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View Full Version : Crowded S.C. Primary Poses Challenge for Graham



Brian4Liberty
08-07-2013, 02:13 PM
The run-off will decide this one...



Though no one thinks it'll be easy, the word is out among ambitious South Carolina conservatives: Lindsey Graham really is susceptible to defeat in 2014.

Newcomer Nancy Mace and libertarian-leaning state Sen. Lee Bright are set to become the second and third GOP candidates to announce their intentions to run against the second-term senator, and political watchers in the Palmetto State believe the field may expand even further in the coming weeks.
...
For a lawmaker who has long raised the ire of some rank-and-file conservatives with his deal-brokering and occasional breeches from Republican orthodoxy, there is a benefit to splitting the Tea Party vote into as many parts as possible.

But this line of reasoning has a potential flaw: South Carolina electoral law stipulates that a candidate must win at least 50 percent of the primary vote to avoid a runoff, and Graham’s chances of reaching that threshold could become even more difficult with additional names on the ballot.

And in a one-on-one runoff , all bets are off for Graham, who would likely have to fight tooth and nail for his political survival.

Former South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson -- who runs a super PAC supporting the already well-funded incumbent -- explained in stark terms the challenge ahead: “Fifty percent in a three- or four-person race is a hard number to get to. It just is. My expectation would be a runoff.”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/08/03/crowded_sc_primary_poses_challenge_for_graham_1194 85.html

Nancy Mace: http://nancymace.org/
Lee Bright: http://www.brightforsenate.com/
Pericles
08-07-2013, 02:59 PM
Graham opponents will be motivated to vote, RINOs not so much.
jbauer
08-07-2013, 03:14 PM
He wont get 50% on the first run. The runoff should be exciting. Atleast for the teapartier they wont have to change their ads when they call Graham a Democrat.
eduardo89
08-07-2013, 03:17 PM
Could Graham run as an independent if he loses the GOP nomination? I can see him doing that out of spite.
PatriotOne
08-07-2013, 03:17 PM
If we can force a run off, the money is going to POUR in from the conservatives to Lindsey's challenger. I will donate to the effort to oust him gleefully. Oh please, please, please let this happen!
supermario21
08-07-2013, 03:22 PM
Too bad it seems that Sic Willie is instigating a circular firing squad currently between the Mace, Bright, and Cash camps.
PatriotOne
08-07-2013, 03:28 PM
Rand needs to stay out of this one in case it backfires and a democrat gets elected in Grahams place. Not that it matters since he's a rino anyways but most people don't know it anyways and they would blame Rand for getting a dem elected. This one is a chess match...not checkers.
RonPaulMall
08-07-2013, 03:28 PM
If we can force a run off, the money is going to POUR in from the conservatives to Lindsey's challenger. I will donate to the effort to oust him gleefully. Oh please, please, please let this happen!

I want the runoff to be between Mace and Bright. And that isn't as unrealistic as the media would have you believe. Graham may have all the money, but that doesn't get you squat without actual living, breathing voters. And i don't think there is much more than 10% of the GOP electorate down there that can even stand the guy at this point.
Brian4Liberty
08-07-2013, 03:42 PM
Could Graham run as an independent if he loses the GOP nomination? I can see him doing that out of spite.

It looks like SC is one of the few States that does have a sore loser law. If Lindsey loses the Primary, he can't be on the ballot in the General.


South Carolina also has a "sore loser" law, which blocks a candidate from appearing on the ballot if he or she seeks and loses any party's nomination

http://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/limiting-voters-choices-south-carolina
eduardo89
08-07-2013, 03:46 PM
It looks like SC is one of the few States that does have a sore loser law. If Lindsey loses the Primary, he can't be on the ballot in the General.

Very good. I don't like sore loser laws, but I'll support it in this case lol
Brett85
08-07-2013, 04:20 PM
Who is better on the issues between Mace and Bright?
HOLLYWOOD
08-07-2013, 04:28 PM
Lindsey Graham is implanted/embedded with corporate media, military industrial complex, powerful special interest and old voters. (http://tweetwood.com/photos/GrahamBlog/736544/)

http://cdn.tweetwood.com/images/celeb/148/45/8u6rk/GrahamBlog-mwm6-570x.jpg

http://cdn.tweetwood.com/images/celeb/148/45/8u6rk/GrahamBlog-n8zx-570x.jpg

http://cdn.tweetwood.com/images/celeb/148/45/8u6rk/GrahamBlog-n918-570x.jpg

http://cdn.tweetwood.com/images/celeb/148/45/8u6rk/GrahamBlog-n40l-570x.jpg
eduardo89
08-07-2013, 04:28 PM
Who is better on the issues between Mace and Bright?

I honestly don't know where Mace stands on any issue. Her issues page just reads like a typical conservative full of talking points without any real substance or details.

Lee has a voting record, which I'll try and find and post here.
Brian4Liberty
08-07-2013, 04:28 PM
Who is better on the issues between Mace and Bright?

The one that goes to the run-off... ;)
PaleoPaul
08-07-2013, 06:22 PM
Too bad it seems that Sic Willie is instigating a circular firing squad currently between the Mace, Bright, and Cash camps.
Who?

Do you mean Slick Willie, as in Bill Clinton? Or did you mean to say "Sic"? And if so, who's "Sic Willie"?
Brian4Liberty
08-07-2013, 06:27 PM
Who?

Do you mean Slick Willie, as in Bill Clinton? Or did you mean to say "Sic"? And if so, who's "Sic Willie"?

He's the guy who runs FITS news.
Brett85
08-07-2013, 07:10 PM
I honestly don't know where Mace stands on any issue. Her issues page just reads like a typical conservative full of talking points without any real substance or details.

Lee has a voting record, which I'll try and find and post here.

Yeah, I wasn't all that impressed with her issues page. There were some grammatical errors as well.
green73
08-11-2013, 09:39 AM
Sheeeet. Looks like the establishment knows what it's doing here, splitting the opposition. It's just what they did to Paul in the 2012 primary. I bet some snake in the grass was instrumental in getting Bright to announce.
compromise
08-11-2013, 10:38 AM
Sheeeet. Looks like the establishment knows what it's doing here, splitting the opposition. It's just what they did to Paul in the 2012 primary. I bet some snake in the grass was instrumental in getting Bright to announce.

It's a run-off. It doesn't matter if the opposition is split.
Anti-Neocon
08-11-2013, 10:56 AM
It's a run-off. It doesn't matter if the opposition is split.
It does if Bright or Mace don't finish in 2nd.
FrankRep
08-11-2013, 10:59 AM
Graham opponents will be motivated to vote, RINOs not so much.
Graham has extremely powerful connections in the public and private sector. People will be motivated to vote for Graham.
compromise
08-11-2013, 11:01 AM
It does if Bright or Mace don't finish in 2nd.

They're the only challengers who are getting media coverage. Cash isn't getting anything, and even if somehow he did come 2nd, he would still be pretty good, a huge improvement on Graham.
Warlord
08-11-2013, 11:06 AM
Graham still huge fave to get to 50% even in a crowded field unless one of them takes off
Anti-Neocon
08-11-2013, 11:12 AM
They're the only challengers who are getting media coverage. Cash isn't getting anything, and even if somehow he did come 2nd, he would still be pretty good, a huge improvement on Graham.
There's still time for others to enter the race. I don't really see someone else finishing in 2nd but it's something that we've gotta keep at the back of our minds.