SC Dems Nix Protest, Uphold Greene's Nod for Senate

www2.wspa.com...

Mr. Greene's victory has been accepted by South Carolina Democrats, after all, so now he has his chance.

The reasons for the uproar have utterly failed to impress me.

Namely, that he is an unemployed vet. Being a vet has its own classification as far as I am concerned, and since when has being a soldier been something to use as an insult?

Next, it is not mentioned that he has a degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina.

Finally, I understand that he tried to pick up a girl in college by sending her a dirty email and suggesting they go back to a dorm room, but honestly, if that's it, I feel relieved.

This proves he's heterosexual (less complications?) and knows how to interact socially, if in bad taste. Being charged with a crime is punishment enough, since he didn't touch, stalk, or molest this 19-year-old woman. That speaks volumes to me.

It seems clear that he is not unintelligent, or a puppet of anyone. By staying out of the spotlight, he protected himself from attacks and apparently either built grassroots support or clearly benefited from the deep desire for change amongst South Carolina Democrats.

He's the first African-American to be nominated in SC since Reconstruction ended around 1877, and if elected, will be only the fourth to serve in the Senate since that time, and the first African-American Senator ever from the South.

The way I see it at this point is that he is either such a perfect archetype for the "average" American- checkered past and all- that he stands in clear contrast to any other professional politician, or he is the incarnation of the Ayn Rand character Howard Roark, the political version.

Those of you familiar with "The Fountainhead" will see the similarities between the two in the interview with Keith Olbermann, already posted here on ATS, I believe.

Your thoughts on Mr. Alvin Greene and his "man of the people" approach to campaigning and winning, and even his terse and controlled interview presence?

I think this whole scenario is just
political propaganda from the DeMint side
cuz DeMint didn't like the fact that the incumbents
are being booted out of office.

DeMint live with it bro.
Ur washed up
time to go flip burgers.

Welcome to the REAL America!!!
The people have spoken
and are speaking louder and louder
everyday. Too bad you wouldn't
listen when you were in office.

While I am not a proponent of utter chaos, I truly hope that all the elections end up with never before seen people as winners. The one's we already know have had more than enough chances to do something... and somehow, they always fail .. regardless of party.

My first reaction to Mr. Greene's election was just that... people decided that career politicians are like actors, they play a role, nothing more. Perhaps, and it is wishful thinking, but nevertheless perhaps Mr. Green will be an impossibly difficult target to mess with, and the political machinery will have to expose itself to succeed in destroying him.

Out with the career politicians, the country club members, the good ol' boys and gals, the corporate shills, the faux intelligentsia, and the media whores. Get rid of the actors and script readers, the pretty faces and slick publicists' marketing. The 'support' of the Madison Avenue crown and the loan-sharks that finance their political shenanigans and make believe dramas.

EDIT TO ADD: He has a degree? Who knew.... certainly not the MSM. They must not have cared to check, after all he's just a slimy vet.

[edit on 18-6-2010 by Maxmars]

I find this whole situation funny. I think one of the problems that is got people in a tizzy is the fact that he paid the $10000 dollars to get put on the primary ballot. The reports say he is homeless and noone knows where he could have gotten the money or who paid that money to get him on there. The other thing is that he did not even campaign before the elections. I cannot confirm the report of him not campaigning, but if it is true that does open a few questions as to how he got so many votes to win. Don't know,but this is going to something to watch and see where it goes.

This decision HAD to hold up, else it would have set a precedence for either party to renege if their self chosen "golden boy" did not win a primary.

As far as this guy goes, the problem is the fact that he faces a felony charge and jail time. Take this with a grain of salt, because I cant find an article backing this up, but I the story about his felony charge I heard (from news source) is that he went to the schools library, asked her if she liked football, told her to look at his computer browser (which allegedly had porn on it) then asked her to take him to her room.

To me the charge seems a little bit extreme. Showing images of pornographic nature to someone of legal age constitutes a felony charge?? Perhaps I'm a bit more live and let live than most.

All I can say in the end is - thank god his nomination held up, else we'd see every incumbent voted out asking for a "do-over" come November.

I'm from the South, as many on ATS are, and it is time to factor in that old truth we have to live with and combat here all the time, it seems.

The fact is that anyone here would look at Alvin Greene's name on the ballot and assume he is a black candidate, and would cast not just a vote for Greene, but a sort of "anti-vote" against the Official Candidates.

Human nature, lol.

One more question, when did living with and caring for your father become homelessness?

The media is showing its colors and methods of mind-controlling jargon a little too clearly for its own good this time, lol.

It is a sign of changes, of dissatisfaction, and of savvier voters, in my opinion.

Also, for you non-Southerners, he never would have been charged with that crime if he had not hit on a white girl in South Carolina, believe that.

I am not a racist, and have had a lot of trouble realizing that they have the *gulp* right to think how they choose. It seems that education and diversity can change that, so I consider it a temporary and unfortunate condition when I do encounter it.

But all idealism aside, this is part of why the South has trouble moving on. It illustrates it all too well, which is why I posted it.

This candidate, however, falls into more than one "easy" stereotype. Veteran, college graduate, unemployed, caregiver.

Like a lot of us. More like us than anyone has been for a while. He stepped on up and rightly calculated how the general public would vote.

He seemed to already have counted on it.

As a South Carolinian, I was pretty disappointed with the attack on this man. I understand any and everything will come out, but the people doing the calling out need to clean themselves up first, namely Clyburn.

www.usatoday.com...

• Lobbyist William Clyburn Jr., received $60,000 last year from two consulting firms to seek federal funding for the Augusta, Ga., airport, disclosure forms show. His cousin is Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. In an interview with USA TODAY in July, lobbyist Clyburn said he secured $2.5 million for the airport after speaking with lawmaker Clyburn about having the money put into an appropriations bill. In September, a spokeswoman for Rep. Clyburn disputed that characterization. A day later, lobbyist Clyburn reversed his earlier statement and said he did not speak with his relative about getting funding.

So we can get upset that this man isn't a known politician or try to change the status quo.

He's only the first of many to come.


There are others who are mobilizing grassroots (read unknown) support, and since it's not "out there" they cannot be attacked very much before the campaigns.

I think it's brilliant.

This is great. Wow what a wonderful thing. A nobody, no experience whatsoever, and we love that right? Wait, why do you all hate Sarah Palin?

Black man, shady past, unknown, 0 experience = good

White woman, ex-governor, some experience= bad

What am I missing here?

Oh, to not challenge his election by the Dems is one thing, will they support him, that's another. Smart money says they conceed the seat and funnel that money to Boxer.