The Curious Case of Alvin Greene

[Professor S]

Unemployed, held no official functions, raised no money, had no advertising... and won the primary. This is fascinating. Some Dems have even insinuated that he is a Republican plant to help them win the general election.

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Thoughts?

EDIT: I almost forgot... he was arrested on a pornography charge and is awaiting trial.

[manasecret]

http://www.nisimazine.eu/local/cache-vignettes/L600xH344/PC_THE_MANCHURIAN_CANDIDATE-f09c2.jpg

?

Though for SC Democratic hopefuls, take comfort in the fact that data shows that how much money is spent on a campaign has very little causal effect on the outcome (according to the Freakonomics authors). Small comfort, I know... :)

[Professor S]

I love the Manchurian Candidate reference. One of my favorite films.

[manasecret]

I really want to give Mr. Greene the benefit of the doubt, but where did he come up with $10,400 to run for the Democratic primary? (And btw, since when did it cost so much to run for office??? Is that just for the privilege of running as a Democrat?) Especially after using a public defender?

Well, I mean, we got some tell-tale signs here that raise questions. One is this guy is out on bond. I've learned today that he has been appointed a public defender, which means back in November, when he was arrested, he filled out an affidavit of indigency, saying I don't have any money. I can't afford a lawyer. Yet in March, he comes up with $10,400 to file for the United States Senate.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127747650

[Professor S]

If this ended up being a conspiracy, it would be awesome political theater. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

[The Germanator]

I've been watching interviews with this guy, and it's certainly seems bizarre. He pretty much doesn't have any answers on how he didn't really campaign and can't really say why he got so many votes. I really think it's because his name is first in the alphabetical order. Where he got the filing fee is certainly a mystery.

[Professor S]

I tend to think that there was nothing fishy here, only because no Dem was going to beat DeMint. Why waste the money to put up someone when any other candidate loses for free?

[Xantar]

I agree that the scenario being thrown around (Republican operatives boosted Alvin Greene in order to save DeMint's seat) is bogus. But I also find it hard to accept the result. He never campaigned, advertised, or so much as produced a lawn sign. His opponent was a state legislator who at least had the backing of the Democratic Party. And yet we are supposed to believe that over a hundred thousand people in South Carolina voted for Alvin Greene? I don't think anybody has even been able to find a voter who will admit to voting for him.

I'm going to go out on a limb and offer this theory: I think somebody tampered with the voting machines just to make a point about them. Most of the voting machines in South Carolina are electronic only and have no paper trail. I have been told by computer experts I know that many of these machines are simply running a modified version of Windows with Excel. It would be ludicrously easy to hack them. So I think somebody, not necessarily a Democrat or Republican, decided to mess with this race in order to demonstrate the fundamental problems with the system, creating a result that was clearly ludicrous and which would get people's attention. And he chose to use this race because, as Strangler has pointed out, the result won't actually make any difference.

[Professor S]

Well I read somewhere that they did interview some people that voted for Alvin Greene. At least one of them said that the reason they voted for him was because his name sounded like the famous singer Al Green.

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I think Xantar's theory is the most plausible "conspiracy" type theory, but if someone did hack the machines to make a point I think the tamperer would have revealed the hoax by now. Unless the perpetrator reveals their act, I'm not seeing how any point is being made... unless the hacker is waiting to have Greene unseat DeMint through nefarious means...

[Xantar]

Unless the perpetrator reveals their act, I'm not seeing how any point is being made... unless the hacker is waiting to have Greene unseat DeMint through nefarious means...

I'm not sure if I was clear about this, but the point being made under my theory is that the polling machines are flawed and need to be replaced. There has already been a formal complaint filed by the South Carolina Democratic Party (for what it's worth) and perhaps in a few months there will be an audit of the vote.

Mind you, I don't think any of that will actually change anything. Election boards tend to be composed of idiots. Case in point: they chose to use electronic polling machines with no paper trail.

[Professor S]

I'm not sure if I was clear about this, but the point being made under my theory is that the polling machines are flawed and need to be replaced. There has already been a formal complaint filed by the South Carolina Democratic Party (for what it's worth) and perhaps in a few months there will be an audit of the vote.

I understood completely, but if that is the hacker's goal, he is failing to make his point. Perhaps an audit is taking place, but 99% of the populace has no idea its happening. If the hacker revealed the tampering to major news outlets and showed how he did it then it would create change. As it stands, I doubt it will change anything, as you said.