After an almost literally unknown candidate won in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for US Senate in South Carolina, and then it was revealed that the man is awaiting trial for a potential sexual offense, the Green nominee Tom Clements is garnering some attention. He is an environmental advocate who says that “his only arrest were (sic) in participating in civil disobedience aimed at bad nuclear policies.”
From a local FOX affiliate:
Watching the primaries from the sidelines, Clements says the candidate controversy with Greene has generated some interest in his candidacy.
“I am just a working person who is concerned about things,” says Clements. “I have been an activist, so I know how the political system works. I have also been involved in politics from a lobbying, research and advocacy standpoint, so I feel that I am quite prepared for this job.”
And from The Post and Courier:
With the Democratic nominee having been repudiated by his own party, Green Party candidate Tom Clements is attempting to step into the void and raise the profile of his own little-known campaign for DeMint’s Senate seat.
Clements, of Columbia, is an environmental activist who works for Friends of the Earth on nuclear issues, including the unsuccessful attempt to block plans by South Carolina Electric & Gas and Santee Cooper to build two nuclear reactors in Fairfield County. Earlier this year before the S.C. Supreme Court, Friends of the Earth lost its appeal to overturn the S.C. Public Service Commission’s decision to allow construction of the reactors.
Clements has never held elective office, which he views as an advantage over DeMint, who Clements describes as “an entrenched incumbent.”
H/T to Ballot Access News.
I have my disagreements with libs also. But in this case the math matches. Greens-27% is tantalizingly not enough votes to win a plurality. You need at least another 7% and that would be VERY close. Now what do you know, here are the libs also with not enough votes to win with access to 13%. Whooo! that is the 7% vthe Greens need plus an extra 6%. Work with them & earn their vote & change losing into winning.
Robert Milnes: I personally have no preference between dems, republican and libertarians. Libertarians don’t want to do anything to stop mountain top removal or prevent oil spills. I am a social democratic green and would rather get the endorsement of socialists, and social democrats. I advocate a pincer strategy against to two main parties, not a fusion ticket. We are just too different from one an other on most issues for fusion. We can unite on things like auditing the fed ending the wars, and removing liability caps. Other stuff not so much.
Dve Schwab, it sounds like a Green party screwup.
If the guy really is a lib & for some reason asked for Green endorsement, why not give it? His failing to get Green endorsement could be what forced him to try for GOP ensdorsement. Which would third parties/Independents rather have? Cross endorsements with dems & reps?
The NY AG Libertarian candidate announced his intention to gain the Republican line before the Green nominating convention. IMHO, the Greens were probably more concerned about potentially cross-endorsing with the GOP than about considering a Libertarian nominee. Then again, the same candidate failed to get the Green nod in 2006, so maybe he just wasn’t a match for GPNY.
Stewart Flood, I don’t know which is worse-the rightist dominant coalition or the radical purists. Both are pretty stubborn & obstinate.
& I mean Senate, House, state legislature, governor, judiciary etc., not dog catcher & gofers.
Stewart Flood, “I care about who we elect.” Ok, & just who re all these stellar candidates you & the LP are electing?
NF, just being honest & truthful. I’ve had some bad luck financially.
Even Mark Twain declared bankruptcy.
Yeah Stewart, use your charm & logical pursuasion to change the dem into a lib!
“Richard, I’ll email you my phone # although it is unreliable as I am dodging bill collectors!”
Jeez Bob! Why would you post stuff like this? It does not exactly help your credibility.
Stewart, if Alvin Greene is so low on support from his own party, maybe he would be persuaded to be a lot less statist, and may even be a libertarian.
Maybe Democrat Alvin Greene is the real PLAS candidate.
I care about who we elect. I don’t like ANY of the candidates running for senate in my state. And since I get to vote and YOU DON’T, I think that my opinion of them is worth a lot more than your’s is — certainly at least one vote more!
The Democrat is, according to his own party, not competent to hold office and possibly not even sane. The Republican is…well…just another Republican. Claims to be anti-big government, but still just part of the system. The Green is a frick’n socialist, supporting government health care and other insane socialist programs.
No, we don’t have a Libertarian in the race. We decided to focus our limited resources on races we could influence and possibly win. That said, I’m certainly not voting for any candidate — regardless of party — who supports statist programs like universal health care.
GPC, I don’t care so much about that compared to whether he wins or not!
Stewart Flood, you are thinking INSIDE the box. Get out! & take off the tunnel vision goggles too!
The Green Party of South Carolina has put forward an outstanding candidate in Tom Clements.
An endorsement is only of value when you are endorsing someone with similar beliefs. The LP and the GP disagree on about as many issues as they agree on.
There is no voting block. As Mr Winger correctly pointed out, the combined support (at this time) for the GP and the LP in South Carolina is significantly less than 10% state-wide. That obviously does not mean that a local candidate in any given race cannot do better than 10%, but that would depend on the opposition and how good a campaign the candidate runs.
It does if they are trying to maximize & add their bloc votes & not split & minimize their bloc vote.
pete healey,
Thanks for the clarification. I’d rather the Greens & Libertarians not cross-endorse. It just doesn’t make any sense to do so.
What I have done here re: S.C. applies to all other ballots. This late in the cycle we can’t expect a full slate or to fill all slates.Let’s just try it & get the word out & see what happens. If we are successful that would set up special elections in 2011 & a full slate in 2012!
For anyone that would like to help me out. I could use a used construction trailer 8×32 wilscot.com or a used motorhome 1980-91 Ford chassis on rvt.com
As far as my candidacy in NJ. Deadline was June 8. My Cong. Dist has a Green. Very few other contested ballots. Lt. Gov with only a rep on the ballot. I suppose I could have given that a try. I need more support.
http://milnes2008.freeservers.com/
I don’t have enough data to form an opinion based on fact, but this sure looks like something straight out of Rod Shealy’s bag of tricks.
I can’t back that up with any data, and there is no visible evidence to support a theory that he did it. I’m not even sure what Shealy specifically, or republicans in general would have gained by putting Greene up to it. They already have a candidate that should stomp any democrat — and the democrats didn’t even bother to field a heavy hitter to run.
And for all the claims of the other democrat being a “somebody” in Charleston, I’d never heard of him. Served on county council? Uhuh. Never heard of him. Obviously did nothing while in office.
But no matter what happens, it only makes the Ds and Rs both look bad. And in the end, isn’t that a good thing? 🙂
There is a great deal of discussion of the result in Democratic circles (surprise of surprises)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/12/875439/-Why-Alvin-Greene-Won:-A-Warning-for-Democrats-%28w-poll%29
fivethirtyeight.com
The interpretation that Greene won because his name ends with an ‘e’ is rejected by statistical analysis by county. No, there is a rationale for that; it has been tested and not supported. The suggestion that he won because enough people that the loser was a real politician — he was — is strained by his margin of loss.
Richard, 3% of progressives & libertarians have developed immunity to lesser of 2 evils/wasted vote syndrome.
I watched the interview. You could hear someone in the background telling him things to say.
But it should be a fun race. South Carolina has had stranger races. I recall one race here in Charleston where a dead guy won — by a substantial margin.
We had a candidate for governor that charged up the steps of the state capitol on a white horse.
We’ve had half (give or take) of the general assembly indicted for taking bribes.
Charleston has a mayor who will probably still get re-elected after he’s dead — 35 years in office and still counting.
Richard, I’ll email you my phone # although it is unreliable as I am dodging bill collectors!
There was no filing fee to be refunded. A filing fee (2% of the salary for the term of office) is required to be paid to the state election commission by parties who nominate by primary. Only the democrats and republicans nominate by primary in South Carolina.
The candidate who tried to get our nomination proposed the following:
increase taxes
pay teachers more
pay cops more
hire more teachers
hire more cops
make more laws
bring more money into the state by making new fees and taxes, which he seemed to think was something that we would support.
Libertarian? Hardly.
If your party bylaws forbid endorse or assist of other party candidates, then in the instance of PLAS a mutually beneficial fusion, they are obsolete & should be updated asap. Candidates would do right by defying such a bylaw.
Did the LP refund the filing fee? This race in S.C. is getting stranger.
I didn’t get the info from the state website; from politics1.
Someone would have to be a fool to go to the state for permission for fusion. An oral agreement by the 2 cndidates on or proposed on that ballot should suffice. Hence a press conference for each ballot.
This guy gets my vote. He can’t possibly do as much damage as a whored out Dem/Rep career politician would!
As for the Youtube interview, Olberman obviously had the guy on a delay – hence the 4-5 second pause between the questions and the answers. That’s the Lamestream Media for you – sleazy as ever!
Stewart Flood-of the rightist dominant coalition?
So what? Ha,Ha!
The LP candidate filed but was rejected by the party?! The party should be grateful someone actually stepped up to the plate. Why was he rejected? Not enough starch in his shirt?
If I knew Robert Milnes phone number, I would telephone him and ask him why he thinks that just because a candidate has the support of both the Green and Libertarian Parties, why he thinks that candidate would then necessarily have a good chance of winning the election. It should be obvious to anyone who pays attention that the percentage of voters who feel loyalty to those two parties is probably less than 3% of the electorate.
pete healey, if I understand correctly, that would make the Libertarian the fusion candidate for AG in NY.Is this correct?
Clay and everyone,
I attended the Green nominating convention in New York last month, and they were going out of their way to avoid the Attorney General nomination process. I assumed it was because a Libertarian was asking for their cross-endorsement. I believe the Greens still don’t have an A.G. candidate.
Here’s an article that I basically agree with regarding the results in South Carolina.
This won’t happen again for a long, long time.
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/explaining-alvin-greens-victory-in-south-carolina/
The Greens and Libertarians have a fusion candidate for Attourney General in New York.
Once again Milnes writes about things he knows little or nothing about.
There is no Lt Governor candidate for the Libertarian Party. The state’s website is incorrect. A candidate filed, but he lost his bid for our party’s nomination at our convention by a vote of 3-23. He will not be on the ballot in November.
While “fusion” candidates are permitted in South Carolina, a candidate is required to file with all the parties that he or she wishes to receive the nomination of, and must subsequently receive the nomination of ALL of the parties he or she filed with. Failure to receive all nominations subjects the candidate to removal from the ballot.
The Bylaws of the South Carolina Libertarian Party do not permit us to endorse or assist candidates from other parties.
PLAS/bloc fusion/vote coordination campaign.
PLAS/FET/FDS.
Progressive -Libertarian Alliance Strategy.
Fusion executive ticket.
Full downticket slate.
Good Luck!
Or call nobody and watch Beavis and Butthead instead and eat Funions…
PLAS/fusion/vote coordination campaign in S.C.:
Fusion executive ticket in place by default. Call press conference.
U.S, Senate-ballot which this article is about. Green no LP in place. Candidate calls press conference. Asks for progressive & libertarian vote. Asks for progressive democrats to vote GP.
On ballots where there is a GP or LP & not one of the other, same tactic. Call press conference & ask for the other party vote. Candidate-You are actually addressing ALL VOTERS, not just the parties.
Where there is no GP or LP, run an Independent with candidate identification with party & ask for other party vote. Deadline July 15.
On ballots with BOTH GP & LP, one should step down at press conference & endorse the other. First on the ballot, first served or some other agreed criterion.
Call as many press conferences as possible.
Further:
US Senate: GP no LP.
US Congress:
Dist 1: GP & LP.
2: LP no GP.
3. I (anti-tax activist-possible LP equiv.) No GP or LP.
4. GP & LP.
5.no GP or LP.
6. GP no LP.
Further downticket:
Sec of State-no GP or LP.
State Treas.-no dem, GP or LP.
AG- GP no LP.
Comptroller Gen: no GP or LP.
State Super. of Edu: GP and LP.
Adjutant Gen: no GP or LP.
State Agri. Comm.: no GP or LP.
OK, if anybody cares, I just took a quick look on politics1.
There is a Green & no LP governor candidate.
A LP but no GP Lieutenant Governor candidate. There a possible FUSION ticket by default if both candidates agree to it &v no changes i.e last minute G or L running I(deadline July16). I would suggest a press conference to that effect.
Very painful to watch…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxnTYPZOmK0
OTOH, some of us have similar problems when we are in front of a camera. This guy is lucky as the camera also makes me look bald.
🙂
PEACE