Here is a link to another thread on the speech from a different source.
Alvin
Greene
Ping!
"Would I - um - what - I"
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Posted on 07/19/2010 6:06:52 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
MANNING -- International media, photographers, more than a dozen television cameras and about 15 reporters turned out Sunday to watch Alvin Greene take the stage for the first time in his political career.
The last time so much press came to see a South Carolina politician was when Gov. Mark Sanford returned from Argentina and tearfully confessed a clandestine affair that resulted in his personal and political collapse.
Reporters were dispatched from as far away as London for the unlikely U.S. senatorial candidate's first real campaign stump Sunday at Greene's old junior high school. They came to see if Greene would freeze, whether he'd even show up, or if he'd trip over his own words like he's done in interview after interview since his shocking June primary win. Or whether he could wow his hometown crowd.
Greene took the stage after old family friend Willie Bethune roused the onlookers, condemning Greene's critics, his skeptics and those who tried to "vilify" the 32-year-old University of South Carolina graduate. Folks hooted the naysayers and cheered Bethune for his remarks.
"For this young man to get where he is today -- first of all, he has already made history,"
Bethune said. "I don't believe things just happen. I think it is in the will of God."
Greene approached the stage. He came eye to eye with the 500 people who came to hear what he had to say.
He gripped his notes.
"Good afternoon to everybody," Greene said. "I'm the best candidate in the United States Senate race in South Carolina."
He delivered a rehearsed joke. He shifted on his feet.
"My campaign is about putting South Carolina and America back to work and moving South Carolina and America forward."
He glanced at his notes and looked back up.
"South Carolina and America cannot afford six more years of my opponent."
Greene's 7-minute speech continued in much the same way. He hit on many talking points: parents need to be more involved in their children's education; South Carolina public schools need to perform better; infrastructure improvements are necessary for communities to thrive; and punishment must fit the crime committed.
He said first-time offenders need to catch a break -- then he wandered off track momentarily, mentioning "this guy" he knew who was charged with a crime but denied access to a program designed for rehabilitation.
Greene himself faces a felony charge for alledgedly showing pornography to a college woman last fall, and the woman told a reporter in June that she had been told Greene would be entering a pretrial intervention program.
After Greene's "this guy" anecdote, he mumbled "moving on" and quickly transitioned into his closing.
"Let's get South Carolina and America back to work. Let's move South Carolina and America forward. Let's get South Carolina back to work from Alvin, South Carolina, to Greenville, South Carolina. Let's reclaim our country from the terrorists and the communists.
" ... Let's get our priorities and government in order."
The crowd rose to its feet -- a standing ovation.
People immediately began filtering out after Greene finished. Loretta Davis of Alcolu fanned herself on the bleachers in the back of the auditorium, stifling hot from the crowd of bodies and the 97-degree heat seeping indoors. She said Greene should never have won the primary and claimed the Democratic nomination.
"I think we did the wrong thing but I think we can correct that," she said. In other words, Davis said, Democrats like herself shouldn't have voted for Greene, but his campaign speech Sunday proved that he had enough potential to pose a challenge to powerhouse Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.
Voters have a third choice in Green Party candidate Tom Clements.
Greene, an unemployed political newcomer, stunned the political establishment when he received more than 100,000 votes in the Democratic primary election, despite having spent no money and mounted no campaign. Not only did he win, but he trounced Charleston County Council member Vic Rawl, a former judge and state lawmaker who had campaigned and raised about a quarter-million dollars.
The news that Greene was facing a felony obscenity charge came out shortly after the election, as reporters and politicians scrambled to learn who he was. The DeMint campaign, with about $3.5 million in the bank, has generally ignored Greene.
Like Davis, Nathaniel Pugh of Clarendon County said Greene gave a slightly more polished delivery than he has before and in time Pugh said Greene can grow into a capable candidate. Greene has an appeal that many politicians don't, in that he can relate to people who have suffered in this economy, Pugh said.
"He's got a good chance," Pugh said. "Greene comes from a poor family. You have to be poor to understand poor."
Brittany Price, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of South Carolina, said after the speech that Greene needs to offer more specifics, or his candidacy is headed nowhere.
"He was all right," she said.
Greene was escorted out of the auditorium by a decorated military master sergeant and a few local sheriff's deputies, and he wouldn't take any questions.
Outside the school's back door, camera crews and reporters stood waiting for Greene, but he avoided the media.
One befuddled cameraman said: "Kind of Politics 101, isn't it? 'Look, there's 86 cameras out there.'" A reporter chimed in, "'Maybe you want to go up to them.' Yeah."
OR You have to been poor to understand poor." ..............
Ladies and Gentlemen, that was "The Gospel according to Al Greene".
Seriously, I'm sure people thought they were voting for the Gospel singer.
“whether he’d even show up, or if he’d trip over his own words like he’s done in interview after interview since his shocking June primary win. Or whether he could wow his hometown crowd”
These racist libtards are doing us a huge favor by talking down their guy. Jim DeMint can fund marginals.
So they accept that it wasn’t Karl Rove now?
Everything has to be Karl Rove with them.
“...You have to be poor to understand poor.”
OR You have to been poor to understand poor.”
If you are still poor you still have some issues you need to work out before handling MY money!
But I thought FDR and the Kenedys, although unimaginably wealthy, understood what it meant to be poor.
Good point. I presume most of the crowd consisted of reporters.
“Let’s reclaim our country from the terrorists and the communists.”
Considering that he’s running as a democrat, this guy doesn’t sound too bad. I’d love to hear other democrat candidates talk about taking our country back from terrorists and communists, but it won’t happen.
Ya think maybe next time the black folk will think twice before blindly voting for the brutha?..Nah.
Here is a link to another thread on the speech from a different source.
Alvin
Greene
Ping!
"Would I - um - what - I"
Want on or off this ping list? Just send a FReepmail.
Wateree Community Actions Inc.
Willie Bethune
13 S Main St
Sumter, SC 29150-5244
(803) 484-5306
Wateree Community Action, Executive Director
What is Wateree Community Actions?
watereecommunityactionsinc.org ^ | February 24, 2010 | N/A
Posted on February 24, 2010 1:15:37 AM EST by Jet Jaguar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2458074/posts
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