Club for Growth: Lindsey Graham is top target for 2014

[tsai3904]

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is at the top of the Club for Growth’s target list for 2014, the group’s president, Chris Chocola, said Thursday.

At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Chocola told reporters that the Club for Growth is eyeing Graham’s race with a “lot of interest,” given the Republican’s deviations from the Club’s conservative, free-market agenda.

“If you’re looking to the horizon of 2014,” Chocola said, “the sun may rise over South Carolina.”

Chocola, a former Indiana congressman, said the Club’s level of involvement in the race would ultimately depend on who emerges to challenge Graham in the GOP primary. He hinted that the Club is not the only organization preparing to oppose Graham’s renomination.

More:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/09/club-names-target-lindsey-graham-136104.html


Update:

Tom Davis' statement:


The Club for Growth’s decision to target Lindsey Graham in 2014 is hardly surprising. I mean, just look at his record. He voted on numerous occasions to raise the debt ceiling without any corresponding entitlement reforms or spending cuts; supported the taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall Street banks; worked with John Kerry for global warming legislation and centralized control of the energy industry; promoted illegal immigration amnesty; lobbied for the confirmation of liberal justices like Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan; and, just recently, proposed new taxes to prop up more government spending. When Sen. Graham says everything he’s doing is ‘completely opposite of where the Tea Party movement’s at,’ and when he says ‘free speech is a great idea,’ and then supports gags on free speech, well, then he ought to expect strong opposition from those who believe that individual liberty and economic freedom is the very essence of what our nation is, or at least what it once was.

[sailingaway]

Yeah, we will have crossover on Davis.

I'm fairly optimistic about that race.

[AJ Antimony]

Davis actually has a choice here. He can either challenge Graham in 2014 or wait for the open seat in 2016 (I believe DeMint said he won't be running for re-election).

If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route. If Davis and someone else challenge Graham, then it will get exponentially harder. 2016 might be easier if DeMint has the clout in SC to "hand pick" Davis as his replacement. Otherwise, it would probably be a grueling ~4 person primary.

[sailingaway]

Davis actually has a choice here. He can either challenge Graham in 2014 or wait for the open seat in 2016 (I believe DeMint said he won't be running for re-election).

If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route. If Davis and someone else challenge Graham, then it will get exponentially harder. 2016 might be easier if DeMint has the clout in SC to "hand pick" Davis as his replacement. Otherwise, it would probably be a grueling ~4 person primary.

Yeah, but against Lindsey's money, a joint 'other side of the tea party'/liberty candidate would imho likely win. We are the only ones able to muster significant support against the establishment. I don't think other candidates would be a threat, unless some pressure group develops between now and then.

[erowe1]

Interesting. I wonder why CFG sees Graham as a special target. At any rate, I'm glad they do.

[Cowlesy]

Oh wow, can you even imagine? Toppling one of the top neoconservative foreign policy republicans?

Yesssss, yessssss (deviously)

[Brian4Liberty]

Davis actually has a choice here. He can either challenge Graham in 2014 or wait for the open seat in 2016 (I believe DeMint said he won't be running for re-election).

If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route. If Davis and someone else challenge Graham, then it will get exponentially harder.

We had a couple of Senate races this year where that happened in the Primary...

[jkob]

Davis is a legit candidate and should have a realistic shot. You have to take a shot at taking out Lindsay Graham.

[sailingaway]

Davis is a legit candidate and should have a realistic shot. You have to take a shot at taking out Lindsay Graham.

Heck our 'Dem for the election' guy in 2008 got 42% of the vote against Graham (with the Dem party endorsing the GOP candidate that year....). It isn't exactly as if Graham were popular. And Davis is.

[HOLLYWOOD]

All the major military/corporate Industrial complexes will be funneling millions to Lindsey Graham for 2014.

This is going to take a united effort by many many groups and grassroots.

Graham will have the crusading evangelical Zionut Gary Bauer who was very effective in the SC primary with this video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWEzrPkFSP8

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Interesting. I wonder why CFG sees Graham as a special target. At any rate, I'm glad they do.
CFG is a free-market organization and Graham is not a free market politician.

They helped Mourdock toppled Lugar.

[erowe1]

CFG is a free-market organization and Graham is not a free market politician.

They helped Mourdock toppled Lugar.

It looks like there are 13 Republican incumbents running for reelection in the US Senate in 2014. I don't see anything that distinguishes Graham from the rest of them as a CFG type. Maybe I could if they cared about foreign policy. But they don't seem to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2014

[sailingaway]

All the major military/corporate Industrial complexes will be funneling millions to Lindsey Graham for 2014.

This is going to take a united effort by many many groups and grassroots.

Graham will have the crusading evangelical Zionut Gary Bauer who was very effective in the SC primary with this video



why would you want to spread that smear?

He had millions in 2008, and our guy had about $38,000 and still got 42% of the vote. Mind you he lost, but Davis has a constituency already, and will get more money, both from us, by virtue of Ron not running at the same time, and from others.

[TCE]

This is good. The fact that they're even talking about targeting an incumbent Republican Senator two years down the line is a good thing. Ideally we would have a shot at an open-seat race, but Graham might see the tea leaves and retire or the wave might be so strong from other areas that we're in good shape. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

[FSP-Rebel]

Good times to be alive.

[tsai3904]

Graham's spokesman responds:


Senator Graham agrees with the Club for Growth on most issues, but we do have some sharp differences, particularly on Chinese currency manipulation and Ex-Im Bank.

For years, the Club for Growth has absolutely detested Lindsey Graham’s relentless drive to hold China accountable for its currency manipulation. At one time, the Club for Growth even had a note on their congressional ratings page warning members not to sign onto Senator Graham’s Chinese currency manipulation bill.

The Club for Growth also opposed his outspoken support for reauthorization of Ex-Im Bank, even though it is an incredibly important issue to thousands of South Carolina workers who produce Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in North Charleston. Eighty percent of the 787's produced in South Carolina will be sold to companies who are eligible for and routinely use Ex-Im financing.

Senator Graham would love to have a world without Ex-Im Banks, but that world doesn’t exist. He sees no evidence that competitor nations like China are getting out of the Ex-Im business, and he doesn’t believe the United States should unilaterally disarm.

Senator Graham is currently focused on the massive fiscal problems facing our nation and ensuring the United States remains a strong national security voice in a deteriorating world. He continues to work with the Romney campaign to unseat President Obama, and he's campaigning hard to win a GOP majority in the Senate.

But come 2014, our campaign will highlight and run aggressively on Senator Graham's distinguished conservative record that reflects South Carolina values.

[Brian4Liberty]

Yeah, we will have crossover on Davis.

I'm fairly optimistic about that race.


If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route.

Will CFG support Davis?

[tsai3904]

Tom Davis' statement:


The Club for Growth’s decision to target Lindsey Graham in 2014 is hardly surprising. I mean, just look at his record. He voted on numerous occasions to raise the debt ceiling without any corresponding entitlement reforms or spending cuts; supported the taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall Street banks; worked with John Kerry for global warming legislation and centralized control of the energy industry; promoted illegal immigration amnesty; lobbied for the confirmation of liberal justices like Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan; and, just recently, proposed new taxes to prop up more government spending. When Sen. Graham says everything he’s doing is ‘completely opposite of where the Tea Party movement’s at,’ and when he says ‘free speech is a great idea,’ and then supports gags on free speech, well, then he ought to expect strong opposition from those who believe that individual liberty and economic freedom is the very essence of what our nation is, or at least what it once was.

[Austin]

Tom Davis' statement:


The Club for Growth’s decision to target Lindsey Graham in 2014 is hardly surprising. I mean, just look at his record. He voted on numerous occasions to raise the debt ceiling without any corresponding entitlement reforms or spending cuts; supported the taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall Street banks; worked with John Kerry for global warming legislation and centralized control of the energy industry; promoted illegal immigration amnesty; lobbied for the confirmation of liberal justices like Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan; and, just recently, proposed new taxes to prop up more government spending. When Sen. Graham says everything he’s doing is ‘completely opposite of where the Tea Party movement’s at,’ and when he says ‘free speech is a great idea,’ and then supports gags on free speech, well, then he ought to expect strong opposition from those who believe that individual liberty and economic freedom is the very essence of what our nation is, or at least what it once was.

http://i.imgur.com/InWJw.gif

[Lovecraftian4Paul]

I would love to see Graham knocked out. Not just to get rid of a bad Senator, but to keep him from ever advancing to President or VP.

[Keith and stuff]

If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route. If Davis and someone else challenge Graham, then it will get exponentially harder. 2016 might be easier if DeMint has the clout in SC to "hand pick" Davis as his replacement. Otherwise, it would probably be a grueling ~4 person primary.

Another possible option is trying to beat Graham in 2014. If Davis fails, he has a much larger network of donors, supporters and volunteers to help him with the 2016 run. Plus, it gets his name out their, which is important as Davis isn't well known in SC.

[Brian4Liberty]

Will CFG support Davis?

And just as important, will DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund endorse Davis?

[mz10]

The mitigating factor here is whether one of SC's congressmen decides to run, aka Mick Mulvaney, Tim Scott, Trey Gowdy, etc. All those guys are popular in the state, although it will be interesting to see if they're willing to give up their seat in the House to take a risk like that. If not, it'll likely be Davis vs. Graham.

[tsai3904]

Will CFG support Davis?

Yes they will. Here's Club for Growth's South Carolina affiliate's scorecard for 2011:

http://www.scclubforgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011-SCCFG-Senate-Scorecard-Pocket-Version.pdf

Notice that the top 3 all endorsed Ron Paul.

[tsai3904]

The mitigating factor here is whether one of SC's congressmen decides to run, aka Mick Mulvaney, Tim Scott, Trey Gowdy, etc. All those guys are popular in the state, although it will be interesting to see if they're willing to give up their seat in the House to take a risk like that. If not, it'll likely be Davis vs. Graham.

That's why I think Davis is giving public hints that he's going to run. That will hopefully prevent others from jumping in.

[Ivash]

Yes they will. Here's Club for Growth's South Carolina affiliate's scorecard for 2011:

http://www.scclubforgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011-SCCFG-Senate-Scorecard-Pocket-Version.pdf

Notice that the top 3 all endorsed Ron Paul.

Yeah. I wouldn't call the Club for Growth libertarian, but it certainly has libertarian tendencies.

[nobody's_hero]

I think State Senator Lee Bright might make a good one to take Senator DeMint's place in 2016. I don't know as much about him as I do Tom Davis but I know the establishment recently went after Bright pretty hard and the liberty supporters were able the fend off his opponents in a primary.

So Tom Davis could take on Graham in 2014, and be in a position to endorse Sen. Bright to replace DeMint in 2016, and South Carolina would have 2 of 2 U.S. Senators working to introduce liberty-related legislation.

Lee Bright was one of 4 SC state senators with the guts to endorse Ron Paul this election.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzNMGYCrKPk

[Smart3]

We had a couple of Senate races this year where that happened in the Primary...
I'm sure you're referring to Rick Williams and Dan Liljenquist.

[Jeremy]

Davis actually has a choice here. He can either challenge Graham in 2014 or wait for the open seat in 2016 (I believe DeMint said he won't be running for re-election).

If Davis is the only person to challenge Graham in 2014, then that may be the easier route. If Davis and someone else challenge Graham, then it will get exponentially harder. 2016 might be easier if DeMint has the clout in SC to "hand pick" Davis as his replacement. Otherwise, it would probably be a grueling ~4 person primary. Davis and the people around him are consistently giving signals that he will run in 2014.

[specsaregood]

Heck our 'Dem for the election' guy in 2008 got 42% of the vote against Graham (with the Dem party endorsing the GOP candidate that year....). It isn't exactly as if Graham were popular. And Davis is.

It wouldnt' hurt for us to try to get another Conley the dem nomination. That way we get 2 cracks at him if necessary.

[sailingaway]

It wouldnt' hurt for us to try to get another Conley the dem nomination. That way we get 2 cracks at him if necessary.

good point, but I'm hoping Davis takes him.

I don't want to support someone against Davis, in the event he wins...

[specsaregood]

good point, but I'm hoping Davis takes him.
I don't want to support someone against Davis, in the event he wins...

I'm with you; but if its a bloody primary and graham still wins, he could be severly weakened and poorer, prime pickings for a liberty democrat.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

I think State Senator Lee Bright might make a good one to take Senator DeMint's place in 2016. I don't know as much about him as I do Tom Davis but I know the establishment recently went after Bright pretty hard and the liberty supporters were able the fend off his opponents in a primary.

So Tom Davis could take on Graham in 2014, and be in a position to endorse Sen. Bright to replace DeMint in 2016, and South Carolina would have 2 of 2 U.S. Senators working to introduce liberty-related legislation.

Lee Bright was one of 4 SC state senators with the guts to endorse Ron Paul this election.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzNMGYCrKPk

Bright frequently posts about Ron Paul and associated topics on his facebook page. He would be a great choice.

[eleganz]

I can't wait to phone from home for Tom Davis. Hell I might even go to S.C. !!

I'm sure Ron and Rand will be on hand to back him up.

[Rocco]

If Tom Davis runs, I too may be heading to South Carolina. This race is too important to not go all out on!



I can't wait to phone from home for Tom Davis. Hell I might even go to S.C. !!

I'm sure Ron and Rand will be on hand to back him up.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Another possible option is trying to beat Graham in 2014. If Davis fails, he has a much larger network of donors, supporters and volunteers to help him with the 2016 run. Plus, it gets his name out their, which is important as Davis isn't well known in SC.
Yup, its a net positive any way you slice it, win or lose. I happen to think we'd have a great opportunity to win and take out one of the worst Senators currently serving and replacing him with Davis who would be a top 3 best Senator in decades! I think we take that shot. It's going to be expensive though so start saving your pennies people!

[Bastiat's The Law]

I can't wait to phone from home for Tom Davis. Hell I might even go to S.C. !!

I'm sure Ron and Rand will be on hand to back him up.
We could win this if Paul supporters focus on this race like a laser beam.

[eleganz]

Yup, its a net positive any way you slice it, win or lose. I happen to think we'd have a great opportunity to win and take out one of the worst Senators currently serving and replacing him with Davis who would be a top 3 best Senator in decades! I think we take that shot. It's going to be expensive though so start saving your pennies people!

that and Rand Paul will have a new best friend in the senate. :D

[AJ Antimony]

Yeah, but against Lindsey's money, a joint 'other side of the tea party'/liberty candidate would imho likely win. We are the only ones able to muster significant support against the establishment. I don't think other candidates would be a threat, unless some pressure group develops between now and then.

I'm just worried about a repeat of Wisconsin and Missouri... where there are 2 "tea party" candidates vs. the establishment candidate, and the establishment candidate wins due to a split opposition vote.

[AJ Antimony]

We had a couple of Senate races this year where that happened in the Primary...

Exactly what I'm referring to.

[AJ Antimony]

Will CFG support Davis?

Why wouldn't they? I thought Davis has a very free market voting record. If CFG says they will oppose Graham, then they will oppose Graham. I'd imagine the only thing that would prevent them from challenging Graham would be if he had a liberal Republican challenger.

If you're asking if CFG would support Davis over another anti-Graham opponent, then yes, that would be the $64,000 question. Of course they'd probably just attack Graham no matter who the anti-Graham candidates are.

[Brian4Liberty]

I'm sure you're referring to Rick Williams and Dan Liljenquist.

Actually, I was thinking more of Scaringi/Rohrer, Brunner/Steelman, Pettinger/Addison/Cruz and Nuemann/Hovde. With the exception of Cruz, all of those races went to the establishment candidate. California was a mess, and the establishment candidate won there too. We had Hughes as the teo-con, and Williams as the Ron Paul type, but together they had less than Emken.

[AJ Antimony]

Another possible option is trying to beat Graham in 2014. If Davis fails, he has a much larger network of donors, supporters and volunteers to help him with the 2016 run. Plus, it gets his name out their, which is important as Davis isn't well known in SC.

I'm sure he can get his name out there for 2016 without running a campaign in 2014.

[Brian4Liberty]

If you're asking if CFG would support Davis over another anti-Graham opponent, then yes, that would be the $64,000 question.

Yep, that is the question. Will there be multiple challengers to Lindsey in the Primary?

[musicmax]

Davis vs. Graham could be some fine old-fashioned scorched-earth politickin'. Stay away if you - as George C. Scott would say - don't want to get your hair mussed. Here's my strategy for taking Graham down:

1. Publicly, run HARD RIGHT and tie Graham to Obama ("Lindsey Graham voted to give Barack Obama the power to put any American citizen in prison, without charges and without the right to an attorney"; "Graham and Obama have worked together for years to let illegal immigrants steal jobs from Americans - they both even want to give illegals benefits paid for by your tax money")

2. LEAVE THE INDEPENDENTS, THE COLLEGES, AND THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO THE GRASSROOTS. South Carolina is NOT New Hampshire. The mainstream Republican in SC is a semi-literate bible-thumping gun-totin' Muslim-fearin' grandmother. Remember NEWT won this state. If Davis gets photographed at a NORML rally or with a "truther", the race is over. Remember Debra Medina? Don't think that won't happen to Davis - it might anyway.

3. Make sure that for at least one debate you stand at podiums. Voters subconsciously prefer taller candidates.

4. A Graham press release from August 1, 2011 on his website (http://lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=85f611bc-802a-23ad-434e-2e6af61502e9) states, "“I have always believed we have to raise our nation's debt-ceiling." Every commercial must contain that quote.

5. Bumper sticker: WHERE'S LINDSEY'S WIFE?

[AJ Antimony]

Yep, that is the question. Will there be multiple challengers to Lindsey in the Primary?

IMO if there is, Graham will win the primary.

[eleganz]

Forget David 16, we should fight hard for 14 and then he can endorse Lee Bright for 16.


Plus..Graham has to go, he is 'slamming Rand for wanting to end foreign aid'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/lindsay-graham-rand-paul-foreign-aid_n_1901432.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

[supermario21]

We need to get our guys in as early as possible, like 2014, especially if Romney loses. Otherwise all the RINO's will be out in force for Jeb Bush rather than Rand.

[musicmax]

The mitigating factor here is whether one of SC's congressmen decides to run, aka Mick Mulvaney, Tim Scott, Trey Gowdy, etc. All those guys are popular in the state, although it will be interesting to see if they're willing to give up their seat in the House to take a risk like that.

Zero chance. When's the last time a Congressman successfully primaried a sitting Senator? Sununu over Smith? Sestak over Specter doesn't really count in my book.

[Bastiat's The Law]

I'm just worried about a repeat of Wisconsin and Missouri... where there are 2 "tea party" candidates vs. the establishment candidate, and the establishment candidate wins due to a split opposition vote.
That's why its vitally important to fill Tom Davis campaign coffers as quickly as possible to show he's a serious challenger. We'll need to raise several million dollars.

[musicmax]

IMO if there is, Graham will win the primary.

Absolutely. Graham starts with an automatic 40% of the vote on name recognition. In a three-way that wins. Must be one-on-one for Lindsey to go down. Yes that was intentional...

[Occam's Banana]

In a three-way that wins. Must be one-on-one for Lindsey to go down. Yes that was intentional...

I see you see what you did there. ;)

[Shane Harris]

Davis can win. If Demint can endorse him and campaign for him then that should be enough. Not to mention he will have the endorsement of Rand and Ron and probably a bunch of others including Mike Lee, Amash, Jones, etc. Might even get Palin like Rand did.

[Austin]

I can't wait to phone from home for Tom Davis. Hell I might even go to S.C. !!

I'm sure Ron and Rand will be on hand to back him up.

I wouldn't count on Rand's support in the primary.. although I'm curious to see what course of action he takes in a contest outside of his home state.

[sailingaway]

He'll have the tea party and us, I think he can win. If Rand endorses Graham, it may possibly impact Ron, and pull him out from endorsing but I think Ron might endorse anyway. In any event, Ron's supporters know who supported Ron when he needed it, and we'll be there. There is no possibility on God's green earth that Ron will endorse Graham.

And I think CFG saying Graham was number 1 for removal signalled to LG that Rand might not endorse him despite LG's pussyfooting around Rand for the last two years. LG went after Rand on foreign aid to Pakistan right after that.

[specsaregood]

He'll have the tea party and us, I think he can win. If Rand endorses Graham, it may possibly impact Ron, and pull him out from endorsing but I think Ron might endorse anyway. In any event, Ron's supporters know who supported Ron when he needed it, and we'll be there. There is no possibility on God's green earth that Ron will endorse Graham.

And I think CFG saying Graham was number 1 for removal signalled to LG that Rand might not endorse him despite LG's pussyfooting around Rand for the last two years. LG went after Rand on foreign aid to Pakistan right after that.

Dude. No way does Rand endorse Graham and I predict he'll endorse grahams opposition if it is davis or similar.

Personally, I don't think the CFG would go for this if they didn't have Demint's blessing already.

[Bastiat's The Law]

He'll have the tea party and us, I think he can win. If Rand endorses Graham, it may possibly impact Ron, and pull him out from endorsing but I think Ron might endorse anyway. In any event, Ron's supporters know who supported Ron when he needed it, and we'll be there. There is no possibility on God's green earth that Ron will endorse Graham.

And I think CFG saying Graham was number 1 for removal signalled to LG that Rand might not endorse him despite LG's pussyfooting around Rand for the last two years. LG went after Rand on foreign aid to Pakistan right after that.
Why would Rand endorse Graham? Is that a joke? :confused:

[sailingaway]

Dude. No way does Rand endorse Graham and I predict he'll endorse grahams opposition if it is davis or similar.

Personally, I don't think the CFG would go for this if they didn't have Demint's blessing already.

I'm certain GFG has De Mint's blessing and I expect Rand is on board, which is why LG realized he is unlikely to get Rand's endorsement and let loose against Rand to at least shore up his support with the neocon elements (as if they weren't peddling his train to begin with.)

As to Rand supporting LG, I think that is what LG has been angling for in the last two years, either outright support or to keep Rand from supporting opposition. I think Rand's close work with CFG and CFGs statement signaled to LG this was unlikely to be successful.

[erowe1]

Personally, I don't think the CFG would go for this if they didn't have Demint's blessing already.

I think part of what's going on is that CFG is trying to get some publicity and win over donations from people who don't like Graham. It has as much to do with his reputation as the prototypical RINO as anything else.

[specsaregood]

As to Rand supporting LG, I think that is what LG has been angling for in the last two years, either outright support or to keep Rand from supporting opposition.

It is painfully obvious to me now that Rand is feeling really alone up there in the Senate, with even fewer allies than had feared. If he thinks he can get a real ally up there in the Senate I think it is a done deal that they will get his support.

[sailingaway]

I think part of what's going on is that CFG is trying to get some publicity and win over donations from people who don't like Graham. It has as much to do with his reputation as the prototypical RINO as anything else.

I agree that CFG does that, but I also think it wouldn't act like this w/o a signal of some sort from De Mint. CFG essentially IS De Mint, these days.

[sailingaway]

It is painfully obvious to me now that Rand is feeling really alone up there in the Senate, with even fewer allies than had feared. If he thinks he can get a real ally up there in the Senate I think it is a done deal that they will get his support.

I'm speaking to LG's mindset. I wasn't speaking to what Rand will or won't actually do. The 'if Rand supports Graham' bit was in response to the prior poster. I hope he doesn't, and don't think he will.

[parocks]

Interesting. I wonder why CFG sees Graham as a special target. At any rate, I'm glad they do.

I don't know much about CFG, but Graham is seen by many as the worst. RINOs are not wanted or needed in SC.

[erowe1]

I don't know much about CFG, but Graham is seen by many as the worst. RINOs are not wanted or needed in SC.

I don't like Graham. And I think you're right that he's seen that way. For whatever reason, Limbaugh has chosen to make Graham his symbol of centrism. But most people who think that don't notice how much a lot of other Republicans have in common with Graham. If Davis did run against him, I think it would be entertaining to see a lot of those folks turn around and back Graham in the primary.

[tsai3904]

If Davis did run against him, I think it would be entertaining to see a lot of those folks turn around and back Graham in the primary.

If that happened, it would be because of foreign policy differences.

[erowe1]

If that happened, it would be because of foreign policy differences.

Correct.

Davis will be painted as an anti-semite. And the promises he will be expected to make in order to prove he isn't will be ones that will turn off a lot of Ron Paul supporters if he agrees to make them.

[sailingaway]

Correct.

Davis will be painted as an anti-semite. And the promises he will be expected to make in order to prove he isn't will be ones that will turn off a lot of Ron Paul supporters if he agrees to make them.

At the Senate level I don't think that is as persuasive. There are some that buy that nonsense, but it isn't half the electorate, and LG already has those in his corner.

[libertygrl]

If that happened, it would be because of foreign policy differences.

Just show them this video and his attacks on our constitutional rights:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D53WNf34ZtA

[tsai3904]

Just show them this video and his attacks on our constitutional rights:

Unfortunately, I don't think that will play well in a Republican primary.

[erowe1]

At the Senate level I don't think that is as persuasive. There are some that buy that nonsense, but it isn't half the electorate, and LG already has those in his corner.

I don't think he does. There are a lot of anti-Graham conservatives who will gladly support him over someone they think won't support Israel.

It will come up in a senate race. When James Dobson endorsed Rand, one of the things he said was that Rand assured him he would support Israel. The charge of being insufficiently committed to Israel was a huge impediment for John Hostettler's senate run in Indiana in 2010 as well.

[sailingaway]

I don't think he does. There are a lot of anti-Graham conservatives who will gladly support him over someone they think won't support Israel.

It will come up in a senate race. When James Dobson endorsed Rand, one of the things he said was that Rand assured him he would support Israel. The charge of being insufficiently committed to Israel was a huge impediment for John Hostettler's senate run in Indiana in 2010 as well.

I didn't say it wouldn't come up, just that I think, as in Rand's case, it won't prevail. Davis already is popular, AND he has us. LG is already UNpopular.

I can't predict the future, but that is my opinion on it.

[libertygrl]

Correct.

Davis will be painted as an anti-semite. And the promises he will be expected to make in order to prove he isn't will be ones that will turn off a lot of Ron Paul supporters if he agrees to make them.

He's got to get tough and get a backbone then. This is why we are in the trouble we are in.

[sailingaway]

He's got to get tough and get a backbone then. This is why we are in the trouble we are in.

He has a backbone, whether he will utilize it fully in this case, I am not sure. I am expecting more of a 'costs need to be cut across the board, everything on the table for review' kind of position. I don't know if his position is Ron's position, precisely, on that. But it is night and day against Graham.

[low preference guy]

It is painfully obvious to me now that Rand is feeling really alone up there in the Senate, with even fewer allies than had feared. If he thinks he can get a real ally up there in the Senate I think it is a done deal that they will get his support.

i think Rand will endorse no one in that race. Ron might endorse Davis. but Davis really won't need Rand's endorsement to get the support of the liberty crowd.

[sailingaway]

i think Rand will endorse no one in that race. Ron might endorse Davis. but Davis really won't need the Rand's endorsement to get the support of the liberty crowd.

Davis is already considered the best tea party state senator there, and if De Mint and Rand just stay out, the tea party will go with Davis already. Ron would bring those of the liberty crowd who just joined after South Carolina, but I think most will be there anyhow. We've been tracking Davis since he endorsed Ron, and so far, he looks pretty good.