Friday, August 21

As this hotly-contested United States Senate showdown gets down to its final days, South Carolina TV viewers find themselves confronted by a barrage of negative ads with the message “Ralph Norman — not right for South Carolina.” But a review Norman’s message, platform and, most importantly, his voting record in Congress tell a different story.

Norman is clearly better for S.C.

The two weeks between the August 11 special election to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham and the August 25 runoff between Norman and Graham’s younger sister Darline leave little time for the candidates to face off against each other. But the SCETV-sponsored debate between Graham and Norman on Tuesday night gave viewers a chance to compare the two in a head-to-head match.

The standing-room-only crowd at the Newberry Opera House jostled with TV cameras for room as Newsmax TV host Greta Van Susteran led questioning for the 60-minute debate. Although both candidates appeared poised and relaxed, it soon became obvious that Norman’s years in Congress, his insights into how national government really works and proven conservative credentials gave him a clear edge.

On major domestic issues — affordability and high gas prices, healthcare, the looming crisis in Social Security, the now-$40 trillion national debt, and the growing threat posed by the radical socialism — there was little daylight between the two. Graham, however, seemed to avoid serious discussion by repeatedly voicing the mantra “I support President Trump.”

However, when the discussion turned to foreign policy issues such as the war on Iran, national security and fighting the threat from radical Islam, Graham’s inexperience in these areas became glaringly obvious. Dodging serious discussion, she fell back to Pres. Trump’s “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” at least five times.

She drew a gasp from many of the 250 or so present when she admitted she had little knowledge — or concern — about national security issues, one of Lindsey Graham’s most important issues.

Asked her position on data centers, she took a pro position on one question, then came back with a negative view on the next question. Shouts and boos arose as several in the audience quickly picked up on the obvious contradiction.

It was also difficult for Graham, with her decades as a state bureaucrat, to present the same credibility on cutting waste in government as Norman, a successful developer and businessman.

Whatever the outcome on August 25, the winner will represent the Pametto State for the next six years in the Senate. A lot can happen in six years. S.C. voters will choose between a proven conservative leader in Congress, and a bureaucrat with the same DNA and last name as Lindsey Graham, but little else.

It’s a clear choice. Ralph Norman is better for the Palmetto State and its citizens of 5.7 million, not 50 million, Sen. Graham.

By CDD Staff

Wilmington’s Thalian Hall closes its 2026 season with one of the most iconic musicals ever written, West Side Story. This re-telling of Romeo and Juliet pulses with Bernstein’s soaring score and unforgettable dance. This production will bring passion, power, and artistry to one of theatre’s greatest masterpieces.

Directed by Shane Fernando, choreographed by Carson Hobbs, with music directed by Steve Field, West Side Story is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. Tickets are on sale now for performances Thursday though Sunday August 20 – 23. Click https://www.thalianhall.org/ohtc-westside-26

Lech L’cha. לך לך

By Susan Weintrob

Lech L’cha לך לך (Genesis 12:1) is mentioned only once in the Torah. Abram (not yet Abraham) is introduced in the Bible at 75 years of age, 10 generations of silence after the Flood. What does this phrase mean? It is a curious multi-dimensional phrase that is usually translated “Go forth.”

God said to Abram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

The translation, like many biblical texts, is debated and given nuance. A literal and yet a truly symbolic translation is “Go to yourself” or find yourself.

Abraham’s journey is physical, leaving the country of his birth and from the tents of his father; simultaneously, he is leaving his old self to go to his new role as leader of a people. Where was Abraham’s destination? He did not know. He was going into the unknown — he had total faith in God and would follow His directions in becoming a new nation.

“Go to yourself.” Abraham is leaving his physical country with its culture, the worship of idols, and finding his way to monotheism, belief in the one God. Abraham finds his true self as he goes forth. He walks on solid ground as well as making a profoundly mystical journey.

One Hasidic midrash understands the phrase to mean, “Go into yourself, to learn who you are meant to be.” This imagines Abram as an as-yet-to-be-actualized human being, an unrealized man who will ultimately gain insight and wisdom. He is giving up his past to acquire his future: founding a new nation.

Susan Weintrob, a retired academic, is a free-lance writer and food blogger living in South Carolina. Follow her blog at www.expandthetable.net.

By CDD Staff

This year’s Georgetown Art & Wine Walk is the fourth anniversary of this annual event and a weekend for artists and art-lovers to meet along the historic Georgetown waterfront. It will be held Sept. 12-13 and features: a juried art competition, a two-day outdoor art fair with creators and artists from around the Southeast, a self-guided wine tasting walk of the art venues, outdoor painting and sidewalk chalk art contests, interactive children’s art events and much more.

The wise play for those coming from the south is to stop first in McClellanville and have lunch and grab some fresh treats from Carolina Seafood. (Bring a cooler.) If you are ambitious, go to Hampton Plantation first or visit McClellanville’s Village Museum. Then, zip up the road and enjoy a stroll and a look at the art. Have a coffee; have a glass of wine; stay for supper. You make up the schedule and grab paradise with both hands, but planning ahead makes a good result far more probable.

The event will be Sat. from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sun. from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

All the action starts at 1619 Front St. in Georgetown. Find out more by clicking here: artwinewalk.com.

By Michael Kirshtein

Heard an old joke years ago that has stayed with me ever since. Not so much a joke. More like a quick rim-shot. Here it is: As a kid, I had a drug problem … I was drug to church. And I was drug to school.

Like most good quips, it works because there’s just enough truth hiding inside it.

As a young teenager, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about either destination. Given the choice, I’d have much rather been trying to ride the Coburg dairy cow than sitting still in a classroom or a synagogue.

If you grew up around Charleston, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, let’s just say that riding the Coburg dairy cow was one of those ill-advised rites of passage that seemed perfectly reasonable to a 14 or 15-year-old.

At the time, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d find myself willingly drawn back to the classroom or the synagogue. Not by hook but by choice.

Maybe education and religion have both suffered from the same misunderstanding.

We confuse attendance with achievement.

We count minutes instead of moments.

We choose information over insight.

Perhaps that old joke isn’t really about religion or school at all. Perhaps it’s about how often we mistake guidance for interference. We rarely appreciate being led somewhere until we’ve lived long enough to discover why someone thought it mattered.

One of my dearest friends is agnostic. We’ll call him Rudy. He’s never been shy about proclaiming it, though I suspect he enjoys keeping the rest of us guessing exactly what he means.

For years, he proudly claimed he was “home-churched.”

I’ve always loved the phrase. Borrowed it more than once. It sounded like the spiritual cousin of being homeschooled. He was a funny guy. Still is.

I’m still not entirely sure whether he meant he worshipped from the comfort of his living room, believed the outdoors was his sanctuary or simply preferred asking life’s questions without someone else supplying all the answers.

Whatever he meant, I never pressed him too hard. Partly because I didn’t want to spoil a perfectly good phrase. But mostly because, somewhere along the way, I learned that not every conversation has to end with someone being right. Especially with a friend.

Sometimes the better question is: “Do you want to be right or be friends?” More often than not, I’ll choose the friendship.

So, “home-churched” remained a great, undefined phrase. And he remains one of the smartest and funniest guys I know.

Maybe that’s the lure of literature and movies. The best ones rarely force conclusions upon us. They leave us with better questions than the ones we started with.

Did Jon Snow really know nothing?

Did Santiago win or lose?

Did Dorothy ever really leave home?

The challenge with conclusions is that people change. Stories change. Even places change.

The Sullivan’s Island of my childhood isn’t the Sullivan’s Island of today. Charleston isn’t the Charleston we grew up in. Schools aren’t the same. Houses of worship aren’t either. Neither am I.

My agnostic friend, he never really grew up so perhaps he’s the exception.

Here’s the thing. Every generation seems convinced it’s witnessing the world becoming something it’s never been before. Just like every kid thinks his parents don’t ‘get it.’ And every generation and perhaps some of those kids are probably at least partly right.

Some mourn what’s been lost. Others celebrate what’s been gained. Most of us, if we’re honest, probably do a little of both. Maybe that’s why I still find myself wandering the sands of Sullivan’s, sitting in synagogue, opening another book or sharing a drink with an old friend. They’re all, in their own way, classrooms.

Some have pews.

Some have desks.

Some have sea shells.

Some have chilled mugs.

And maybe that’s the lesson we’re too young to recognize as we’re being drug to school and drug to church.

Learning has never belonged to a single building. Nor has faith. Both have always found their way into schoolyards and sanctuaries, beaches and books, old friends and long conversations. Pretty much wherever the spirit moves you.

Maybe the best drugs don’t numb us; they wake us up.

As it turns out, I still have a drug problem: books, beaches, faith, friendship and questions that refuse to go away.

Perhaps wisdom isn’t discovered in choosing one over another. Perhaps it’s found in remaining teachable wherever we happen to be. Or perhaps that’s simply another question worth carrying for a while.

Michael Kirshtein is a Charleston native, novelist and essayist who spent more than three decades helping lead his family’s third-generation furniture business before earning an M.A. in creative writing and turning to fiction full-time. He may be reached at PortsidePen@charlestonmercury.com.

By CDD Staff

The 15th annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival, named in honor of the legendary saxophonist, brings the spirit of Coltrane’s influence on jazz, blues, R&B, rock and hip-hop to High Point — the city where his musical journey began. The September 5-6 festival at Point Hollow Park in Hogh Point honors Coltrane’s legacy with live performances while introducing a new generation of artists. Join us for a weekend where history, music and nature harmonize.

General admission includes access to the festival grounds, where you can enjoy live performances, food and drink vendors, shopping and official festival merchandise. Bring your own chair or blanket, and relax on the spacious lawn as you take in the music alongside fellow festivalgoers. 1 or 2-day passes are available. For more information check http://www.visitnc.com/events/15th-annual-john-coltrane-international-jazz-and-blues-festival

By Prioleau Alexander

Like most native-born Southern men, the concept of “fashion” is as foreign to me as drinking a Starbucks frappa-rappa with a double shot of carmel … while eating baked Alaska … while protesting the Second Amendment.

I must admit, however, that the “Southern casual” look can be demanding when shopping, as most salesmen in 2026 think we vanished sometime after George Wallace ended his run for president.

Take, for instance, buying a shirt:

Local: I need a shirt.

Salesman: Might I recommend one of these earth tone blends?

Local: No thanks. I just want a white, cotton button-down.

Salesman: Earth tones are very in this year.

Local: Trust me … before the end of the year this shirt will be an earth tone.

And how about blue jeans? You’d think that should be easy, right?

Local: I need some jeans.

Salesman: What sort of jeans?

Local: Blue. 34-32.

Salesman: Good one. What brand?

Local: The kind I’m wearing. They have a little red tag on the back. Levi’s, maybe?

Salesman: Hmm …y es. Sir, I’m afraid Levi’s hasn’t made that cut in seven years.

Local: Cut? No, you misunderstand. I’m looking for blue jeans.

And, of course, there’s the pain of buying khaki’s … when did this get so difficult?

Local: I need some khakis.

Salesman: You’re in luck! We just got a shipment of these … so elegant. Pleated, rayon/cotton blend, and if you’ll notice they have waist buttons if you want to wear them with suspenders.

Local: Well, that would be great if I was a backup singer on Hee Haw.

Salesman: Can you give me a feel for what you’ll be using these khakis for?

Local: Sure. Work, dove hunting, weddings, funerals, oyster roasts, working in the yard, but not necessarily in that order. One day, many years from now, when they’re tissue thin, I’ll cut them into strips and use them to clean my guns.

Salesman: Yes, I see. I’m not sure we sell that sort of slacks.

Local: Well, if you call them slacks, I’m quite sure you don’t.

Even buying a blue blazer is a chore. What did we do to deserve this?

Local: I need a blue blazer.

Salesman: Ah, yes … just slip this on. You’ll love it.

Local: Is that a tube coat?

Salesman: A tube coat?

Local: Yeah. Where they leave out the slit in the back, so it fits like a tube?

Salesman: T ube, of course. It’s very in this year.

Local: About 40 years from now I plan to be buried in this coat. What’s in this year isn’t really driving my decision too much.

Salesman: Hmmm. Do you think, perhaps, this is the wrong store for your needs?

Local: Could be … do you think maybe this is the wrong part of America for your store?

It’s entirely possible, of course, that you have no desire to look like a Southerner. After all, around here you can’t tell anyone apart: Doctors, CPAs, the pizza guy, the yard man … all the natives look like clones, knitted together with the nightmares of that Gucci guy. If, however, it is your intention to blend in, here a few starter tips:

The only black in your wardrobe should be your tux and your funeral suit.

The only turtlenecks in your house should be your wife’s.

See above rule for colognes.

Camouflaged hunting clothes are for hunting, not oyster roasts.

Unless you are auditioning for a bio-pic about Mr. T, put away the jewelry.

You can never go wrong not buying the thing with the logo.

Shoes that look like slippers should be slippers.

Unless you have Alzheimer’s, cease monogramming your shirts.

If it costs more than a shotgun, put it back and buy a shotgun.

If you aren’t from the South and follow all the rules above, it’s important you don’t try too hard. There’s a certain rumple-stain-faded look to khaki that must be mastered. Wash them with every load for of laundry for … six months. Then lend them to a neighbor going to Montana to hunt elk, and wash again. Ask the yard man to wear them a few weeks, wash … and voila! You’re in the sweet spot.

Here’s how you’ll know you’ve made it:

Wife: Is that what you’re wearing?

You: Of course.

Wife: You’re interviewing for the position of COO of a billion-dollar medical tech company with a brain surgeon tech genius who graduated top of his class at MUSC?

You: Yes, and?

Wife: In khaki pants, a khaki shirt and a ballcap?

You: Not just any ballcap — a Citadel ballcap.

Wife: How do you know he went to the Citadel?

You: S omeone told me. But just in case, I’ll check the stickers on the back of his car. I’ve got a Clemson and Gamecock hat, too.

Wife: What if he didn’t go to any of them?

You: Then he ain’t gonna be running a billion-dollar company in Charleston, that’s for damn sure.

Wife: You’re insane.

You: We’re meeting at his house. It’s Saturday. What if he wants to play golf? Wants help cleaning his gutters? Needs help preforming surgery? I’m ready —

Wife: Well, all I know is that’s not the way we did it in New—

You: Silence! You’ll jinx me.

Anyway, when you return home with your new C.O.O. cards, remember who helped you … and resubscribe to the Mercury.

By CDD Staff

Hickman Hollow Farms is open again this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a relaxing morning surrounded by beautiful blooms. Choose the size of the vessel to fill and have at it.

Wander through the flower fields, cut your own bouquet, enjoy the fresh air and experience a slower pace of life on the farm.

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