Does Alvin Greene Stand a Chance?

(CBS)  "Let's reclaim our country from the terrorists and the communists," said Alvin Greene.

On Sunday night, Greene, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina did something no one had ever seen before - he actually appeared in front of voters at an NAACP event on his hometown of Manning.

Sometimes he won applause:

"Parents have to take an active part in their child's education," Greene said.

Other time he seemed a bit … lost.

"In June, uh, we saw a net loss of 125,000 jobs … across the country," he said.

Reaction was mixed.

But the headline was that it happened at all - one that came six weeks after the unemployed veteran with no campaign staff, no ads, no speeches, and no visible means of support, won a landslide primary victory over his better-known, experienced opponent.

Experts were left to wonder how it happened. Apparently, voters simply picked the top name on the ballot in a race they knew absolutely nothing about.

Greene, who scraped up the$10,000 filing fee out of his savings, has come up with one innovative notion for creating support and jobs: make action figures of himself.

It's a notion the local minor league team made real - sort of - over the weekend.

But CBS political consultant Marc Ambinder said Greene's presence on the ballot could hurt other Democrats.

"That's why the Democratic Party is so worried and still essentially refuses to accept him as their candidate even though he's going to be on the ballot," Ambinder said.

On the other hand, some polls say voters are more inclined to vote for a candidate with no experience. If so, Alvin Green might have just what these disaffected voters are looking for.

[coolcat64]

I don't understand the tendency that some have of comparing Greene with President Obama. Obama is a Harvard Law School graduate; as well as serving as Editor of the Law Review while in law school. He has a brillant analytical mind and is a extremely gifted communicator. Unfortunately; i think the root of the comparisons has to do with race. If President Alvin Greene was White, and the circumstances were the same; Obama's name would not even be mentioned. People should grow up and move beyond viewing the world through a racially tinged prism.

[babooph]

This is the deep south -they had Jessie Helms for years in the dixie congress-in dixie there ARE no requirements or shocks ...

[kenhamlett]

With no experience at all he will be at least as good as DeMint. Demint represents a few Greenville area lowlifes and finds everyone else irrelevant.This is common in SC politics.
Greene may not be an insider but he has one failing. He is vulnerable to outside influence and could be a puppet for yet more of the filth which lead SC. If he can avoid that I don't see why he could not be a good representative.

As for the voting itself. Claiming it "apparently" was due to his name being first is anything but apparent. SC has a voting system which can be manipulated at every level and it is entirely possible for Demint's masters to have rigged it so DeMint could have an easy win in November. After all he has accomplished nothing so far in office and it is time for a change. His buddies still want him to represent them. Thus there is nothing apparent about any part of the preliminary voting.

If I meet Greene I will decide then if he can do the job. Until then he is at least equal to the competition.

[annie55441]

Greene is more impressive, what he says and how he says it, than his opponent, DeMint who has drunk gallons of the uber right wing kool aid.

[tsigili]

He might get elected......but.....does he have the ability to succeed.....really?

His first speech was the usual political rhetoric, and totally disappointing, to me, personally.

It takes more than skin color, to create a politician that genuinely represents the people.

[book_of_wally]

I like him. You get to see him as he is, not with some staff to fill his head with canned answers. Very refreshing. I hope he wins.

[stormerF3]

He can always run as a store front cowboy,it would have more appeal than a community organizer. If No experience Obama can win then Alvin Greene can win even if the Democrats don't like him.

[myopinionpal]

Is it me or does this guy look like Bubba on Forrest Gump.

[steve5150]

Mr. Green won his partys primary by a substancial margin. I can,t believe the continued insinuation that he is an illigitimate candidate. I know nothing about politics in South Carolina but the man indisputably won.
He does not speak as smoothly as I would expect in a political candidate but maybe if he's speaking the truth the voters have decided they prefer him to a fascile candidate who they do not trust.

[bradkt1]

If he runs as the "none of the above" candidate, he would win in most states.