This really does seem odd — and of course, you can never put anything past the Republicans. Democrats have already called for him to drop out. I wonder what happens next with this bizarre tale:
Greene insists that he paid the $10,400 filing fee and all other campaign expenses from his own personal funds. “It was 100 percent out of my pocket. I’m self-managed. It’s hard work, and just getting my message to supporters. I funded my campaign 100 percent out of my pocket and self-managed,” said Greene, who sounded anxious and unprepared to speak to the public.
But despite his lack of election funds, Greene claims to have criss-crossed the state during his campaign—though he declined to specify any of the towns or places he visited or say how much money he spent while on the road.
“It wasn’t much, I mean, just, it was—it wasn’t much. Not much, I mean, it wasn’t much,” he said, when asked how much of his own money he spent in the primary. Greene frequently spoke in rapid-fire, fragmentary sentences, repeating certain phrases or interrupting himself multiple times during the same sentence while he searched for the right words. But he was emphatic about certain aspects of his candidacy, insisting that details about his campaign organization, for instance, weren’t relevant. “I’m not concentrating on how I was elected—it’s history. I’m the Democratic nominee—we need to get talking about America back to work, what’s going on, in America.”
The oddity of Greene’s candidacy has already prompted speculation from local media about whether he might be a Republican plant. But Greene denies that Republicans or anyone else had approached him about running. “No, no—no one approached me. This is my decision,” he said. A 13-year military veteran, he says he had originally gotten the idea in 2008 when he was serving in Korea. “I just saw the country was in bad shape two years ago…the country was declining,” he says. “I wanted to make sure we continue to go up on the right track.”
But when asked whether there was a specific person or circumstance that precipitated his decision to jump into politics, Greene simply replied: “nothing in particular…it’s just, uh, nothing in particular.” South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler speculated that Greene won because his name appeared first on the ballot, and voters unfamiliar with both candidates chose alphabetically.
Greene has yet to speak to any Democratic officials, either. After filing to run, his campaign went dark.
According to this report, he didn’t show up to the South Carolina Democratic Party convention in April and didn’t file any of the required paperwork for candidates with the state or Federal Election Commission. When I spoke to him, the state’s Democrats had yet to contact him after his victory was announced.Greene insists that he’s planning to work with state and national officials to ramp up his campaign and raise money “as soon as I can.” And he plans on putting his unemployment at the center of his campaign. “I’m currently one of the many unemployed in the state and this country. South Carolina has more unemployed now than at any other time,” Greene says. “My campaign slogan: Let’s get South Carolina back to work.” He adds that he would like to see “one Korea under a democracy.”
[…] Update: Via the AP, Greene is facing a felony charge for allegedly showing obscene photos to a University of South Carolina student.
He’s either a rethug plant, an idiot, or both.
Well, with the pending charges, he fits the Rethuglican profile to a “T.”
If this can happen when candidates have to indicate their party and run in a party primary, it’s not too hard to imagine what can happen in the new California wide open primary system.
Gonna be very interesting.
Money will make the world go round even more….
The thing I love about Susie’s site is that I don’t have to click any of the links because she copies entire articles for us! Thanks Susie! Why should the people who research and write stories get any benefit from them? It’s better that you copy them and collect ad revenue for their work. After all, they have jobs and you don’t so it’s only fair.
I like canaries and hate it when the die.
Maybe I’d take your comment a little more seriously if you weren’t using a fake email to comment.
Why would I expect you to take my comment seriously, fake email or not? Clearly you’re not a fan of fair use or common courtesy. I don’t expect a snarky comment to make you any less self centered.
I’m glad that Josh Marshall doesn’t make money by stealing your stuff and selling ads (and begging for donations) though. Come to think of it, I don’t know of anyone who copies your stuff. No demand I guess.
who is this person and why is he visiting a blog he doesn’t like?
Still does not explain why this no name won the primary. Voter machine fraud? maybe, but I always assumed that that could only bump things up 2-3 points. So why did he win?
first on the ballot does not explain how a no name won
by the way, I may be an idiot, but I’m also cute as a button.
And unlike some people I could mention who made comments at 8 and 5, i have never had carnal relations with children.
just saying.
Boy that genius at the head of the Democratic party, Obama and his CoS Rahm Emmanuel, as well as DSCC chair Bob Menendez and DNC chair Tim Kaine really have their spidey senses tuned to the pulse of the nation. Even if they thought the election for this senate seat was a foregone conclusion, there is so much more that they could have done to make sure their guy got the nomination ferchrissakes.
Howard Dean would never, ever have let a fuck up like this happen on his watch at the DNC.
Please. Susie you’re unemployed. What hidden purse would you draw $10 K plus from????
Oh for the days of Howard Dean. 50 state strategy anyone? Who the fuck is running the Democratic Party to not even vet someone running for the fuckin’ Senate for god’s sake? Piece-o-shit, uninterested fuck-sticks. Thanks Rahm for ensuring Democratic losses. The DLC strategy is so fucking smart. Aren’t we making progress? Jaeeeeezuz Cheeeriiist! What a wanton waste of political energy.
Watching the guy now on Olbermann. Listening to the guy, something is really fucked up. Poor bastard has been offered up as a sacrificial lamb. This guy did not campaign and in his words, “I got 60 percent of the vote, I got 60 percent of the vote” is his only statement The guy has NO skills, how the fuck does a party vote for someone who never had an organization, never appeared anywhere and never raised any funds. No positions, no statements. I’m telling you this smells. At best it shows total incompetence of the DNC, or total fucking insanity by Democrats in SC. At worst, elections in Republican controlled states are completely compromised.