Lindsey Graham could be tough to beat in 2014
Graham scored a victory last week when U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration as a candidate for secretary of state. The senator had been one of her most outspoken critics.
“A feather in Sen. Graham’s hat,” said one Capitol Hill lobbyist. “He stood up, put up a principled fight … and now his position has been validated. This will register with GOP voters in the South. It was a smart fight to pick, and he won.”
Some say Graham’s media-savvy, deal-cutting approach to politics should serve as a model for national Republicans as they try to rebrand the party after its November thumping at the polls.
Graham, a two-term senator and former congressman, “has crossover appeal. He knows how to message and appeal to Democratic voters, even African-American voters,” said Glenn McCall, a Republican National Committeeman in South Carolina who served on Mitt Romney’s Black Leadership Council.
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Could there be anyone that would be better than graham to run against him and win?
L
letget on December 17, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Maybe that’s not a bad thing considering how many gimmie seats we’ve thrown away in trying to upgrade.
The Count on December 17, 2012 at 12:02 PM
“has crossover appeal”
So, its out in the open now?
Oil Can on December 17, 2012 at 12:03 PM
Why?
trs on December 17, 2012 at 12:07 PM
93 percent of blacks voted for Obama.
sharrukin on December 17, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Why do we want another senator with crossover appeal? There are plenty of Dems representing Dem interests in the Senate. Am I crazy for wanting the guys on my side to represent my interests?
alwaysfiredup on December 17, 2012 at 12:14 PM
But don’t you dare call that racist.
CurtZHP on December 17, 2012 at 12:22 PM
*cough* bwaaahahaha *cough*
petefrt on December 17, 2012 at 12:23 PM
Nay, let’s get some Akin or Mourdock to lose the seat.
galtani on December 17, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Well its racist without a doubt, but this is the guy that was on Romney’s Black Leadership Council who was tasked with making a difference. I just wonder if we should take advice from a guy that didn’t deliver the demographic and backed a failed candidate as well.
Now we should take his advice on how to win, and who next to run?
sharrukin on December 17, 2012 at 12:27 PM
Can anyone list the reasons why Graham is unacceptable, other than he “just might be gay”? Read the following about the great Democrat Part Chairman Dick Harpootlian has said about Graham over the years:
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
DICK HARPOOTLIAN
“This guy is a little too light in the loafers to fill Strom Thurmond’s shoes,” read a press release by then-S.C. Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian, now a leader of the Barack Obama campaign. The release assailed Lindsey Graham, who had just announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Strom Thurmond.
“Light in the loafers” is a well-known anti-gay slur, but Harpootlian said that is not how it was intended. He reportedly even told one political columnist he did not know the phrase was used to describe homosexual people.
One could be easily forgiven for being skeptical of Harpootlian’s denial. For instance, Harpootlian also reportedly used the slur in a number speeches.
And according to the March 12, 2001 edition of the Southern Political Report: “At a Democratic luncheon last year, Harpootlian said, ‘Congressman Lindsey Graham criticized President Clinton for ‘having sex with a woman in the Oval office.’ Now, I don’t know about you but I can’t tell what part he objected to — having sex with a young woman or having sex in the Oval office?’”
Graham, who is unmarried, said Harpootlian’s remarks amounted to slander. Republicans and non-Republicans alike called it an example of the lowest form of mudslinging.
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 12:31 PM
He’s a cheese-eating surrender monkey. That’s plenty of reason to get him out of office.
alwaysfiredup on December 17, 2012 at 12:33 PM
McCain and Graham came out hard against Rice because Kerry is a member of their club and they want him for state. I notice they didn’t have much to say about Obama after we learned that he armed the Benghazi terrorists. I suspect McGraham had a hand in that fiasco. I think McCain was actually on the ground with the rebels and was likely chumming it up with the same people who killed the Americans. That’s another reason why they wanted all the focus on Rice.
Buddahpundit on December 17, 2012 at 12:35 PM
Wait, do they mean 2016?
Fallon on December 17, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Didn’t even know there were gay rumors.
He’s a Rino who never encountered a conservative principle he liked.
sharrukin on December 17, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Graham is nothing but another big government establishment goon who should get booted at the earliest possible date. He’s pro amnesty, pro-NDAA, pro-endless intervention and pro-waste your hard earned dollars.
MoreLiberty on December 17, 2012 at 12:37 PM
He’s pro amnesty, pro-NDAA, pro-endless intervention and pro-waste your hard earned dollars.
MoreLiberty on December 17, 2012 at 12:39 PM
He sounds pretty conservative to me:
Graham Named ‘ACU Conservative’
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) was recognized by the American Conservative Union (ACU) for his votes in the last session of the U.S. Senate. Graham voted the conservative position 92 percent of the time in 2010, and the group termed him an ‘ACU Conservative.’
ACU, the largest and strongest grassroots conservative organization, serves as the umbrella organization for conservatives in America. The ratings were released in conjunction with ACU’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington last weekend.
Their ratings, “track a wide range of issues before Congress to determine which issues and votes serve as a dividing line to help separate those Members of the U.S. House and Senate who protect liberty as conservatives and those who are truly liberal. The ratings have throughout the years become a go-to guide to determine whether an elected official’s philosophical rhetoric matches his or her record.”
Among the conservative votes Graham cast that were part of the group’s 2010 scorecard:
Leading the charge to repeal and replace Obamacare
Blocking efforts to involve EPA in greenhouse gas regulation
Defeating a bill that increased the debt limit and eliminated spending cuts
Reducing federal spending
Preventing any extension of the TARP program
Pushing for an amendment to require completion of a 700-mile southern border fence
Opposing the nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board
Supporting tuition vouchers in the District of Columbia for low-income students
Supporting efforts to require documentation to be eligible for health care programs
Voting to require transparency within the Federal Reserve
Reducing taxpayer exposure to risky home mortgages
Opposing financial regulatory overhaul that didn’t protect consumers
Instituting rescissions and federal salary freeze
Voting to permanently repeal the Death Tax
Supporting efforts to strengthen immigration laws
Opposing rules that strengthen labor unions
Upholding Supreme Court rulings on campaign finance disclosure
Opposing the overhaul of food safety laws
Blocking the passage of the DREAM Act
Fighting the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy
Voting against passage of the New START Nuclear Arms Treaty
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Wait, are they talking about being re-elected to the Senate?
Shocking. Considering…
Fallon on December 17, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Yes, he had a great ACU rating…in 2010.
Lifetime? 83%. And he voted to confirm Elena Kagan.
alwaysfiredup on December 17, 2012 at 12:56 PM
Meh. 92 percent of blacks voted for Al Gore.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on December 17, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Is that all you have? Who do you think that Obama is going is going to appoint to the Supreme Court, Robert Bork?
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Senator Graham believe the carbon dioxide in his Diet Coke is a pollutant.
tmitsss on December 17, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Trey Gowdy.
topdawg on December 17, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Ni-i-i-i-ice.
Fallon on December 17, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Graham changed his position on global warming back in 2010. You are behind the times.
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Would there be any way Trey would do this and would he have lots of support? Might give a try?
L
letget on December 17, 2012 at 1:23 PM
If you’re from outside of South Carolina, you shouldn’t be getting involved until we have strong principled and winnable candidates from Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Virginia.
I believe Rounds and Capito to be strong candidates from South Dakota and West Virginia.
Let’s knock out some Susan Rice supporting Democrats and remove the leadership from Harry Reid. It would be a terrible shame if Harry Reid was the only Senate Majority Leader Obama ever dealt with.
amazingmets on December 17, 2012 at 1:25 PM
Given that Bork believes the government should control the content of the media and that the 2nd amendment does not guarantee the right to privately own guns, I’d take Kagan any day over Bork.
AngusMc on December 17, 2012 at 1:26 PM
I like Graham. And I respect McCain. Yeah, the ‘true cons’ don’t. I don’t care.
tommy71 on December 17, 2012 at 1:36 PM
The only person that is going to be running for the Senate for South Carolina in 2014 will probably be Tim Scott. Politico got it wrong.
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 1:45 PM
Well, the news is official Nicki Haley has appointed Tim Scott. Now is he conservative enough for everyone on this board?
SC.Charlie on December 17, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Is there anybody that’s not better than Graham?
FloatingRock on December 17, 2012 at 2:12 PM