“The Architect” Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, presented the Keynote Address at the 43rd Annual Silver Elephant Banquet in Columbia, Saturday, April 24, 2010.

He is author of the recently published book Courage and Consequence.

Rove talked about his ties to South Carolina from experiences with the late Lee Atwater to the key role the state party had in propelling President George W. Bush to victory in the Republican primary and to the presidential nomination.

Rove said Rep. Joe Wilson must be reelected. Democrats have targeted him for defeat since he said “you lie” in response to President Obama during a televised Joint Session of Congress.

A straw poll favored Rep. Gresham Barrett for Governor with 37 percent of the vote. Ken Ard won the poll for Lt Governor; Converse Chellis for Treasurer; Richard Eckstrom for Comptroller, Mick Zias for Superintendent of Education and Alan Wilson for Attorney General.

Joe Edens, Jr. of Columbia was presented with the Roger Milliken Lifetime Achievement Award.