The Oddest Senate Candidate Ever?

[DoctorFinger]

Politics in South Carolina have been a bit...odd the past year or so. But this may just take the cake (http://www.mediaite.com/online/alvin-greene-is-scs-mystery-candidate-with-a-pending-felony-charge/). Meet Allan Greene, winner of the Democratic senate primary. Now chances are any Dem candidate is going to get creamed by Jim DeMint in the general, so there weren't a ton of strong candidates lining up for that honor. But Greene..wow. And his arrest for felony obscenity isn't even the strangest thing. Court records show 32-year-old Alvin Greene was arrested in November and charged with showing obscene Internet photos to a University of South Carolina student. The felony charge carries up to five years in prison.No what's odd is that no one had ever heard of the guy until he won 61% of the vote in the primary. He had been the Air Force, but had been claiming to be indigent when he walked into the SC Democratic Party HQ with a $10,000 personal check needed to get his name on the ballot.

He has no campaign staff, no website, no materials. He claims he's driven around the state talking to people about the issues, but he can't provide details. He's given a handful of TV interviews (http://www.mediaite.com/online/sc-pro-justice-senate-candidate-alvin-greene-on-his-campaign-style-can-i-end-this/) and they've all been disasters, at best (http://www.mediaite.com/tv/crash-and-burn-shep-smith-calmly-derails-alvin-greenes-political-career/).

How does this guy even get on the ballot, much less win 61%? I saw one theory that Democrats just voted alphabetically, and since Greene was first on the ballot...

[Ox]

Majority Whip Clyburn is saying he - along with two other SC Dems - is a 'Republican plant.'

As the Labour minister said when the Conservatives abandoned the gold standard, 'They never told us we could do that.' From now on, any Republican I find embarrassing is obviously a Democratic plant acting as agent provocateur.

[National Kato]

Well, it is South Carolina.

[ShivaX]

Majority Whip Clyburn is saying he - along with two other SC Dems - is a 'Republican plant.'

As the Labour minister said when the Conservatives abandoned the gold standard, 'They never told us we could do that.' From now on, any Republican I find embarrassing is obviously a Democratic plant acting as agent provocateur.

So the GOP planted a guy and then made all the Dems vote for him?

Man. Those dudes are fucking sneaky.

[TheFlyingOrc]

So the GOP planted a guy and then made all the Dems vote for him?

Man. Those dudes are fucking sneaky.

The trick is to always assume those who disagree with you are awful in every way.

[J Arcane]

Sharron Angle sure seems like she might give him a run for his money (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/sharron-angle-nevada-cand_n_605754.html), but your right that "no-name convicted sex offender" is pretty out there.

[Ox]

We now have an even more awesome theory for Alvin Greene (http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/06/alvin-greene-plant-conspiracy-theory).

Start brainstorming, folks. I have a feeling this contest is just getting started, and we're all winners.

[National Kato]

I watched two interviews with Mr. Greene last night and...wow, he's an odd fellow. Almost entirely guarded in the answers he gave. Frequently repeating himself and revising statements immediately after making them (due to misuse of words, not backtracking).

He was asked to provide a picture of himself in uniform to show his military service and he rummaged through some belogings in his cluttered office, mumbling, but couldn't find one. So then he grabbed a framed picture of himself as a baby and showed the reporter his bronze baby shoes.

Like I said, odd.

[DoctorFinger]

I swear he's like a Family Guy character.

[Widgetcraft]

Hrm... how do you get arrested for showing obscene internet pictures to a college student? Was she somehow forced into looking? This makes me think that the many people who were responsible for the Two Girls, One Cup reaction videos on Youtube might be in a lot of trouble.

[DoctorFinger]

Hrm... how do you get arrested for showing obscene internet pictures to a college student? Was she somehow forced into looking? This makes me think that the many people who were responsible for the Two Girls, One Cup reaction videos on Youtube might be in a lot of trouble.
As matter of fact, yes. According to her claim, she was in the school library when Greene came up to her and said he'd like to show her something. And it was porn.

[Dorkandproudofit]

Believe it or not, this guy is perfectly sane compared to some of the guys on this list. (http://www.cracked.com/article_16748_the-6-most-insane-people-to-ever-run-president.html)

[Scaryfaced]

As matter of fact, yes. According to her claim, she was in the school library when Greene came up to her and said he'd like to show her something. And it was porn.

Honestly, I find that more humorous than offensive.

[Thanasimos]

Honestly, I find that more humorous than offensive.

I think that stuff definitely depends on delivery. I mean, my friends and I do that to one another all the time, but it generally ends in high fives and laughing among onlookers.

If he did that and then leered expectantly at the young lady in quesiton. . .

[Inspector Fowler]

Friends, this guy's early success convinces me that the CoG party can find its own way in the American political system. Long have I hated the two-party politics in this country, and now I see that total insanity offers a way out.

[Thanasimos]

Whose name has the most consecutive opening As? That's our candidate.

[Panthera]

Whose name has the most consecutive opening As? That's our candidate.

Name changes are cheap. We'll have so many preceding As that it'll look like the ballot is screaming.

[Scaryfaced]

Whose name has the most consecutive opening As? That's our candidate.

My name's Aaron.

[Siraris]

I loved his interview on Olbermann after he won the nomination. I seriously thought that Buford "Bubba" Blue had won the Democratic nomination, and was going to espouse his platform of healing the nations ills with various shrimp dishes.

[ShivaX]

Daily Show had a great take on it and the whole "Republican Plant" angle.

[boratika]

How does this guy even get on the ballot, much less win 61%? I saw one theory that Democrats just voted alphabetically, and since Greene was first on the ballot...

Here (what with compulsory voting,) when someone throws away their vote by voting in whatever order candidates appear*, it's called a "donkey vote".


*what with the preferential voting.

[Superman's Dead]

Friends, this guy's early success convinces me that the CoG party can find its own way in the American political system. Long have I hated the two-party politics in this country, and now I see that total insanity offers a way out.

I would run on that ticket.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm bumping this because I don't think people realize how epic this is. South Carolina should be ashamed of themselves. Aside from this being an OBVIOUS plant by the Republicans, the bigger story is the idiocy of the voting public. For a seat in the Senate no less. Kind of a big deal.

VYtnrvn9xd4

zUFN7ZkjgkA

m3s2vviCOT4

z--IAfC6dPo

[DoctorFinger]

Ok, let me get this straight. The GOP planted Greene. A barely coherent, dishonorably discharged veteran facing a charge of felony obscenity...in a race that's a mortal lock for the GOP? They're brilliant enough to rig a Democratic primary, but choose the worst candidate possible in a race where they almost can't lose? What sense does that make? Why not wait to unleash this Machiavellian masterpiece in a race where it makes a difference?

He won because:

1. No Dem with sense wants to lose to DeMint by 40 points in November.
2. His name was first on the ballot
3. Some people thought they were voting for Al Green the soul musician.
4. No one voting game enough of a damn to do a lick of research before voting.

Unless you subscribe to James Clyburn's ICP-esque "the magnets did it" theory, what else is left?

[DoctorFinger]

Oh, and Greene has a challenger for the nuttiest candidate of the year race (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1998076,00.html). South Carolina’s unexpected Democratic nominee for the US Senate, mystery man Alvin Greene, says he wants to play golf with Barack Obama. But in Texas, another surprise Democratic primary winner, congressional nominee Kesha Rogers, wants to impeach the President. So while South Carolina party officials are still unsure of what to do about Greene’s success at the ballot box, Texas Democrats have no such reservations — they wasted little time in casting Rogers into exile and offering no support or recognition of her campaign to win what once was Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s old seat.

Rogers, 33, told TIME she is a “full time political activist” in the Lyndon LaRouche Youth Movement, a recruiting arm of the LaRouche political organization that is active on many college campuses. The LYM espouses LaRouche opposition to free trade and “globalism” (the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund) and it also calls for a return to a humanist classical education, emphasizing the works of Plato and Leibnitz. On her professional looking campaign website, kesharogers.com, she touts the LaRouche political philosophy — a mix of support for the economic policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the impeachment of President Obama — and calls Obama a “London and Wall Street backed puppet” whose policies will destroy the Democratic Party.The state Democratic party is trying to invalidate her win on the grounds she's a racist. One problem...
http://media.hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/rogers.jpg

And unlike Greene, she and her positions were a known quantity before the election (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/06/21/texas-congressional-nominee-wants-to-impeach-obama-opposes-un/). During the campaign, she was photographed carrying an oversized portrait of the President with a Hitler-style moustache penciled on his lip.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Aside from this being an OBVIOUS plant by the Republicans

So, I can call Duke stupid now, right? You guys got mad at me for it before, but we can agree now, can't we?

[National Kato]

Greene is not a plant. That's just ridiculous. The problem is South Carolina.

[J Arcane]

So, I can call Duke stupid now, right? You guys got mad at me for it before, but we can agree now, can't we?
I think the Doc just did.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Greene is not a plant. That's just ridiculous. The problem is South Carolina.

Well, South Carolina Democrats, specifically. ;)

[National Kato]

Well, South Carolina Democrats, specifically. ;)

Absolutely. Speaking as someone who lives in Florida, another 'land o' crazy,' I know it when I see it. Except SC doesn't have the constant sun and heat to blame.

[DoctorFinger]

Trust me, the SC GOP is just as crazy. Google "Nikki Haley" just to see what the GOP down there does to one of their own candidates. Pay particular attention to the state senator who calls her a "raghead".

[Dukefrukem]

Yeah, pretty obvious. Not that it matters. He's going to lose to DiMint by a large margin. Think of how bad it makes Dems look right now. The fact that he won, people voted for him because of their ignorance in the race. Hhow bad does it make SC look? and Vic Rawl? This guy didn't even campaign, came up with $10k out of thin air (he's unemployed mind you) and won 60% of the votes.

If you accept the notion that he was a plant, it seems rather more farfetched to then assume there was no effort to actually make that plant successful, no?

[TheFlyingOrc]

If you accept the notion that he was a plant, it seems rather more farfetched to then assume there was no effort to actually make that plant successful, no?

I am calling you stupid for this statement. You are dumb.

[DoctorFinger]

Please, please, please don't lob insults. Nothing is served by calling someone dumb.

[Dukefrukem]

... and I was given an infraction for less.

[Dukefrukem]

You guys are making it seem like I'm the first person to say it? Or maybe you're not following the story but it's everywhere.

CBSNews (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007325-503544.html) / Huffington (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/10/alvin-greene-a-gop-plant_n_607394.html) / TheWeek (http://theweek.com/article/index/203990/is-alvin-greene-a-republican-plant)

[DoctorFinger]

... and I was given an infraction for less.Infractions aren't made public, so how do you know that he didn't get one?

You guys are making it seem like I'm the first person to say it? Or maybe you're not following the story but it's everywhere.

CBSNews (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007325-503544.html) / Huffington (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/10/alvin-greene-a-gop-plant_n_607394.html) / TheWeek (http://theweek.com/article/index/203990/is-alvin-greene-a-republican-plant)I'm not saying you created the story, but you are the one pushing it here.

Clyburn also says that the result may have been the result of "magnets". Don't take everything he says as gospel.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Please, please, please don't lob insults. Nothing is served by calling someone dumb.

I disagree.

Also, it wasn't an insult. I carefully considered the data in front of me, and came to that conclusion. It's a statement of my opinion, not a random insult.

[Dukefrukem]

Clyburn also says that the result may have been the result of "magnets". Don't take everything he says as gospel.

Oh I'm not. Sure magnets combined with ignorance spread across the state could definitely cause 100,053 people to vote for an unemployed, sexual predator (alleged) with no background in politics. :confused:

[DoctorFinger]

I disagree.

Also, it wasn't an insult. I carefully considered the data in front of me, and came to that conclusion. It's a statement of my opinion, not a random insult.
Ok, in that case I don't ever want to hear you whine about others calling you names. Because in all of those cases I'll assume they also "carefully considered the data in front of [them], and came to that conclusion" without evidence otherwise.

[Vigil80]

I disagree.

Also, it wasn't an insult. I carefully considered the data in front of me, and came to that conclusion. It's a statement of my opinion, not a random insult.
Disagree all you want. Don't do it, anyway.

Avoiding namecalling is never a bad idea.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Ok, in that case I don't ever want to hear you whine about others calling you names. Because in all of those cases I'll assume they also "carefully considered the data in front of [them], and came to that conclusion" without evidence otherwise.

O....K...? The only thing that I ever ask is that, when I make an argument, people consider it fairly. They can personal attack me all they want and they'll fire back. As I am not a big baby, I actually don't need to make a federal case over insults, but YMMV.

[Generation ABXY]

3. Some people thought they were voting for Al Green the soul musician.

When I saw that story, it amused me to no end... well, until I was struck cold at the thought that this could be indicative of the voting public at large. O_o

[DoctorFinger]

Wasn't this the plot of the Eddie Murphy movie The Distinguished Gentleman? Eddie's grifter character ran for office because he had about the same name as the dead incumbent.

[Generation ABXY]

Can't say I've ever heard of it, but Wikipedia seems to agree.

[Voodoo]

When I saw that story, it amused me to no end... well, until I was struck cold at the thought that this could be indicative of the voting public at large. O_o
You were just _now_ struck cold? Where have you been for the past 10 years?! Haha! :) Perhaps you were on your way to succumbing to the cold already but this was a final blow?

[J Arcane]

I once did a writein vote for a baseball player, because it was the first name that came to mind and it was no worse than the main party candidates.

I don't even like baseball.

[Generation ABXY]

You were just _now_ struck cold? Where have you been for the past 10 years?! Haha! :) Perhaps you were on your way to succumbing to the cold already but this was a final blow?

Largely becoming aware of politics in the first place, but this may indeed have been the straw that broke the camel's back. :D