The Curious Case of Alvin Greene

[politicalchick20]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/09/south_carolina_democrats_try_to_push_nominee_out.html

[Torie]

Maybe Obama can offer him a government job, to "solve" this little matter. He seems to have had considerable practice at this endeavor, and he tells us it is all legal, so why not? Just why this dude would exit for free escapes me.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why bother? It's not a competitive seat.

[Torie]

Why bother? It's not a competitive seat.

One can always hope.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Why bother? It's not a competitive seat.

Who knows?  Maybe they hope someone will dig up a DeMint/Haley tryst? 0:)

[Eraserhead]

I will say that from reading some of Greene's statements, he seems to be insane.

[ajc0918]

But he's so well spoken...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/meet-south-carolina-senate-shocker-10870806

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

California Republicans nominated a total nobody for Insurance Commisioner.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?&entry_id=65427

[useful idiot]

I'd vote for him

[Lunar]

I will say that from reading some of Greene's statements, he seems to be insane.

Where did he get the $10k to run, but then not campaign at all, as he still lives with his parents and is unemployed?

[politicalchick20]

But he's so well spoken...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/meet-south-carolina-senate-shocker-10870806

WOW. What a weird video. And yet, some might like a man of few words like that.

[Lunar]

But he's so well spoken...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/meet-south-carolina-senate-shocker-10870806

WOW. What a weird video. And yet, some might like a man of few words like that.

Why does the DSSC care about this, again?

Why is Menendez waisting press time pushing people out of a South Carolina race?  

And, it should be said, Greene's win here has nothing to do with his race.  The turnout maps don't reflect that, and the fact that Greene didn't campaign whatsoever, and no one knew who we was, should certainly affect that.  Hell, there's a billionaire self-funder running in the Florida Democratic primary, who is Jewish, with the last name Greene.

He won the primary by a greater amount than Obama beat Mccain in 2008 nationally.  If the choice of the national or statewide Democrats can't run over 40% in the Democratic primary, it's time to move on.  I don't see why it's even worth printing a few pieces of paper, at 1 cent each, for the national Democratic party.   DeMint is going to be DeMint, and focus his attention nationally, no matter who you run.  

[politicalchick20]

But he's so well spoken...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/meet-south-carolina-senate-shocker-10870806

WOW. What a weird video. And yet, some might like a man of few words like that.

Why does the DSSC care about this, again?

Why is Menendez waisting press time pushing people out of a South Carolina race?  

And, it should be said, Greene's win here has nothing to do with his race.  The turnout maps don't reflect that, and the fact that Greene didn't campaign whatsoever, and no one knew who we was, should certainly affect that.  Hell, there's a billionaire self-funder running in the Florida Democratic primary, who is Jewish, with the last name Greene.

He won the primary by a greater amount than Obama beat Mccain in 2008.  If the choice of the national or statewide Democrats can't run over 40% in the Democratic primary, it's time to move on.  I don't see why it's even worth printing a few pieces of paper, at 1 cent each, for the national Democratic party.   DeMint is going to be DeMint, and focus his attention nationally, no matter who you run. 

No idea. Pipe dream that this odd occurrence could lead to a better candidate/a better shot in the fall?

That's all I've got, and it ain't much. It's still Safe GOP.

[Lunar]

But he's so well spoken...
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/meet-south-carolina-senate-shocker-10870806

WOW. What a weird video. And yet, some might like a man of few words like that.

Why does the DSSC care about this, again?

Why is Menendez waisting press time pushing people out of a South Carolina race?  

And, it should be said, Greene's win here has nothing to do with his race.  The turnout maps don't reflect that, and the fact that Greene didn't campaign whatsoever, and no one knew who we was, should certainly affect that.  Hell, there's a billionaire self-funder running in the Florida Democratic primary, who is Jewish, with the last name Greene.

He won the primary by a greater amount than Obama beat Mccain in 2008.  If the choice of the national or statewide Democrats can't run over 40% in the Democratic primary, it's time to move on.  I don't see why it's even worth printing a few pieces of paper, at 1 cent each, for the national Democratic party.   DeMint is going to be DeMint, and focus his attention nationally, no matter who you run. 

No idea. Pipe dream that this odd occurrence could lead to a better candidate/a better shot in the fall?

That's all I've got, and it ain't much. It's still Safe GOP.

Probably less of a pipe dream, and more of a desire for a squeaky clean candidate who may not draw negative national press attention for an ongoing investigation or whatever that thing is that Greene's got.

Also, surely is somewhat of an obligation of the national party to the local party which is solidly behind the other candidate.

Imo, the best solution for the DSCC would have been to ignore the results entirely, and if they generated coverage, THEN push for him to withdrawal.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I still can't get over this. My friend, who worked for the Rawl campaign, is still in shock today.

[Lunar]

I still can't get over this. My friend, who worked for the Rawl campaign, is still in shock today.

How much work did the Rawl campaign do?  Did they get the endorsement of every county party, travel the state and put 50k miles on their truck, etc?

Or did they take their primary as a given, and hoard money, and wait until the general, when they could actually start taking more conservative positions?

Obviously you wouldn't want to begin your campaign in South Carolina with a bunch of progressive debates to give your nobody opponent name recog, but still, you have to do SOMETHING...

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I still can't get over this. My friend, who worked for the Rawl campaign, is still in shock today.

How much work did the Rawl campaign do?  Did they get the endorsement of every county party, travel the state and put 50k miles on their truck, etc?

Or did they take their primary as a given, and hoard money, and wait until the general, when they could actually start taking more conservative positions?

Obviously you wouldn't want to begin your campaign in South Carolina with a bunch of progressive debates to give your nobody opponent name recog, but still, you have to do SOMETHING...

I really have no idea. He held a lot of events throughout the state and was connected via Facebook, his website and Twitter (my friend was in charge of his FB page). He didn't raise that much money though. He had about $186,000 to DeMint's $3.5 million. I never saw a TV commercial from him, but I did see car stickers and radio ads.

Granted, I live in Charleston and he lived here, and his main support base was here (he won only Charleston a few scattered counties), so maybe he just neglected the rest of the state.

[King]

Too bad his last name isn't Anderson so he'd be in front of DeMint, too.


How apocalyptic would it be if Rand Paul and Sharron Angle wouldn't the craziest United States Senator?  And Tom Coburn would fall out of the Top 5?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I know in Massachusetts, veterans are able to have their veteran status listed on the ballot. Is that the case in South Carolina? Because if so, it's way easier to understand how a nobody could win a primary filled with (let's face it) two nobodies.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I know in Massachusetts, veterans are able to have their veteran status listed on the ballot.

If so, that's beyond stupid.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I still don't understand how this could have happened.  Why doesn't the media ask the Democratic voters themselves why they picked this guy?  First on the list?  A more pleasing name?

Voters just didn't have information and the Parties simply do not have the resources to let enough people know - and in some cases it would be against their own by-laws even if they could.

In TN-08 in 2006 we did have that exact circumstance occur.  We had a candidate from Tipton County - Rory Bricco -, who was campaigning at events all around the district and trying to actually make a race of it.  He was defeated in the primary by a guy who lives outside the district and who did not campaign at all.  Why?   Because the winner's name was "John Farmer" which sounded more wholesome than Rory Bricco, who actually was a farmer.

Also in 2006 the Tennessee Republican Party had recruited State Senator Jim Bryson to be a sacrificial lamb against Bredesen for Governor -- which was kinda sad since Bryson is a truly good man and a loss for our legislature.  However, Tennessee's ballot access laws are very loose and at least four or five other candidates also filed.  There were no ads, mail, or anything but word of mouth during the primary but somehow Bryson still won and only lost a few counties.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

In 2008 for one of the judicial elections I voted in the first round just for the candidate whose name most sounded like a stripper's.

[Eraserhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUFN7ZkjgkA

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUFN7ZkjgkA

I'd pay good money to see a debate between this man and Sarah Palin.

[Mjh]

Why is it interesting who the Democrats nominates against DeMint?

It isn't like "Simple Jack" there will break 45% anyway.