# Political nobody wins SC Democratic US Senate nomination in strangest political upset of the year. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518 "2010-06-09T07:48:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/221 "2010-07-06T13:57:55Z")
Here’s an AP story that sheds a little more light on his personal life. Oddly enough it only deepens the mystery: [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/alvin-greene-details-emer\_n\_635953.html](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/alvin-greene-details-emer_n_635953.html) > [@](#): > > Alvin Greene earned the nickname “turtle” in high school – a quiet, withdrawn boy who was smart when he applied himself but rarely took a chance and tried to put himself in comfortable situations. > > Nearly four weeks ago, the 32-year-old unemployed military veteran turned South Carolina’s political scene upside down when he won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. And unlike that high school student, he’s taking a big chance: running against powerhouse Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. > > He is remembered as painfully shy by those who knew him in high school, where Greene was the only black person on the tennis team. His mother died of cancer when he was a boy; a brother died of cystic fibrosis. The few people who know him say the man with a political science degree from the University of South Carolina is smarter than his national image suggests. ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/222 "2010-07-06T14:34:09Z")
For some reason the phrase “the only black person on the tennis team” sounds like an expression. Or, god forbid… a band name. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/223 "2010-07-06T16:32:04Z")
Did he maybe suffer some sort of brain damage while in the service? ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/224 "2010-07-07T04:37:06Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > They’re screwed either way. If they don’t support him, then the Repubs use that against them. “Greene’s the duly elected Dem candidate and they didn’t support him because he wasn’t the party candidate.” But if they go get behind him, the Repubs just slam them with that. “Greene is the _best_ the Democrats could find. They picked this idiot. Who do you want, a guy with an IQ 80, or our man?” Well, first, I don’t think Mr. Greene has an IQ of 80 since he holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and, unlike most of you, has had to overcome adversity. Mr. Greene may not be articulate that but doesn’t make him borderline retarded. I also hope that Mr. Greene turns a second upset and wins the SC senate seat. It would amuse me. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/225 "2010-07-07T16:14:33Z")
I’ve been largely out of this thread lately because I just assume DeMint will win in a landslide (which he probably would have done otherwise) and Greene, while amusing, is largely meaningless. But this made me laugh from Political Wire: > [@](#): > > In an interview with The Guardian, South Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D) discussed his “big idea” to create jobs in his state. > > Said Greene: “Another thing we can do for jobs is make toys of me, especially for the holidays. Little dolls. Me. Like maybe little action dolls. Me in an army uniform, air force uniform, and me in my suit. They can make toys of me and my vehicle, especially for the holidays and Christmas for the kids. That’s something that would create jobs. So you see I think out of the box like that. It’s not something a typical person would bring up. That’s something that could happen, that makes sense. It’s not a joke.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/226 "2010-07-07T22:08:04Z")
**legalsnugs** said: > [@](#): > > Why _not_ ask him? Talk to him? But nobody did that. No one. No one took him seriously. He apparently didn’t take himself seriously, he did not participate in any Democratic party activities - fundraisers, debates, dialogues, whatever. Zero. He was a mystery to them because he was a complete non-entity. I also wonder just how many no-names turn up in an average Senate primary. How frequently do people file and then not be visible at all? Nobody has yet to get a straight answer out of him about how he campaigned, what he did to get the word out. **Honesty** said: > [@](#): > > Well, first, I don’t think Mr. Greene has an IQ of 80 since he holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and, unlike most of you, has had to overcome adversity. Since when has truth mattered in a campaign race? All that matters is public perception - and the Repubs have a _lot_ of material to make their case. I mean, it’s not like there’s a publically searchable database with IQ scores. > [@](#): > > Mr. Greene may not be articulate that but doesn’t make him borderline retarded. No, but the converse could be true. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/227 "2010-07-07T22:41:11Z")
My hypothesis is that he’s the next Andy Kaufman. I can’t wait to see what he does next. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/228 "2010-07-08T15:37:09Z")
The reason nobody knows anything about him, is he did not run. He plopped down the money, hibernated or 3 months and won. The press had no opportunity to grill him. It is a strange story. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/229 "2010-07-10T12:44:50Z")
[Greene will face no charges over filing fee.](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNyH1XTKf1Adc_-fGBAefXf8YYEQD9GRRFEO0) > [@](#): > > An unemployed military veteran will face no state charges over the $10,440 filing fee for his successful bid to win South Carolina’s Democratic nomination to run for U.S. Senate, the state’s top police official said Friday. > > … > > But when state agents reviewed Greene’s bank accounts, they found an October deposit of nearly $6,000, which was Greene’s military exit pay, and about $3,000 deposited early this year from state and federal tax refunds, Lloyd said. To my mind, this makes the story all that more bewildering. Had I plunked down pretty much every penny I had in the world to run for the Senate, I expect I would have actually . . . you know . . . run. 'Course, he’s proven that he can win with the campaign strategy of sitting in his living room watching TV, so who am I to say? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/230 "2010-07-12T12:09:31Z")
So. . . is the Democratic party getting behind him? Are they sending him money, giving him training, paying for some ads? He’ll need the help if he’s gonna cream DeMint\*. \*Just read that some where else and I had to steal it because I’m an awful person. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/231 "2010-07-12T16:08:33Z")
Today the paper says he wants Denzel Washington to play him in the movie. Nothing’s going to beat his action figure economic stimulus plan, though. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/232 "2010-07-13T16:00:41Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > So. . . is the Democratic party getting behind him? Are they sending him money, giving him training, paying for some ads? He’ll need the help if he’s gonna cream DeMint\*. > > \*Just read that some where else and I had to steal it because I’m an awful person. Not all all. he does not need help. He has proven the way to win is not run. It would be great if he won and we discovered spending huge amounts of money on a campaign is a waste. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/233 "2010-07-20T15:48:23Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > [Greene will face no charges over filing fee.](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNyH1XTKf1Adc_-fGBAefXf8YYEQD9GRRFEO0) > To my mind, this makes the story all that more bewildering. Had I plunked down pretty much every penny I had in the world to run for the Senate, I expect I would have actually . . . you know . . . run. 'Course, he’s proven that he can win with the campaign strategy of sitting in his living room watching TV, so who am I to say? > [@Associated Press](#): > > Greene, who did no fundraising, won an unexpected victory over former state lawmaker Vic Rawl in the June 8 Democratic primary to face GOP U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. > > Greene had reported just over $1,000 in monthly income on court paperwork and was appointed a public defender to represent him on a pending obscenity charge. His meager finances raised questions about how he paid the required $10,440 fee to run as a U.S. Senate candidate. > > But when state agents reviewed Greene’s bank accounts, they found an October deposit of nearly $6,000, which was Greene’s military exit pay, and about $3,000 deposited early this year from state and federal tax refunds, Lloyd said. > > The records matched Greene’s story that the 32-year-old candidate, who has been collecting unemployment benefits since he left the military in August, was able to afford the fee because he saved his money and lived frugally. OK, so the following folks who expressed suspicion over the source of Greene’s money – are you now satisfied on that score? > [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > It will be interesting to find out how the unemployeed guy got the $10000 to get on the ballot in the first place. i wonder if he will turn out to have had “help” with this win. > [@Cyberhwk](#): > > People are questioning how he even came up with the $10,400 filing fee, nevertheless WON. For sure something’s seriously strange here. > [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > There are two things that make Greene’s run fishy: > > 1. $10,000 is a LOT of money for someone in his financial situation. > 2. He doesn’t seem to have a particularly strong reason for running. > > . > . > . > I’m very curious to learn where the money for his filing fee came from. > [@descamisado](#): > > I would also like the State Law Enforcement Division to look into how Greene got the money for the filing fee. If it’s from his Army savings and he’s unemployed, why in the world would he spend his life savings to run for office, unless it’s some kind of compulsive fixation for him? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/234 "2010-07-20T22:32:36Z")
That settles the question of where he got the money, but not the question of why. It doesn’t make sense to spend that much money on _anything_ without following up on it. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/235 "2010-07-20T23:18:30Z")
He may have broken the code. Nowadays ,not running and spending money is the way to win. Nobody has tried it before. If he wins easily, he will shake up the whole system. It could be a fun election. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/236 "2010-07-20T23:51:06Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > OK, so the following folks who expressed suspicion over the source of Greene’s money – are you now satisfied on that score? Yeah, seems legit. It’s still bizarre though. (In a “weird things humans do” way, not in a “something’s fishy” way.) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/237 "2010-07-21T13:50:18Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > OK, so the following folks who expressed suspicion over the source of Greene’s money – are you now satisfied on that score? I had my suspicions. I’ll admit I had thought Greene was the pawn of some dirty trickster. It looks like he’s legit after all. That’s a relief. However, there’s the question of how he won in the first place. I still don’t buy that most people just picked the first name on the ballot. I would assume that low turn out primary voters go into the booth with a pretty good idea of whom they will vote for - especially for a high profile office like the senate. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/238 "2010-07-21T15:59:56Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > The more I see of this guy and the more I see of the average SC politico the more I am thinking he might not be that much worse. At least this guy seems honestly mentally impaired as opposed to just acting that way to pander to the bottom percentile of voters. So you think it was republican crossover votes. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/239 "2010-08-13T18:57:04Z")
…and it just keeps getting stranger… [Alvin Greene Indicted on Porn Charge](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/13/greene.indicted/index.html?hpt=T1) > [@](#): > > Greene was charged by police last November with showing pornographic material to a female University of South Carolina student on a computer in the school’s library. > Greene, according to a report from university police, “told her to look at his computer screen.” > > The alleged victim claimed she told Greene that the image displayed on the screen “was offensive and not funny.” > She also claimed Greene asked if he could come to her room. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/240 "2010-08-14T17:36:03Z")
Is this the basis the SC Dem Party needed to cut this poor whackjob loose in favor of the _real_ nominee, the guy who could beat DeMint? And to investigate the vote counting system, while they’re at it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518.md?page=13)