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Lindsey Graham may be cruising to victory
Hotair ^ | 05/04/2014 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 05/04/2014 5:00:57 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

There have been few targets among grassroots conservatives as large as South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham over the past few years. His “compromise” votes on subjects ranging from Obama nominees to government shutdowns have had the base up in arms, frequently bringing up promises of retribution during the next election cycle. Well, that time has arrived, but the comeuppance still doesn’t seem to be developing. Oh, he has challengers to be sure… six of them in fact, just in the primary. And yet, he doesn’t look like a guy with a lot of worries. According to at least one report, he’s managing this feat through a combination of goodwill, shrewd politics and nearly $7 million.

Rep. Mick Mulvaney was thought to be a credible challenger in the June 10 primary, until Graham inspired House leaders to give Mulvaney a seat on the House Financial Services Committee. Mulvaney opted against challenging the two-term senator.

A hacking episode resulted in the theft of South Carolina taxpayers’ personal information and a public relations problem for Gov. Nikki Haley, also up for re-election this year. Graham advised her on the situation, and now she has better poll numbers than he does.

It also helped that two of the most promising contenders to unseat him from his own party found, er… better things to do.

State Sen. Tom Davis, an aide to former Gov. Mark Sanford, predicted before the Republican convention in 2012 that South Carolina voters would oust Graham. But Davis said he could do more for his libertarian-leaning causes in the state Senate, and that to run against Graham, he would need to raise a lot of money.

There was a movement to draft Mulvaney, but he demurred, saying he doesn’t enter races he can’t win.

The crowded field of more than a half dozen people seems to be working as something of a double edged sword, given the way the South Carolina primary process works. On the one hand, Graham needs to get more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff, which becomes incrementally more difficult as more contenders throw their hats in the ring. On the other, having such a low signal to noise ratio, it becomes harder for the contenders to break through. None of the challengers are registering at more than 10% in the latest polls. Of course, if one of them does wind up in a runoff with Graham, that will focus attention and possible support, but would it be enough to surge into the lead? And let’s not forget the $7M advantage. It’s given Graham the luxury of time and greasing some palms to keep himself in good favor with the folks who count.

Whenever he isn’t in Washington, Graham is campaigning.

The money the senator has amassed for his race means he can run ads almost daily, host free barbecues and ice cream socials and organize the more than 5,000 precinct captains that he claims into a massive get-out-the-vote effort.

Any battle to unseat Graham was always going to be a tough one and it would require some serious organizational skills – as well as cash – to pull it off. Whether any of this crop of contenders can muster that type of effort will be coming clear next month. The South Carolina Senate primary takes place on June 10th.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: lindsaygraham; southcarolina
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1 posted on 05/04/2014 5:00:57 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I loathe RINOs.


2 posted on 05/04/2014 5:04:13 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Haven't you lost enough freedoms? Support an end to the WOD now.)
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To: SeekAndFind

more’s the shame


3 posted on 05/04/2014 5:09:22 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: SeekAndFind

People of South Carolina!

Have you no shame?


4 posted on 05/04/2014 5:11:56 PM PDT by x1stcav ("The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.")
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To: SeekAndFind

What does it *take* to defeat these traitorous scumbags?

Remember when he was known as “Lindsay Gramnesty?”


5 posted on 05/04/2014 5:11:58 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Massachusetts,Vermont,New York,California and others cannot do better than Lindsey Graham.South Carolina,OTOH,most assuredly can.
6 posted on 05/04/2014 5:12:20 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Stalin Blamed The Kulaks,Obama Blames The Tea Party)
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To: SeekAndFind

Really, South Carolina, is that the BEST that you can do?


7 posted on 05/04/2014 5:20:40 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Operating out of weakness? Imagine if he was working from a position of strength!)
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To: dsc

Hey, plenty buy into the lesser evil crap. They feel winning is the most important thing. So Lindsay will win and they get exactly what they wanted. Amnesty, gay everything and a war with Russia. But as long as ‘We win” that’s all that matters right? “What” we win is a different story entirely. But we ‘win’.

Remember that folks when you hear your BFFreeper spouting the liberal meme of lesser evil and the rest.


8 posted on 05/04/2014 5:37:03 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart (How's that 'lesser evil' workin' out for ya?)
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To: x1stcav
People of South Carolina! Have you no shame?

Not a lick, Colorado! Smoke another one.

BTW, when ya'll come down, maybe you would like to know that the Primary is June 10th (WE HAVEN'T VOTED YET!!!) and the expected/hoped-for runoff is 3 weeks later.

Also, Colorado, it has been SIX years since we could vote to replace Senator Graham.

Now, back to your regularly-scheduled lambaste of South Carolina Constitutional conservatives...
9 posted on 05/04/2014 5:38:04 PM PDT by Resettozero
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To: SeekAndFind

10 posted on 05/04/2014 5:41:02 PM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands (Conservative 2016!! The Dole, H.W. Bush, McCain, Romney experiment has failed.)
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To: NonValueAdded
Really, South Carolina, is that the BEST that you can do?

Florida, you self-righteousness is looking quite hypocritical to us. You have work to do in Florida first. A lot of work. But thank you for throwing your trash on our highways when passing through; gives road gangs work.
11 posted on 05/04/2014 5:41:36 PM PDT by Resettozero
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To: x1stcav

It’s simple math. The anti-Graham forces should have found and funded ONE good candidate. At that they failed, and he skates right in. Time for conservatives to get their act together if they’re going to do more than loathe RINOs.


12 posted on 05/04/2014 5:44:56 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: Resettozero

I’ll answer for Nellie and Marco when the time comes but this is your year, SC.


13 posted on 05/04/2014 5:45:51 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Operating out of weakness? Imagine if he was working from a position of strength!)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is what happens when six competitors go up against one liberal. The liberal will win.


14 posted on 05/04/2014 5:50:29 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: EDINVA; upchuck
It’s simple math. The anti-Graham forces should have found and funded ONE good candidate. At that they failed, and he skates right in. Time for conservatives to get their act together if they’re going to do more than loathe RINOs.

Ed, it may be simple Common Core Standards math but doesn't really add up the way you think. Upchuck has explained our 50% + 1 vote primary system at least 10 times that I've seen on FR; probably many more than that. The more anti-Graham CHALLENGERS, the better the chance to hold him under 50%.

No skating in for LG, Virginia dummkoph.

15 posted on 05/04/2014 5:53:20 PM PDT by Resettozero
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To: NonValueAdded
I’ll answer for Nellie and Marco when the time comes but this is your year, SC.

Poppycock; you've got a lot of corrections to make in Florida NOW before giving S.C. advice. Plain insulting, you are.
16 posted on 05/04/2014 5:55:26 PM PDT by Resettozero
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To: SoFloFreeper
This is what happens when six competitors go up against one liberal. The liberal will win.

S.C. primary rules (50% +1 vote) has been explained to you PERSONALLY. On this subject, you are posting garbage again.
17 posted on 05/04/2014 5:58:01 PM PDT by Resettozero
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To: EDINVA

I’ll take your word for it.

But South Carolinian’s should still hang their heads in shame.


18 posted on 05/04/2014 6:03:17 PM PDT by x1stcav ("The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.")
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To: EDINVA

Graham is just enough of a weasel to line up additional “conservative” candidates and reward them well...


19 posted on 05/04/2014 6:05:25 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)
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To: SeekAndFind

THIS does not bode well for conservatives.

Obama elected twice. Graham seemingly coasting to reelection... What in the world am in not seeing?

How do we turn the electorate back to sanity? Or is it that conservatives are overwhelmingly outnumbered to the point of ineffectiveness, not only as a national demographic, but even within the GOP?

The entire state of SC can’t be moonbat insane, so it must be me. I’m at a complete loss to comprehend the SC voters mindset if they reelect that waste of a human being.


20 posted on 05/04/2014 6:10:33 PM PDT by jaydee770
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