Alvin Greene (SC) is baffling me!

[sixmile]

His victory is either:

1. Democracy-at-work
2. A Cinderella story
3. A nefarious, cynical political dirty-trick
4. Voter apathy

However it turns out, I can't wait for the book!

[Are_grits_groceries]

1. It's all of the above. nt

[CTyankee]

2. I think it's #3 mostly, but some of it is voter ignorance.

Lots of people go to the polls without very much knowledge about the candidate. They rely on other people or party label to "decide" for them.

I can't see any other option. The guy certainly couldn't come up with a 10k filing fee on his own...

[sixmile]

5. How do you know for sure?

I read that his parents were involved with local politics, he apparently is a veteran and went to a university.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4422179

$10k isn't the world. Any weird thing is possible.

[blondeatlast]

10. Where did s/he say s/he knew "for sure?" S/he said "I think..."

Big difference there.

[sixmile]

15. My question was in response to the STATEMENT:

"The guy certainly couldn't come up with a 10k filing fee on his own.."

Do we know for certain that he couldn't?

[LisaL]

20. He got a public defender in his obscenity case.

So if he had the kind of money to pay over 10,000 $ filing fee, why didn't he pay for a private lawyer to defend him in an obscenity case?

[Jamastiene]

36. Maybe he used all his money on the filing fee.

:shrug:

[LisaL]

38. That wouldn't make sense because of a timeline.

The obscenity charge incident was in November. He came up with the filing fee in March.

[Jamastiene]

39. Good point.

I hadn't thought of that.

[sixmile]

40. Maybe it was a loan

You're being distracted by a side story. Money comes and goes. His bank records could clear it up.

[LisaL]

41. He claims he came up with the money from his own savings.

[LisaL]

21. He is a veteran discharged by the army involuntarily by his own

admission.

[sixmile]

22. I know veterans who have been involuntarily discharged

who have great families, good lives and plenty of money.
That label doesn't mean a thing in the real world.

And asking why he used a free public defender answers itself.

[LisaL]

23. He is unemployed man facing an obsenity charge, so pardon me

if I doubt he fits your description of someone with plenty of money. By the way, to get a public defender, someone has to not be able to pay for a lawyer.
If he has the kind of money, why doesn't he pay for his own lawyer?

[CTyankee]

24. Well, he DOES have a public defender representing him in his trial for obscenity.

And isn't it odd that he didn't "campaign"?

Some screw is loose somewhere...

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Yeah. Figure out who fronted him the money

and you'll have gone a long way toward solving the mystery.

[CTyankee]

25. What stumps me is why the repukes would do this? Wouldn't it be easily

found out? I know the repukes are stupid but this would be beyond stupid unless they are framing someone in the Dem Party...

[blondeatlast]

11. agreed. nt

[BeFree]

3. DRE's = Victories

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Wow, I know what you mean.

I could accept that it was a simple Diebolding if it made any sense to do that. The Republican is going to win anyway, so why would they have done something this egregious?

I have a strange little half-baked hypothesis. I think maybe somebody who is sophisticated in electronic election rigging, who has maybe tried in the past to get people to pay attention to the problem, finally decided to make his point very clear by bringing about the world's craziest election result.

I can punch holes in my own theory, but it still makes (slightly) more sense than anything else I have read or thought of.

Edited to add--

The way to perfect the demonstration would be to go on to jigger the November election & put Greene into the Senate. THAT oughtta frost the nuts of both parties.

[sixmile]

9. He hasn't denied that he COULD have won, though

He BELIEVES that he won.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. He is obviously being manipulated by someone.

Look at him, listen to him, and ask yourself, "Does this guy actually know what a Senator is?"

[sixmile]

19. I have and that's what baffles me

It isn't a requirement to know what a Senator is to be elected Senator.

I'm not naive, and I believe something is rotten in SC.

But what if there is? What happens then?

What if there isn't? Do we, as Democrats, back Alvin Greene against Jim Demint?

A Senate seat is nothing to simply cede to the opposition party, and maybe the national leadership is not paying attention.

[sunnybrook]

48. He supposedly has a degree

in Pol-Sci. I think from University of South Carolina.

[Truth2Tell]

46. Wow Jackpine... I've been half-baking that same theory...

wouldn't that be sumpthin' :)

[jazzelle]

7. He doesnt present an overwhelming presence

just sayin

[dtotire]

8. Mostly #3

In S.C., primaries are open to anyone. Registered Republicans can vote in them. Many of them did so, as Greene got many votes in white, predominately Republican districts so as to prevent the most capable Democrat from challenging DeMint.

[sixmile]

13. How did white folks- I mean repukes- know who he was?

nobody knew this guy. So why Him? So many questions...

[CTyankee]

26. They could have "happened" upon him somehow....however,

controlling that many repuke votes for him without somebody finding out what was going on would have to be a masterful plot. Even people sworn to secrecy talk...

[sixmile]

28. A masterful plot...

Controlled maybe through the many evangelical churches in SC?

[CTyankee]

30. Could be. They could have quietly recruited enough dedicated

followers into their cabal, told them to pretend to everyone that they were voting for Repubs as usual and then secretly voting for Greene. True believers will do anything for the cause...

I like THAT scenario!

[sixmile]

32. I believe this scenario more than vote flipping

How else do you explain the heavy voting for Greene in white suburban precincts?

How mean-spirited and cynical.

[CTyankee]

34. Me too. I'd like to think that there is such a thing as Diebolding but

I don't know if I can at this point.

But I HAVE seen what organizing true believers can accomplish...all throughout history...easily manipulated and obedient to authority. Besides, what's the cost to them? All they do is vote...nobody knows the difference and voila! It happens...

[Shrek]

43. But didn't SC have a hotly contested Republican gubernatorial primary?

Doesn't seem likely that very many would give up the chance to vote in that just to vote for Alvin Greene.

[CTyankee]

47. Not if they were carefully recruited to perform a stealth mission.

True believers will do a LOT for something they are dedicated to! It's why they are dangerous, IMHO.

If they were instructed ahead of time that the guy they were to "vote" for would NEVER in a million years beat Jim DeMint, and indeed, if they voted for Greene just to discredit the guy and discourage any other Dem from trying to compete, well, I can see how the believers decided what to do! It's sad, but true...

[MinM]

27. That goes along with my take on this too...

$10,000.00 is a good investment for the GOP to have made in this guy in order to save the millions they'd have to spend on a real race.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8544649#8544857

[dorkulon]

12. I still say a GOP plant would be a better public speaker. /nt

This guy is too weird to be a hand-picked shill.

[lunatica]

14. SC is the dirty tricks state

That's where Rove unleashed the McCain has a black daughter out of wedlock smear. Evidently SC republicans do this all the time.

[sixmile]

17. If they did this they are guilty of trying to destroy democracy

Whatever that's called...

[The Straight Story]

18. This thread needs a relevant pic:

[CTyankee]

31. That pic is hysterical! I effin' LOVE it!

It doesn't make any sense but it is just too wonderful...thanks for the laugh...I need it today!

[notadmblnd]

29. I think some repub operatove put up the money to get his name on the ballot

and the rest was Diebold magic. My question is, did Alvin Green even know he was running? I watched him on KO and I got the impression that he was listening hard for someone to give him answers to the questions that were asked.

[stray cat]

33. Progressives in action? (Maybe he had pure democrat after his name?)

[Jamastiene]

35. He's the latest shiny thing.

As in, "Oh look, a shiny thing. I'll forget all about Oilmageddon and concentrate on this for a while."

Hey, don't feel bad. For about 2.2 seconds, I looked away at the latest shiny thing too. I'll also admit it's in the back of my mind still too.

[sixmile]

37. Soon everything will be shiny

With a healthy, oily sheen. Why not politics? That's where it all starts.

[hadrons]

42. If he did spend $10,000 for the filing fee ....

that's seems to be ALL he did ... why spend the money and not do anything else???

[LLStarks]

44. 5. Unaccountable electronic voting without paper trails

[Tx4obama]

45. It's the machines, see link below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8545765