Posted on 04/16/2014 5:18:07 AM PDT by cotton1706
Two months ahead of the South Carolina primary, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is campaigning with gusto to ward off any potential political threats along his right flank, where he was thought to be vulnerable to a competitive Tea Party challenge.
But, in fundraising, at least, Graham's campaign appears to be declaring: Mission accomplished.
Not one of Graham's Republican challengers has exceeded $1 million in contributions. Graham's campaign, meanwhile, has raised more than $11.6 million during the election cycle, and ended March with nearly $6.9 million on hand.
But that's less cash than Graham had at the end of last quarter, when his campaign boasted more than $7.6 million on hand, and his fundraising pace has slowed markedly since then.
Graham's campaign on Tuesday reported raising more than $873,000 from January through the end of March — a respectable amount, but only a fraction of the nearly $1.3 million Graham brought in during the previous quarter, from October through December 2013.
"We've shifted more to the retail-politics stage of the campaign," acknowledged one aide familiar with Graham's campaign strategy.
Instead of soliciting donations, Graham has been gripping and grinning his way through a feel-good tour of the Palmetto State, hosting free or low-dollar events that have drawn crowds of tens or hundreds of people.
In March, Graham's events included a lowcountry boil in Beaufort, S.C., that drew roughly 350 supporters; in February, Graham dished up free barbecue in the town of Gilbert.
Graham has also been spending his campaign war chest to amplify his brand on national security issues and to tout his focus on investigating the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans in 2012 and has become a cause célèbre among conservatives.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
The Chamber of Commerce has deep pockets.
“...Instead of soliciting donations, Graham has been gripping and grinning his way through a feel-good tour of the Palmetto State, hosting free or low-dollar events that have drawn crowds of tens or hundreds of people....”
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Wow, “crowds” of TENS or HUNDREDS of people!
Defense contractor $$$ most likely.
He fills their bank accounts by calling for all sorts of wars and engagements and defense spending, then they fill his campaign accounts with some of it.
Got the sequester reversed.
Please SC, dump this ‘Rat turd.
A gratifying experience for him, no doubt.
Crush. Crush. CRUSH! the Tea Party and any opposition!
A wise thing to do if you want to keep your job. Politics has never been nice. I am surprised that the Tea Party folks have not even raised a million at this point. Not sure what is going on with that.
Is there a good chance Linda Grahmnesty will be defeated in primary?
“Is there a good chance Linda Grahmnesty will be defeated in primary?”
I have no idea. It’s looking less and less likely. I’m hoping that Graham can’t get to 50% and then everybody can rally around who comes in second. But the runoff is only two weeks later.
So if Graham wins either the primary or the runoff, the only way remove Graham from power is to vote for the democrat or Independent Ravenel in November.
The goal is to deprive him of a majority and force a runoff. Could work if opposition coalesces around the strongest primary challenger.
I understand the run-off process but, IIRC, the last polls I saw had Linda > 50%.
His approval is down considerably. Unseating a long-time incumbent senator in a primary is seldom easy, but a possibility in this instance.
Linda Graham is a poster child for repealing the 17th amendment... just saying
Dems Have 3-To-1 Outside Money Advantage Over GOP Going Into Midterm Elections…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deep-pocketed donors are turning over multimillion-dollar checks to influence November’s elections, and the sums raised by the national parties and their super PAC allies are already approaching the $1 billion mark, according to financial reports still being filed Tuesday evening.
South Carolina requires the winner of a primary to obtain more than 50 percent of the vote. In the event no candidate obtains a majority of the vote, the top two vote getters meet in a runoff primary three weeks later.
None of Senator Graham's challengers reached double digits in that poll. State senator Lee Bright led the four challengers included in that poll with 9 percent of the vote. He was trailed by Connor, Nancy Mace, and Richard Cash. Newcomers Det Bowers and Benjamin Dunn were not included in the February poll.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/04/15/South-Carolina-Tea-Party-Leader-Endorses-One-of-Lindsey-Graham-s-Challengers
South Carolina should have an interesting primay come June 10.
The filed candidates for the SC Senate Seats are:
Senate Seat 1
Republican
Lindsey Graham - Incumbent
Nancy Mace
Lee Bright
Richard Cash
Det Bowers
Bill Connor
Benjamin Dunn
Democrat
Brad Hutto
Jay Stamper
Unexpired term of Senate Seat 2
Republican
Tim Scott - Incumbent, Appt by Gov.
Randall Young
Democrat
Joyce Dickerson
Sidney Moore
Harry Pavilack
50% plus one required to win. SC uses an open primary in that voters choose which
party’s primary they wish to vote in when they go to the polls.
“Not one of Graham’s Republican challengers has exceeded $1 million in contributions. Graham’s campaign, meanwhile, has raised more than $11.6 million during the election cycle, and ended March with nearly $6.9 million on hand. “
and a whore makes more than a waitress, but who do you trust more
Hopefully the people in South Carolina are lying to pollsters and it won’t matter how many fat cat bucks Graham has shoved into his pocket, they just won’t vote for him.
Even if they can’t bring themselves to support any of his primary opponents, perhaps his supporters will just stay home that day, and let conservatives put Graham out on the street. Maybe he will move North and share an apartment with John Edwards.
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