# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/261 "2010-11-03T01:22:30Z")
In one of the night’s big nailbiters, DeMint has eked out a victory. [http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html](http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html) ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/262 "2010-11-03T01:43:25Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > In one of the night’s big nailbiters, DeMint has eked out a victory. > > [http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html](http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html) These articles with only 10 of 46 counties reporting (according to the SC Election Commission website at this moment) really tick me off. Or maybe DeMint just really ticks me off. Or maybe the voters of SC. Or something. GRRRR! ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/263 "2010-11-03T02:40:22Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > These articles with only 10 of 46 counties reporting (according to the SC Election Commission website at this moment) really tick me off. Or maybe DeMint just really ticks me off. Or maybe the voters of SC. Or something. GRRRR! Why must one chose? ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/264 "2010-11-03T02:52:58Z")
sorry, double post ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/265 "2010-11-03T03:10:42Z")
Greene does appear to have carried ten counties. Also, the _Green_ candidate, Tom Clements, is pulling about 10% statewide. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/266 "2010-11-03T12:43:47Z")
I hope one day the people of South Carolina finally realize how much maintaining the status quo has done to assure their place at the bottom of every metric for success. Well done, dipshits! ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/267 "2010-11-03T14:03:42Z")
It looks like Greene managed to carry nearly 30% of the vote statewide and about 60 percent in some counties, which, all things considered, really isn’t that bad. > **[South Carolina - Election Results 2010 - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2010/results/south-carolina.html)** > > Live 2010 election results and maps for South Carolina, including Senate, Governor, House of Representatives, and statewide ballot measures. I would have figured that a lot of Dems who couldn’t stomach Demint would just end up voting for the Green Party candidate. Just goes to show how many people vote straight ticket or are just willing to support their guy no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/268 "2010-11-03T20:52:17Z")
Maybe they’d rather have an idiot and hope their party can offer him “advice” rather than the sure-fire crapfest of the other party. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/269 "2010-11-03T21:04:11Z")
I’m assuming that most of the people who voted for him (this time around) regarded it as a protest vote. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/270 "2010-11-03T21:49:17Z")
A lot of people don’t really pay much attention to politics and don’t know much if anything about the people on the ballot other than their party affiliation. That plus some of the factors people mentioned earlier. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/271 "2010-11-04T03:53:04Z")
Here’s a story from Gawker that offers some interesting perspective. > **[Alvin Greene 360,000 Votes, In Perspective](https://www.gawker.com/5680950/alvin-greene-360000-votes-in-perspective)** > > South Carolina Democratic mystery candidate Alvin Greene, despite not really campaigning, fundraising, hiring a staff, or explaining who he is, still got 360,000 votes for Senate last night. How does this compare with candidates nationwide who gave a... It turns that he received more votes than Sharon Angle, Chris Coons and Joe Manchin, among others. Yeah, he only received 30 percent of the vote, but again not bad for someone who had no funds, did almost no campaigning, had no real base to speak of, was largely seen as a simpleton and had an obscenity charge to boot. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/272 "2010-11-04T07:49:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m assuming that most of the people who voted for him (this time around) regarded it as a protest vote. Then you don’t know South Carolina. Not a lot of thought goes into voting there. It’s how we got Alvin Greene as a candidate in the first place. And it’s not just the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/273 "2010-11-04T23:59:50Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > These articles with only 10 of 46 counties reporting (according to the SC Election Commission website at this moment) really tick me off. Or maybe DeMint just really ticks me off. Or maybe the voters of SC. Or something. GRRRR! _ **“GRRRR?”** _ Didn’t you mean [_ **“Nooooooooo!” and “Goooooooo!”** _](http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html) ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/274 "2010-11-05T03:41:30Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > _ **“GRRRR?”** _ Didn’t you mean [_ **“Nooooooooo!” and “Goooooooo!”** _](http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/02/1542244/demint-easily-wins-2nd-term-for.html) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/275 "2010-11-17T18:13:32Z")
He had a plea date hearing for the obscenity charge yesterday. Here’s what he had to say: > [@](#): > > “I’m the next president,” Greene said, while sitting on a bench. “I’ll be 35 … just before November, so I was born to be president. I’m the man. I’m the man. I’m the man. Greene’s the man. I’m the man. I’m the greatest person ever. I was born to be president. I’m the man, I’m the greatest individual ever.” [http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992209084141467&act=post&pid=11861611103888857](http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992209084141467&act=post&pid=11861611103888857) BTW, he pled not guilty. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/276 "2010-11-17T19:35:19Z")
He got more votes than the actual, legitimate, previous-Congressman Democratic Senate candidate in Florida did. I wish that were more of a surprise, but it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/277 "2010-11-19T17:39:57Z")
In fairness, Marco Rubio is like, ohmigod, soooo cute. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/278 "2010-11-19T18:38:00Z")
Greene v Palin in 2012. That would be Dems best against Repubs best. A race for the ages. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-nobody-wins-sc-democratic-us-senate-nomination-in-strangest-political-upset-of-the-year/542518/279 "2010-11-20T03:37:41Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > It looks like Greene managed to carry nearly 30% of the vote statewide and about 60 percent in some counties, which, all things considered, really isn’t that bad. > > [South Carolina - Election Results 2010 - The New York Times](http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/south-carolina) > > I would have figured that a lot of Dems who couldn’t stomach Demint would just end up voting for the Green Party candidate. Just goes to show how many people vote straight ticket or are just willing to support their guy no matter what. > **[Senate, House, Governor Races - Election Center 2010 - Elections &...](https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/polls/)** Greene won 87% of the black vote (only a bit below average for a Dem), and 12% of the white vote (abysmal for a Dem). South Carolina is 30% black, so the majority of Greene’s votes were due to racial tribalism. No further idiocy or shenanigans necessary. [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=13)