Posted on 09/09/2013 5:37:19 AM PDT by cotton1706
Sen. Lindsey Graham has represented South Carolina since 1995, but he hasn't faced re-election since the Tea Party brought principled conservatives and libertarians to the forefront of the Republican Party. His last election was in 2008, and 2014 is not looking good for the veteran politician. In a recent poll, Graham won support from under 50% of the state's Republican voters.
Worse, Graham doesn't even break 40% among evangelicals, a group who makes up almost 60% of likely primary voters. The highest polling of Graham's opponents are as follows: Lee Bright currently polls at only 13%, with Nancy Mace at 10% and Richard Cash at 7%. Graham's position as not only an incumbent, but an incumbent with universal name recognition running against currently-little-known challengers makes the low poll numbers particularly telling.
Graham's low poll numbers come at a time that many moderate Republicans have been losing reelection bids to principled primary challengers. 2010 brought the first wave of Tea Party victories, and 2012 saw numerous Tea Party candidates winning primary challenges against establishment opponents. Long time Indiana Senator Richard Lugar lost his primary election to Richard Mourdock, and Ted Cruz famously won both the primary and general elections in Texas.
Graham isn't the only establishing Republican who will be facing a tough 2014 primary, either. A recent report has already suggested that John Boehner will retire after the 2014 election, and high profile candidates are staging primaries against establishment backed candidates. Liz Cheney is running against Mike Enzi in Wyoming and Mitch McConnell is also in a tough battle.
South Carolina's primary, like the Texas protocol which helped Cruz win, calls for a runoff election in the case of no candidate winning over 50% of the vote. This means that even if Graham gets more votes than any other candidate in the primary, if he does not break 50% a new election will take place between Graham and his top challenger. Though the South Carolina GOP has been unsuccessful at closing the state's open primary system, it is noteworthy that Texas also has a mostly-open primary system.
In a statement regarding Graham's low poll numbers, primary challenger Lee Bright told blogger Joshua Cook, "A veteran of two decades, and a darling of the media with 100% name recognition is really in trouble at only 42% in the polls. It's embarrassing frankly."
US Senate Candidate Lee Bright "The numbers show that Lindsey Graham is out of touch with conservatives. Graham wants to fund Obamacare and bomb Syria. Graham has it all wrong, and that's why he's so vulnerable. We're encouraged that even though we were the last to announce, we're in a strong position. I've been telling our supporters and the media that all we need is a little financial support to retire Lindsey Graham, and this validates that. We never believed the reports that indicated he was bullet proof. We knew that was not the case," Bright said.
Graham will indeed likely receive a high amount of funding from establishment types. His challengers will need some financial support to increase their name recognition, but the Senator's positions and willingness to acquiesce to Democrats has made him fundamentally unpopular with the state's voters.
Oh, LORD our Father please remove from office this RINO and put a REAL Conservative, Bible believer and Constitution lover, in his place, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
It’s embarrassing frankly that he is a republican...
Good, want to send a message to McCain? Then we need to dump Grahamnesty.
Grahamnesty is very deceitful while he plays the ‘good old country boy’ bumbkin act.
He never misses a chance to save Obama.
Put the RINOs on notice that" we're mad as hell, and we're not gonna take it anymore". As far as I'm concerned, Linda Graham can start cleaning out his office!
good news! Keep on him Freepers!
“It’s embarrassing frankly that he is a republican...”
Democrats have a reliable base they can count on. They almost never try to appeal to anybody to their right, unless they were elected in a red state or district. Conservatives also have a base, but why do “conservative” politicians immediately start moving center? Or, worse, left.
The GOPe is looking for a stalking horse candidate to siphon-off Conservative voters and put Linda over the top.
South Carolina Democrats will vote for Graham. Republican elites won’t close their primary because they want Democrat support to rescue their squishy candidates.
So much horse crap.
Yeah, Lindsey is a republican just like Bloomberg. RINO garbage both,.
The meltdown of Linda is such Schadenfreude.
Maybe in some other states. But here in South Carolina it's a little different:
Voters who voted in a party's primary, can vote only in the runoff of the same party. Voters who did not vote in the primary, may vote in either party's runoff.
The primary is for Democratic and Republican candidates only. Candidates running unopposed for their Party's nomination will not appear on primary ballots.
Voters may not vote in a political party's runoff if they voted in another political party's primary. However, voters who did not vote in either politicial party's primary may vote in either politicial party's runoff.
A defeated primary candidate may not actively offer or campaign as a write-in candidate for the ensuing election. The use of posters or stickers on the ballot is not permitted. The voting machine provides for a voter to write-in a candidate. Write-in votes are not allowed in primary elections or the election of President or Vice-president.
While the state permits fusion (a candidate may be nominated by multiple parties), if a candidate runs for and looses a primary (of any party), the candidate cannot appear on the November ballot.
Good news! Linda is below 50% now and he is afraid to meet with the voting public. I don’t see how he can raise his poll numbers if he won’t publicly campaign in person.
That “country-boy” twinkle can easily fool voters in SC.
An open primary will save Linda.
Rather queer, eh?
Linda needs to spend more time with her family.
Bye Bye Linda Graham, please voters.
It would embarrass me if I were a republican that they called Ms Graham a republican.. I pray every day that they vote this piece of trash out.
‘Great quotes from Lee Bright’ ping.
Because they can—and get paid for it.
Linda looks extremely vulnerable in heels, a skirt and bright red lipstick.
There are 3 other candidates.
I’m thinking State Sen. Lee Bright is the one to avoid, Graham would be able to make the runoff about him.
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