not enough for me to wait for others to change it … I would hope that as a third party candidate offering this time, there will be others in future elections who will offer themselves. It's interesting for me as a Green to note that the first Green in Canada was not elected to their parliament until last year and they are a much more progressive than our country … If I'm not elected next week, hopefully a Green will be elected next year.

Mark Sanford 

I've long been concerned about debt and deficit, but we are at a fairly significant turning point ... Are we going to go back to what made us a world power in the first place? Are we going to continue on a path that puts us in a very, very bad position? ... I'm more ready than I've ever been to take on this job.

The audience also asked about job creation, positions on the Affordable Care Act, gay marriage, gun control, term limits and education. 

While Colbert Busch left behind her jabs from the previous night's raucous debate for the forum, Sanford goaded her for not meeting him more face-to-face.

"If you want to solve a problem you need to sit down with other people at the table ... That's the problem in this race, the only debate was last night," Sanford said. "That's either how you come to conclusions, or come to agree to disagree … but we've been denied that in this campaign."

Sanford got a few chuckles when he then likened discussions among those with differing opinions to a marriage, and he quickly added with a smile: "Not to say every marriage works out." 

Platt, who has been largely ignored by not only media but also the other candidates, seized one of the few opportunities he's had to state his case to voters with national media present.

"I would like to introduce myself to the voters ... (and) I will introduce myself to my opponents because they seem unaware of my existence," Platt said during his opening remarks.