Posted on 06/09/2010 9:23:33 PM PDT by Chet 99
Greene vows to stay in race
South Carolina’s newly-minted Democratic Senate nominee remained defiant Wednesday night, saying he wouldn’t step aside even after charges surfaced that he had shown a college student obscene photos last fall.
State Democratic Party officials have called for Alvin Greene to withdraw from the race, but he told the Associated Press that “the people have spoken. We need to be pro-South Carolina, not anti-Greene,” and that he would remain in the race.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler told POLITICO she remains hopeful Greene will reconsider, but in the meantime they are speaking with their attorneys to see if there are other ways to remove him from the ballot.
“I really don’t know yet if we do or not, or if we have to appeal to the better angles of his nature,” said Fowler. “I don’t think he is ready to do it right now, but we hope that he willwithdraw because it’s not helpful to have him on the ticket.”
Greene, a 32-year-old unemployed Army veteran, raised no money and had no staff in his primary campaign against Charleston City Councilman Vic Rawl. The two candidates were competing to face Republican Sen. Jim DeMint in November.
On Wednesday, the AP reported that Greene had been arrested in November after approaching a University of South Carolina student in the school library, showing her a pornographic photo on a computer, and then suggesting they go to her dorm room. Greene was released on bond but hasn’t entered a plea or been indicted.
As for how Greene ended up posting an 18-point win over Rawl, who campaigned and fundraised statewide, Fowler said she remains puzzled.
“I have no idea. I obviously have watched this campaign. I’m not a gambler, but I clearly would have put money on Vic Rawl winning,” said Fowler. “It’s clear he could have beaten Sen. DeMint.”
When Greene began to take a narrow lead over Rawl as returns began coming in, Fowler had first thought that it was Greene’s name appearing first on the ballot that could have been drawing votes. But with unofficial returns showing him winning by double digits, Fowler admitted that couldn’t be the main reason for his win.
“I think that ballot position might make a little difference in an election, but I don’t think it can make [a nearly] 20 percent difference,” she said.
Wednesday’s news was only another embarrassing revelation for a state that’s had more than its share of bitter and shocking politics. Most recently, the Republican governor’s race was marred by charges from two state political consultants that they’d had physical relationships with Nikki Haley, who placed first in balloting Tuesday to advance to a June 22 runoff. The Indian-American Haley was also the target of racial slurs by GOP state Sen. Jake Knotts, who referred to her last week as a “raghead” on an internet talk show.
Fowler said she’s aware of the state’s reputation, and that this latest episode doesn’t help the state or her party.
“South Carolina has repeatedly been embarrassed nationally by elected officials—almost entirely Republican,” said Fowler. “We don’t want a Democrat to join that group of disgraced public officials, and that is why we want Mr. Greene to withdraw.”
More 2010 POLITICO
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38349.html#ixzz0qQ9Zr4Tk
Here is an unknown, a black man, who has won their primary, and the Fowler and the rest of the (white) leadership in the Democrat party are saying, "Oh, no! We didn't approve him. We approve of the white guy he beat, so Greene must go."
Jim Crow is alive and well in the SC Democrat party. I'll bet they are making former KKK Grand Kleagle, Robert Byrd (D-WV), proud as punch.
I hope the black Democrats in SC will now wake up and recognize that the Democrat party is trying to keep them on the plantation as their ancestors were kept by their owners.; and that they stand up and speak out and tell the party to pound sand. Mr. Greene won the primary, and the white leadership of the SC Democrat party would be smart to just shut up lest they alienate their black voter base.
Oh yeah, another black man jostled out of a top job in the Democrat party was Maynard Jackson. He lost out in his bid to be DNC Chair to Terry McAuliffe, in 2001.
Notice how most stories about Dems contain the phrase “vows to stay in the race”?
this is a dead race for the Dems
they are effed no matter who gets their nom
South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler told POLITICO she remains hopeful Greene will reconsider, but in the meantime they are speaking with their attorneys to see if there are other ways to remove him from the ballot.
_____________________________
Maybe somebody at the White House could offer Mr. Greene a job to step aside?
Afterall, the guy is unemployed with no particular good prospects at this point in time.
Yea, but it sure is fun to watch the Dimocrat's true "colors" come out, and it's whites only.
Bammy needs to up the Bling to Greene.
Another kick in the teeth to the Black man from the Democrats??? Now who woulda thunk it?
The Obama Effect is my guess. He’s black. South Carolina has a fairly high black population (30% in 2000 per Wikipedia). Blacks voted 95%+ for Obama. It stands to reason that Mr. Greene would draw a very high proportion of the black vote. And from what I remember from living there, blacks tended to be pretty motivated Democratic primary voters not so much because of the party apparatus doing anything, but because their churches encourage them.
I don’t think it’s racist to say this, btw. I can’t think of any other reason except if Fowler’s “his name was first on the ballot” might be true.
}:-)4
I find this whole thing shocking, simply shocking.
It’s been years since the end of Jim Crow in the south. And here we are with a legitimately elected candidate, a black man, being pressured by the Democratic party Chair, who is white, to withdraw from the race.
Doesn’t the timing strike you as being, well, off? Obviously, the party knew about their candidates legal issues before the election and never brought up the issue. Why? If they were all that concerned about the pending charges, you’d think they would have said something before the election.
This smacks of blatant racism. A black candidate unexpectedly wins against a white candidate and the Democratic party all of a sudden decides to pressure him to withdraw.
Where is the outrage?
Those racist dems just hate Greene ‘cause he’s BLACK! (heh-heh-heh...)
Al Sharpton will be rushing to Greene’s aid in 3... 2... 1...
oh, wait...
Yep...If he could rid himself of the “Negro Dialect” he might serve one term in the Senate and have a chance at the Presidency /sarc ....LOL... GOD FORBID!!!!
“He’s black”
Ding Ding Ding Ding.... We have a winner!
Hmmm, let’s see, Blacks will always vote for the black candidate. So who is racist?
“Why blacks gravitate to the party of slavery instead of the party of freedom is one of history’s greatest mysteries.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
How about white people who voted for Obama because it felt good to vote for a “black” man regardless of his lack of qualifications? It all boils down to willful ignorance in both cases.
“At least he was born in the USA to American parents.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
And the odds are about ten to one that he would make a better PRESIDENT than the one in office. Evidence seems to indicate that he is even heterosexual, there is probably no Larry Sinclair in his background.
My guess is that he benefited from blacks and leftists voting for him because he's black and his opponent is white.
It is not just the leftists who do this. Witness Michael Steele.
It’s probably a combination of the Obama Effect and the fact that nobody knew who either of them were. If black voters see two candidates, one white and one black, and don’t know much about either of them, it’s not illogical to assume that they’re going to vote for “their” candidate. (Nor would it be illogical to assume the same for *any* race or ethnic group, sad as that may be. The difference is, according to the liberal Powers That Be, it’s only racism when white Anglos do it. For blacks, Hispanics, etc., it’s OK. Double standard, hoooo.)
}:-)4
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.