Greene’s 18% win does not a conspiracy make. Even if someone else paid the filing fee.

Posted: June 10th, 2010 | Author: apolkey | Filed under: South Carolina | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Many South Carolina Democrats, including Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, are suggesting that someone paid Alvin Greene’s filing fee (and maybe even secretly influenced voters) with the intention of spoiling the Democratic Primary for the benefit of Senator Jim DeMint. Some are also saying that cross-over Republican voters influenced the primary, which is silly considering all the seriously contested Republican races.  I’ve even heard allegations of absentee ballot tampering, which also is silly considering that Greene won by 30,000 votes.  There is talk of investigations, litigation and official action to remove Greene from the ballot.

If conspirators successfully swung a race by 30,000 votes by finding a fool facing felony charges, secretly influencing voters, tampering with absentee ballots, and motivating Republican cross-over voters after the nationally-covered Nikki Haley accusations/slurs, I want those conspirators on my team.

Yes, Greene was clearly unable to pay his filing fee. But – regardless of who paid it – I reject the notion that anyone would organize such a grandiose conspiracy in order to spoil the Democratic Senate primary. Although such interference is not unprecedented, this situation reads like a sick (albeit illegal) joke.  Or local cooking.  Enjoy your 15 minutes, Alvin Greene.

1.  DeMint is about as strong as he can be.  He was well-poised to decisively beat Rawl or any other Democratic comer.  Although his campaign will assuredly benefit from this Greene foolishness, DeMint has absolutely no incentive to plot.

2.  Neither the State Democratic Party nor the candidate did the minimal research to find out about this guy.  The media and windbags like me were asleep at the switch as well.

3.  His last name is Greene, a most common surname in SC, especially among African American voters, who disproportionately comprise the primary electorate.  In his traditional inartful manner, Robert Ford is right on this point.

4.  Rawl did not run a primary campaign.  He was gunning up to run against DeMint.  He might have met with key leaders, but he did not run a primary campaign.  Period.

5.  If there was secret outreach, it was amazingly secret and undetectable, somehow reaching 30,000 voters.  Give me a break.

6.  In the First Congressional District primary, Ben Frasier (another weirdo who happens to be African American) beat Robert Burton, the party’s anointed candidate, under very similar circumstances. Frasier has almost done this before, has no alphabetical advantage, and how more Charleston (and African American) can the surname “Frasier” be?

The bottom line is I think voters of all races had no idea about either candidate and made guesses.  Some may have voted for the first name on the alphabet.  Others might have connected with surnames.  I’m sure there was a lot of “eeny meeny miney mo.” So, it’s everyone’s fault:  the party and the candidate for not reaching out to voters effectively, the media and activists like me who dropped the ball, and voters for not availing themselves of information.  However, I am certain it’s not the Republican’s fault.  And I am certain there was no conspiracy outside of a potentially illegal filing fee payment.

Democrats should immediately end this sideshow, chalk this one up to a loss, focus on the races we can win, and move on.

Don’t Get it Twisted: SC Democrats earned the Alvin Greene (Senate) and Ben Frasier (First Congressional District) nominations.

Posted: June 8th, 2010 | Author: apolkey | Filed under: South Carolina | Tags: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Vic Rawl has had my utmost respect since 2006, when I heard him give a spirited defense of the Voting Rights Act.

And I don’t know much about Col. Robert Burton, although I honor his distinguished military service.

Finally, I was not on the ground this time around, so I have little standing to offer Monday-morning quarterbacking.

Nevertheless, although I’m disappointed, I am not surprised that Alvin Greene – an unemployed veteran who spent not a dollar more than his $10,000 filing fee, and Ben Frasier – an eccentric who has tried (and lost) at least 17 elections – beat back candidates who otherwise were virtually assured the Democratic nomination.

Some are calling Greene a DeMint “plant.” Others are calling for a November cross-over vote in the First Congressional District.

I’m calling for South Carolina Democrats to take responsibility for their nominees.

Although I wasn’t on the ground, I have a theory for what happened here. Consider the 2006 First Congressional District Democratic Primary,* when a party-favorite slept on his primary and Ben Frasier (on try 16) forced a run-off. At the time, I was active in the Charleston County Democratic Party, and watched many activists exclaim “who is Ben Frasier!? How could he possibly force a run-off?!”

The answer is simple: when candidates fail to introduce themselves to voters, voters make guesses and gravitate to the familiar. And – I cringe to say – in a primary where nearly 50% of the electorate is African American, possessing the surnames Greene and Frasier does not hurt. Especially since Greene and Frasier are both black.

Case in point: In the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Robert Ford, a well-known African American State Senator, came in third behind two white candidates who took time (and had no choice, really) to introduce themselves to all voters. The candidate I supported (and eventual winner), Vincent Sheheen, enjoys excellent relations with the African American community.

The Democratic Party must stop taking for granted the votes of African Americans. Black voters should not be expected to divine the will of the party establishment and happily vote for a candidate who does not ask for their vote.

My head will explode if Democratic nominees go through another election cycle ignoring black voters, yet performing the last Sunday in October/jazz radio shuck and jive. Democratic candidates are lucky that the Republican Party goes above, beyond, and galactically out of its way to ideologically alienate black voters. Such luck is destined to run out, as it should. If the Republican Party happens to wise up first and quit shooting itself in the foot, the Democratic Party will get what it deserves.

* In a previous iteration of this post, I inaccurately stated that Ben Frasier forced a runoff against Linda Ketner in 2006. He actually forced a runoff against party-favorite Randy Maatta.