Posted on 04/29/2013 5:51:58 AM PDT by cotton1706
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) may have come across some trouble in his home state. Since his criticism of Senator Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) filibuster of the nomination of CIA Director John Brennan, an act that has shifted public support against drone use, Graham has received a lot of backlash not only from constituents, but also on a national party level. This is bad news for Senator Graham — here are reasons why the Republican Party should primary him in South Carolina's 2014 senatorial race.
Senator Graham's comments on Senator Paul's 13-hour filibuster, which was about the importance of maintaining civil liberties and understanding the jurisdiction of controversial drone policy, sparked a lot of opposition around the internet, with the hashtag #PrimaryLindsey coming in from people around the nation. A clip of an interview with Senator Graham appeared on Fox News, in which he calls the debate over drones "ridiculous." This did not appeal to most Americans, as a new poll suggests that a majority of people oppose launching drones on terrorist suspects in the United States.
Fox News, Clip:
Those who are dedicated to restoring liberty back into the platform of the Republican Party should see this as a fantastic opportunity to oust an incumbent and elect someone who respects civil liberties and freedom.
Nancy Mace, a graduate from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, may be one primary challenger. Mace has a master’s degree in mass communication and journalism, as well as a bachelor’s in business. There is no doubt that she is a well educated person, but it will take more than just a degree to take on Graham. Federal senate races are very expensive and Senator Graham is not waiting to start funding his. So far, he has raised $5.4 million for reelection, but even if the challenger cannot match donations, they still have a shot. Just take a look at the senator's recent actions and voting record.
Lindsey Graham's "Yea" vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision allowing the government to indefinitely detain U.S Citizens, is just one of the many key votes that should cost him reelection. This provision for indefinite detention has been widely seen as unconstitutional, since it suggests that the federal government can hold a citizen without trial or attorney to prove their case.
Lindsey Graham votes "Yea" on National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) picture from votesmart.org
When it comes to raising taxes, the senator hasn't done much better. He signed a pledge not to raise taxes and then later admitted he would violate it. There is much more of his voting record that raises concerns for his constituents in a very conservative state.
Whoever challenges Graham needs to play their cards right if they want to pull off a victory in the primary, but the opportunity is there. Lindsey Graham has violated his oath of office by supporting unconstitutional legislation, and our representatives cannot ignore those who care about civil liberties and the Bill of Rights.
A critical thing here would be for everyone to make sure that whatever conservative challengers enter the primary against Graham, they aim ALL of their fire at Graham and not at each other. If Graham can be kept below 50 in the primary, all conservatives could unite behind whatever challenger advances to a runoff. A runoff is where Graham can lose to the united conservatives.
It's also important that a competitive Democrat primary be held so that Democrats are motivated to come out and vote in that primary. My understanding is that any Democrat who votes in the primary (as a Democrat) would not be allowed to later vote in a Republican runoff (to cause mischief by voting for Little Lindsey).
“...Unfortunately, It ain’t gonna happen. McCain should have been taken out and it didn’t happen....”
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Let’s not be so quick to be DEFEATIST!
A strategy of get the GOPe RINO to a runoff (by keeping him below 50% in the primary—and delivering the death blow in the runoff) worked to get Ted Cruz past the GOPe RINO candidate Dewhurst in Texas. It worked in Texas and it can work in South Carolina.
...ping....
Both McCain and Graham fit into a sub-category of RINO, in which they totally agree with the Democrats on most issues; except civil rights, in which they both support the most fascist approach they can take.
The end result is that they are both pseudo-leftists and national socialists. And truthfully, it’s hard to tell which of these two things is worse. They are like the worst of both worlds.
I suspect the truth is that they know when they vote with Democrats, time and again, it angers their constituents; so they think that by going to the opposite extreme, as they *imagine* it to be, they will get back in conservative good graces *just enough* to survive.
However, this crap has to end. Unfortunately McCain’s wife is a beer heiress, and will spend as much money as it takes to destroy anyone who challenges him. Graham, McCain’s butt boy is far more vulnerable, so should be a primary target.
Optimally it will end up with a strong Republican conservative majority in the senate, with McCain off by himself, full of empty curses and threats until they scrape him off his seat.
I agree, Lindsey Graham needs to go. I am afraid that being a closeted homosexual has colored his thinking and his politics. It would have been better if he simply came out of the closet and admitted his homosexual proclivities and got it over with.
I have to say that his position was probably colored by his former military service as a JAG. He probably lived with the don’t ask, don’t tell rule for so long that it was a way of life for him.
I’m posting every article I can find on getting Lindsey Graham out of office.
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Can you do anything about those up in MA?
“Can you do anything about those up in MA?”
No, other than posting these articles to keep the betrayals in mind to SC voters and sending money to moderate’s opponents. That’s the most I can do. And also, supporting and voting for conservatives senate candidates so that the moderates have less backup in Washington, which I’ll be doing in the primary tomorrow.
Good luck: How do you think the primaries will come out?
Republicans: Gabriel Gomez; Michael Sullivan; and Daniel Winslow.
Democrats: Edward Markey; Stephen Lynch
How do you think the primaries will come out?”
In all honesty, I have no idea. I think it’s likely Markey will win on the democrat side, however, all I have seen are Lynch signs. He has the support of all the unions (though not the leadership) and there are a lot of unenrolled and independent voters here who will take a democrat ballot tomorrow to vote for Lynch.
On the republican side, Sullivan, the conservative was on top for a while and has the support of all the conservative groups here as well as the talk radio people. But Gomez has recently polled above Sullivan because he’s gotten a lot of moderate support like former Governor Weld and his like, who will do anything to promote Scott Brown types and to prevent a real conservative from getting the nomination.
Ideally, I think Markey would be easy to beat by a conservative like Sullivan. Less so by a moderate like Gomez, a la the Warren/Brown race. It would be a tougher race between Lynch and Sullivan, and between Lynch and Gomez, I think Lynch would take it because, in all honesty, between the two, he’d be preferable to all.
I hope it becomes a Sullivan/Lynch race but we’ll see. It’s up in the air.
put me on the list.
Lets grid of the non Conservative
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