The Persistence of Death Penalty Demagoguery

This report from the South Carolina Post and Courier ably illustrates why the elimination of the death penalty is going to be no easy task: 

"A South Carolina candidate for U.S. Senate says that when it comes to capitol punishment, some people need to be executed.

Democrat Chad McGowan was asked if he supported capital punishment on Tuesday at a South Carolina Business and Industry Political Education Committee debate.The Rock Hill lawyer said that his head tells him that it doesn't work but his heart tells him that some people just need killing.McGowan faces Democrat Mike Ruckes of Summerville in a primary that will decide who takes on Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint in the November election."