Some vacationers boycott South Carolina over Wilson's outburst

[sabra]

Source: mcclatchy

State and local tourism officials are being flooded by e-mails and calls from people across the country, saying they won't vacation in South Carolina because they're upset by GOP Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst at President Barack Obama.

The officials said a number of the out-of-state e-mailers have said they have taken beach trips for years in Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and other South Carolina resort areas, but don't plan to return.

...

Marion Edmonds, a spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said his agency had received 147 emails from people who cited Wilson by name and expressed displeasure with his remark.

"Some of them have been specific and said they won't be coming to the beach this summer for their family vacation," Edmonds said.

Ryan Murphy, a Wilson spokesman, urged people to continue visiting South Carolina.

"Congressman Wilson takes pride in his state and district," Murphy said.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/444/story/1446129.html

[JBoy]

1. Yes! Hit him right in the constituents.

Joe Wilson's district includes Hilton Head.

[onehandle]

14. Ugh. Hilton Head is sooo boring. I used timeshare points to stay there with my wife once.

Snooooooooorrrre.

[Lifelong Protester]

15. Who gerrymandered that district...

bet I can guess it wasn't any D but a R

[KoKo]

2. +1, Tourism is huge for SC...this is something that should make the

"Chamber of Congress"...a big supporter of the TeaBaggers start to itch. Although, I fear that as many who refuse to go will be replaced with more RW'ers like the ones already there.

[pitohui]

6. if tourism is "huge" there, which i doubt, then good, but come on

it's my belief that nobody vacations in south carolina except residents of south carolina, since leaving that state i don't think i've stepped foot in the place one time except to fill my car up with gas

we went to myrtle beach when we lived a short distance away, it isn't like people come from all over to go to myrtle beach, it's just not all that

if tourism is "huge" it doesn't mean tourism is "huge" it means the state is even poorer and worse off than we ever imagined -- i know the textile industry has completely collapsed, god knows what else they have going on

nothing but ignorance apparently

i could write and say "i'll never bring your tourism $$$ to your crappy state again" but honestly i wouldn't anyway, who would

it's nice that people are trying to get the word out, BUT you have to make it a little believable?

the people who golf at hilton head are a bunch of fascists anyway and they approve of wilson's message, so all you're doing is giving these self-satisfied asses the pleasure of your attention

[woodsprite]

21. I know tons of people from DE that vacation or stay winters in SC

and NC. Who wants to go to the beaches up here when you have to worry about stepping on someone's towel if you're going to the water's edge. At least 15 to 20 in my close circle of family/friends.

Of course, most are freepers who probably would support the jerk.

[JBoy]

3. Here's the Department's contact page, if you'd like to tell them anything:

http://www.scprt.com/contact/contact.aspx

[Eric68601]

4. Just messaged them

I just sent them a message telling them that I had always wanted to visit Myrtle beach and the coast but am now hesitant to do any business or give any kind of money to that state considering the recent scandals with it's current government.

[young_at_heart]

5. Sometimes I hate having SC as my neighbor

I know there are a lot of good people there but boy do they have a few nut cases! They ought to be ashamed, but unfortunately there are many who applaud hateful behavior.

[KamaAina]

7. Wilson is in the House. Why not boycott just his district?

It does include Hilton Head, but Charleston and Myrtle Beach are good to go.

[pitohui]

8. it's just giving these people a drama reward IMHO

nobody's going out of their way to visit any of these destinations, let's be real

i think i visited charleston one time when i lived in the state, myrtle beach more often but not because it's worth any trouble to visit only because it was close

the golf nuts and buttheads in hilton head will actually feel gratified by the drama and attention, they don't want "our kind" at their $500 a night golfing resorts anyway

they know we're just making empty threats when we say we won't visit, because we weren't ever gonna visit anyway

[ms liberty]

12. I think you must not have lived in SC long enough to know...

Or you would know that Myrtle Beach stays completely booked up throughout the summer, and they've got more hotel rooms than god. They also do a lot of business through the year with golfers - there are tons of courses there. And nobody goes to Charleston, a historic and quite beautiful city? Get real. I was in the hotel business for 10 years, and all summer long it was a stream of families driving from west and north of me (NC) on their way to SC for vacation, not to mention just the people in my own state who go to Myrtle for vacation.

[liberal N proud]

9. His district is the popular Hilton Head area

[AlinPA]

10. I sent them an email. The fact that they support him with all that money makes it clear

to me that there are a lot of slobs in his district.

[fascisthunter]

11. cut off federal funding

[Journeyman]

13. He takes pride in his "state and district" but disrespects the nation and its people. . .

funny, what passes for "class" in secession-happy South Carolina. . .

[samsingh]

16. excellent

[Blacksheep214]

17. I guess I wasn't alone

when I sent a letter to the SC tourism dept telling them I wouldn't be spending my UNION wages in a state which supports idiots like Graham, DeMint, Sanford and Wilson. I just can't feel safe in a state whose politicos are determined to overthrow our government.

Then these same people wrap themselves in the Bible. What hyprocisy!

I find it amazing that this is the state which thought Stephen Colbert would make a joke of SC politics.

Keep Rainbow Row and your little bottles of liquor. The poverty I saw when I was last there belies the lunacy that a national health plan is unwanted. They could also use a better education system so these lies are rejected.

Please secede and take Texas and Oklahoma with you. You are still reliving the 'War of Northern Aggression' and need to move into the 21st century!

And that's no lie!

[RedCloud]

18. Maybe replace Pedro South of the border with Argentina Hiking trail ahead

[RedCloud]

19. This video should kill tourism in SC for the next 1,000 years or so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ZcXMgWVBk

[wicket]

20. NAACP has been boycotting SC for 10 years

n/t

[Retrograde]

22. but where will real Americans (tm) go on their vacations

if they can't go to Myrtle Beach? Will they have to go to exotic un-American places like Hawai'i?

(ref. to Cokie Roberts' comment last year on Obama's elitism for going to visit his granny on his vacation instead of a real American place)