Alvin Greene was the Democratic Party's nominee for the South Carolina senate seat in 2010. He surprisingly won the primary race with virtually no campaign, no website, and no yard signs. Many Democrats thought maybe the Republicans were responsible for his success and tried to get him off the ballot but were unsuccessful. Others thought that he won the vote because his name was above Vic Rawl's. Greene also had criminal charges against him, including an obscenity felony. No wonder he favored judicial reform. His TV antics were horrendous, awkward, and hard to watch. The question is how did he get so much of the vote for being such an awful candidate? 2010 was not a good year to be a Democrat seeking a seat in the Senate, and the South has not been a good place for an African-American to be elected to the senate since it has not happened since Reconstruction.

So how did he receive such a sizable portion of the vote? One South Carolina voter I talked to said it was because he is black, but when was the last time someone being black won a senate seat in the South? My theory is that he got there based on name recognition. I know name recognition does not seem like a strategy someone would use if they have never achieved any fame, but Alvin Greene is different. Although Alvin Greene may not have a strong resume, Al Green does. How many people have been brought together by "Let's Stay Together"? I'd estimate it's at least over 25% of South Carolina voters. It's not like the state of Strom Thurmond and Lidnsey Graham is electing capable public servants, so why not bring a great entertainer to office? Having a good name in politics is important; you don't want to end up like Weiner or Santorum.

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