What’s Up In South Carolina?
The South Carolina Democratic primary result is really bizarre. Josh Marshall asks if something is fishy:
Greene’s unemployed, recently out of the Army and living with his parents, and has an outstanding felony arrest from last year for showing obscene photos to a college student.
Back in March he walked into the state Democratic headquarters with a personal check for $10,400. That’s the filing fee. The party people said they weren’t allowed to take a personal check. It had to come from a campaign account. So a few hours later he came back with a check from a campaign account. And he signed up to run.
And that was it. He held no events. He never campaigned. He didn’t go to the convention. He never filed any money filings. He never raised any money. He didn’t even have a website. In other words, by every conceivable measure he never actually mounted a campaign. When Mother Jones called him shortly after his victory and asked him what was up, he seemed hard pressed to explain why he had run or really anything about what was going on other than to insist that the ten grand was his money.
…
But still. I know people don’t have to be professional politicians to run for office. They don’t have to have conventional political ideas — to put it mildly. But when an out-of-work guy with no political background at all and no stated reason why he chose to run puts up ten grand to run in an election I’d really expect him to have some reason for running — some strong political beliefs, maybe some crankish political beliefs, the desire for exposure or self-promotion, something. But here, nothing. None of those seem to apply. That doesn’t make sense to me.
The working hypothesis right now is that Greene’s name was first on the ballot and the voters didn’t know who either candidate is. I guess that’s as good an explanation as any. This guy is really strange though. He’s facing pressure to withdraw from the race and gave a rather bizarre interview with ABC News.
I’m sure the Democrats that pulled the level for Greene yesterday are having a severe case of buyer’s remorse.
Tags: Alvin Greene, SC-Sen
watch out, this means we are going to get a lot of wack-jobs elected this fall, it,s like they are looking for the anything but lever.
It was God’s will and he never had sex with Haley.
Be kind to the clerks at Wawa, one might be president soon.
I wonder if the GOP gave him the money. He doesn’t seem to have enough common sense to bend down to pick up $10,000 if he found it on the street.
Yeah, you wonder where he got the $10,000. He’s not employed. If he had $10,000 why would he blow it on a very unlikely Senate campaign? OTOH, if it was dirty tricks by Republicans it was pretty badly done.
As for motive, Vic Rawl, a judge and former state legislator who was expected to face DeMint, was reportedly within 7 points of the incumbent Republican in a poll shortly before the primary. I would have thought DeMint unbeatable, but anything less than 10 points is not a safe lead.
geezer, i thought of that too!! He’s a mole.
Kind of like what the Left tried to do with Palin…. until it got out of our control…. ive said too much.
Is there a conspiracy? Read this dkos diary and tell me no. It seems like there are an awful lot of felons at the beginning of the alphabet on the Democratic ballot in South Carolina.
I don,t know if any of you have spent any time in south carolina, but My Name is Earl is listed under reality shows, so I doubt this was a planned anything, but the world can always use another conspiracy theory, HMMM, where did he get the 10 grand?????
Flyers lost, dam consevitives even ruined hockey.
So close to a game seven. Well. They’ll be back befor he Eagles get to a super bowl.
Obama is from Chicago.
Lol. A1 shoots and scores.
Some lady just asked me on another sight why are they still playing hockey in the summer, I told because nobody else is hiring, did you see the jobs report, gotta laugh to keep from crying. LOL
As they say in the South, this guy is touched. Something ain’t quite right with him. I wonder why he got thrown out of the Army.
This has all happened before.
There is a perception that conservative GOP incumbents here are invincible: Few serious Democrats want to mount an expensive campaign only to lose in the fall. The result is that we can compete only for vacant seats, and some GOP candidates go unopposed. Since ANYONE can file, we frequently get all sorts of weird types running as “Democrats”-Lindsay Graham’s last opposition was a neo-Libertarian type IIRC.
There are exceptions: We very nearly scored a stunning upset in the Lowcountry in 2008 with Linda Ketner: Has she won, SC would have placed an out-lesbian in the US Congress. She lost by a couple of percentage points to a card-carrying moron named Henry Brown.
If we are going to have a “50-state strategy”, then let it begin here.
That’s interesting Don, and depressing. I wish the Democratic primary would provide some basic funding for their candidates so they could attract them to tough races like this.
The SC Democratic party needs to do a better job vetting candidates. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that he was facing a felony charge. Shouldn’t Rawl’s campaign have figured this out?
The first race has to be viewed as a practice race and there should be the expectation of a funding “floor” from the state party. Democratic bench building has been pretty horrible.
Imagine, for example, where Coons would be now if this was his scone race against Castle.
While the voters have selected their candidate, the state party needs to step in and force this guy to quit the race. If that doesn’t work, start a write-in campaign for Rawl.
They should nominate somebody named Abe or Abigail Abrahm.
If we are going to have a “50-state strategy”, then let it begin here.
Unfortunately DSCC will be pouring money into Blanche Lincoln instead.
Where’s my money?
hmmmm calls for smoke filled rooms and party bosses forcing candidates out of races….
what’s next bribery and the offer of federal jobs? somebody call rahm.
MJ: Isn’t that spelled “tetched”?
Ish: Different methodology. They’re adding people to the race, not subtracting them. The most famous local example occurred in Pa. back in the ’70s, when the elder Bob Casey first ran for governor. The GOP found another Bob Casey for the several-way primary and successfully split the vote for the “real” Bob Casey.
It shouldn’t be hard to find out where Alvin Greene got the $10,000. The SC GOP might have succeeded too well here.
Clyburn is asking for an investigation:
Rawl failed to court (pay off) local “civil rights leaders”.
Rawl assumed he would win and never campaigned against Greene.
Looks like when Rawls failed to provide street money, the community organizers told their followers to vote Greene.
Sorry, Ishmael, but your comments FAIL! No smoked filled rooms being called for, but something is amiss here and needs to be sorted out. If this guy didn’t have a pot to piss in, how did he come up with $10K, first in a personal check and then in the form of a campaign check? This reminds me of Nixon-era dirty tricks.
Ish: Any links to back up that data, or is it speculation on your part?
A couple of good articles about Mr. Greene.
Geezer, Ish is waiting for Drudge to put these articles. Drudge must have nothin’ right now.
I checked Drudge: His link to the The Hill’s version of the Clyburn story reads “Paranoia.”
I will concede that Rawl did not run a good campaign: The “street money” and “payoff” comments strike me as, at best, unsubstantiated claims.
Follow the money.
Perhaps Attorney General McMaster could look into the matter-if he’s not too busy licking his wounds from the GOP Gov primary…
Most recent update from TPM:
“The party’s choice in the 1st Congressional district lost. The party’s choice for U.S. Senate lost. Sounds like a pattern to me,” Clyburn told Talking Points Memo.
Apart from Greene, Clyburn alleged that Gregory Brown, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign against Clyburn for the 6th Congressional seat, and Ben Frasier, who triumphed over state Democratic party-backed candidate Robert Burton to become the nominee for the 1st Congressional district, were also plants.
Asked by Talking Points Memo about Clyburn’s accusations, [Robert] Burton campaign manager Ann Beser said that something was “radically wrong.”
From TPM:
Beser said that since election night the Burton campaign has been doing precinct tallies and has seen numbers that far surpass what turnout had expected to be, including all-white precincts where Greene beat Senate candidate Victor Rawl and Frasier beat Burton. Both Rawl and Burton are white. “None of it makes sense,” she said.
So much for the idea that it was black voters supporting a black candidate. This is unraveling fairly quickly. (Cue “Undone” by Weezer).
I heard an interview with the former chair of the SC Democratic party. In November Alvin Greene was arrested and he filed a petition for a public defender. In March, Greene had $10,000 laying around to file for a Senate seat. Apparently the prosecutor’s office is going to call Greene back into court – obviously if he had $10,000 he could pay his own lawyer. At least this means that someone will be investigating Greene’s finances. This may unravel very fast.
Alvin Greene is crazying up Olbermann. I’ll post the interview when it comes up.
is anyone watching countdown? Alvin Greene is on. This guy HAS to be some sort of plant, or prank, or lost bet. I find it hard to believe this guy who im sure he is a nice person, and proud veteran, and blah blah blah (and shows people crappy porn)…. but also seems totally unprepared for and uninterested in ANY kind of attention, decided to run for senate and was able to come up with the money.
thanks, UI. That interview was ugly.
You people are a bunch of nasty elitist snobs. So an unknown wins the SC primary instead of some ingrained party hack, all of whom now have their knickers in a bunch. Isn’t fresh blood something we’ve needed at the Capitol for a long time since these clowns won’t vote themselves term limits, or are you afraid he won’t toe the party line? How can you judge this guy the way you do. Look in your own corrupt back yard that’s filled with thieves and incompetents. You call him stupid, but I believe Delaware is the only state in the nation that’s ever elected a high school dropout to the governor’s office, ditto for the insurance commissioner.
Sherlock,
The problem with Greene is not that he’s unknown. Greene’s problem, obvious to anyone who’s seen the Olbermann interview, is that Greene is dumber than a doorknob.
it isnt just unknown. This guy knows nothing about anything. He cant even explain why he won. He hasn’t been able to articulate any kind of position on anything. He makes Sarah Palin look like Barack Obama. Watch the interviews with him and come back later.
Could be the second half of the money is payable only if he keeps his mouth shut.
Also, note that SC was an open primary, meaning Republicans can vote in it. Any investigation should look for a hush-hush Republican GOTV effort. Which, if it turns out to be true, isn’t illegal.
Still, I’d vote for Greene over DeMint. I’d vote for a doorknob over DeMint.
“Greene is dumber than a doorknob.”
This is an insult to doorknobs. Mr. Greene, with all due respect, strikes me as someone with, um, intellectual challenge issues…oh, hell, he strikes me as borderline retarded. And I mean that in the scientific, below-80-IQ sense.
The notion that he did this himself and there’s no skulduggery involved is belied by the highly improbable vote totals from all-white precincts.
Greene is a post turtle:
“”When you’re driving down a country road and you see a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a post turtle. You know he didn’t get up there by himself. He doesn’t belong there; he can’t get anything done while he’s up there; and you just want to help the poor, dumb thing down.””
I agree Geezer. He comes across a person who has trouble with normal tasks. I’m sorry, there’s NO WAY this guy has $10,000 laying around. Someone put him up to this.
I bet Senator Greene would compile a better Democratic voting record than Blanche Lincoln. Who’s the dummy?
“I bet Senator Greene would compile a better Democratic voting record than Blanche Lincoln.”
That depends on whether GOP operatives distract him with shiny objects.
That depends on whether GOP operatives distract him with shiny objects.
True – it worked on Lincoln.
Well you should know all about dumb doorknobs since you’ve had a real honest to God one occupying the DOI for the past 15 months who’s cost the state many millions by now that she put in her own pockets and those of her cronies across the country. “Intellectually challenged” and “below 80 IQ” doesn’t even come close. That sad fact is common knowledge in the insurance industry. She didn’t get there by herself any more than Greene did. You know who put her in office and why. All of them are taking full advantage, too. Shameful. Talk about that, why don’t you, instead of worrying about SC.
Comment by MJ on 10 June 2010 at 8:43 am:
While the voters have selected their candidate, the state party needs to step in and force this guy to quit the race. If that doesn’t work, start a write-in campaign for Rawl.
MJ was someone impersonating you?
“force this guy to quit the race”… what are you proposing? extortion, bribery, violence?
Sherlock: The ways in which KWS worked the system were quite obvious. While you clearly can’t carry two thoughts in your head simultaneously, the rest of us have no problem with it. If you know something, put it out there. Otherwise you’re just another limp-dick Delaware Republican with the usual impotence issues.
For some reason I can’t re-edit that comment, so I’ll add a new one: KWS ran an actual race, had actually run for office before and at least bothered to pretend to have credentials for the job. She had the backing, at least at one time, of a fairly powerful state Senator in Harris McDowell. The state party ran a candidate it preferred and watched him lose, in part because he shared a name with his notorious father.
Greene, on the other hand, did no campaigning at all, has no ties to anyone in power and didn’t even bother to pretend to have credentials for the job. It’s apples and oranges. And you’re still exhibiting the rage of impotence.
thing is, even if the R’s DID pull together enough brain power to plan and execute this plot, nothing illegal happened. No crime was committed. As far as the hicks who live in SC care, they did a public service by putting an unelectable Dem up against Teabag Commander DeMint. Those rednecks will probably re-ward the Rs for this. somethingthing to look for in the future … Greene/Obama parallels drawn by Bagz.
I imagine they’ll have Greene disqualified from the ballot. There’s probably several ways they can do it – his pending felony charges and his violation of campaign finance laws. I think they’re just asking him to bow out, but I have no doubt he’ll get removed from the ballot.
what difference would it make. Demint will win re-election. I say let this guy stay in front of the camera. He is bound to let slip who his benefactor is eventually.
That’s what has me scratching my head, ap. I mean, DeMint was supposedly a lock to win – why bother with shenanigans?
One way Greene may get out — heard this AM that Greene has a Public Defender and had to certify that he had no money to get one. Apparently someone in SC is looking into whether Greene lied to get his Public Defender, since he clearly came up with 10K months later.
“thing is, even if the R’s DID pull together enough brain power to plan and execute this plot, nothing illegal happened. No crime was committed.”
That remains to be seen. You’re probably right, but I’m willing to wait for further investigation.
“DeMint was supposedly a lock to win – why bother with shenanigans?”
From Vic Rawl’s web site:
“COLUMBIA, SC, April 25, 2010 — A new SCIndex/Crantford poll released today shows well-funded incumbent Jim DeMint is far more vulnerable to challenger Vic Rawl than expected. The poll showed DeMint’s lead at only seven points, despite DeMint’s great advantage in name recognition.
The poll, conducted last week among 438 voters likely to vote in November’s general election, has DeMint leading only 50-43 against Rawl, a retired Circuit Court judge and state legislator. Less than half of those surveyed said they were likely to vote for DeMint’s re-election, a result the poll called “well below the marks of a strong incumbent.”
We’ll be jumping up and down with excitement if Coons gets within 7 points of Castle in any poll before the elections.
In all of Greene’s interviews, there is someone off to the side coaching him. Olberman even pointed this out.
I shudder to think how awful Greene would have come across uncoached.
Olberman said the guy on the side was a lawyer, didn’t he? How’s Greene afford that?