Pastor joins crowded GOP race to unseat Lindsey Graham

politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ^ | 2/4/14 | Peter Hambly

[cotton1706]

The already-crowded race to unseat South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is about to get another candidate.

Det Bowers, a well-connected Columbia pastor known for his oratory, put weeks of rumors to rest on Monday and said he is joining the five-person Republican Senate primary field.

“No question,” Bowers told CNN in a phone interview. “I am definitely running.”

Bowers said he filed fundraising paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in recent days and plans to make a formal announcement about his campaign soon. He also commiserated with donors in Washington and Texas last month, people close to him said.

“I understand the complexity of the task, but have every confidence this is exactly what I ought to be doing this season,” Bowers said.

The task of beating Graham, while complex, is not as impossible as Graham’s allies have made it seem, derisively referring to his primary opponents in private as “the clown car.”

Despite having a long list of powerful friends and mounds of campaign cash – he reported more than $7 million last month - Graham’s vulnerability in this June’s Republican primary is an open secret in South Carolina.

Public polling has been spotty, but insiders are currently pegging Graham’s vote ceiling a primary somewhere in the low to mid-40s. And while two of the state’s senior-most Republicans, Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, have had kind words for Graham, they have declined to formally endorse his re-election bid.

[elpadre]

Too many candidates dilute the electorate and Graham will win.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

Is this fellow in any way, shape or form associated with Huckabee? If so, I smell a rat.

[Paladin2]

So, what is the strategery now on putting Linda down?

[soycd]

Hopefully SC has a 51% rule, otherwise the contenders need to sort out who has the best chance to win and the rest step aside.

[cotton1706]

“So, what is the strategery now on putting Linda down?”

Same as before. Force a runoff by denying Graham over 50%. Then we all rally to whoever comes in second.

[Jim from C-Town]

From the article:

“If no candidate clears 50% in the primary this summer, the top two finishers will face each other in a two-week runoff election. The winner of the nomination is expected to cruise to victory in November in the Republican-leaning state”

[SeminoleCounty]

Talked to people in Texas and Washington raises ? about this candidate

[Slings and Arrows]

Very interesting.

[upchuck]

Thanks for the ping.

Uber RINO Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."

Want on or off this ping list?
Just FReepmail me

[Shery]

Anybody google this guy, or does anybody on FR attend this church? I’m not against voting for a pastor, by any means, but, like another commenter said, if he is another Huckabee, then hopefully, he’ll not garner much support. Who IS a good candidate in SC, anyway?

[Paine in the Neck]

Too many candidates dilute the electorate and Graham will win.

No, this is a runoff system so the more the merrier is the rule in the first round. Just keep Lindsey under 50% and then get fully behind his sole opponent in the runoff to take him out.

[Wuli]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE South Carolina conservatives, do not yourselves, and do not allow outside-our-base-interests to, create a win for Graham in the GOP primary as a resultof an excess of official candidates against him on the ballot;

that’s how we got so MANY of the Romney primary victories in 2008; he won many of the primaries with mere pluralities, not majorities;

all it takes is a bunch of conservatives all putting their egos ahead of the pure objective of trying to beat our opponents, and we get a divided field of multiple conservatives who collectively lose to a “moderate” or Liberal RINO who wins with only a plurality, not a majority.

PLEASE, PLEASE South Carolina don’t do it.

[DoughtyOne]

I wouldn’t be at all surprised, if most of the field is made up of folks who think he’s swell.

[House Atreides]

“...we get a divided field of multiple conservatives who collectively lose to a “moderate” or Liberal RINO who wins with only a plurality, not a majority....”
*******************************************************************

A plurality won’t cut it in the South Carolina Republican primary. If Graham doesn’t get a MAJORITY in the primary, then there will be a run-off of the first two finishers in the primary. This is how Ted Cruz won against the GOPe favorite in Texas last cycle and how the 2nd place conservative finisher will knock off Little Lindsey Graham in South Carolina THIS cycle.

[SoFloFreeper]

yep, and that is why, I think, many of these people are IN the race...they are there as stealth candidates to give Graham the nod.

Supposedly the same trick Joe Kennedy used for his son Jack:

http://www.politico.com/gallery/2012/06/16-worst-political-dirty-tricks/000188-002246.html

although this site disputes the notion:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/JFK-Fast-Facts/Election-1946.aspx

[buckalfa]

"---do not allow outside-our-base-interests to, create a win for Graham in the GOP primary---"

In SC the primary election winner must have a 50% plus 1 majority of the vote to be victorious. If not, a runoff election is held between the top 2 finishers. That way, a number of conservative candiadates against Graham is a good thing.

Your scenario might come into play however because SC has an open primary. Rats can cross over and vote for Graham which might undo the challengers plurality strategy.

[deport]

http://www.ironmanoutdoors.org/pages.asp?pageid=110404

deTreville F. Bowers, Jr.
Born: 4/14/52

Estill, South Carolina

Married to: Pauline (Polly) Wyman (of Estill)

Three sons - 2 daughters-in-law - 3 granddaughters

Undergraduate:

Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina

BA in Government, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa (1974)

Graduate:

1. University of South Carolina School of Law

Doctorate in Jurisprudence (1977)

2. Columbia International University

Master of Divinity (1995)

Practicing attorney for nearly 20 years (Federal, State and Municipal Courts)

Associate Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina

Preaching Pastor, Christ Church of the Carolinas, Columbia, South Carolina

The Real Scoop
Det Bowers is a guy who knows how to communicate with men! He’s rational, logical,
and not afraid to tell you where he stands on the issues. Det is the founding pastor
of Christ Church of the Carolinas in Columbia, SC. Det didn’t accept Christ until
he was in his 30’s. He left a successful law practice to attend Seminary and then
start a Church. Det has an entire media ministry called “Being Transformed.”
He’s widely know in SC for his television commercials where he commuicates the gospel
message in less than 60 seconds! And on top of all that, he has the coolest name
in Ironman Outdoors!

[stilloftyhenight]

Stop dividing the primary vote. It will ensure Graham’s re-election.

[neal1960]

“Who IS a good candidate in SC, anyway?” My support is going to Lee Bright. Very Conservative and pro 2nd amendment. http://www.brightforsenate.com/