You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Run for the Senate in South Carolina – But

It Sure Helps Your Chances

The 2014 Congressional campaigns have been underway for some time now, and the really interesting and entertaining part will not be the general election, but the Republican primaries.  The Republicans are continuing the fight between the ultra conservatives who currently control much of the party, and the crazy ultra conservatives who want to take it over. 

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Senator Lindsey Graham, shown in Washington this summer, has been criticized by some Republicans and targeted by Tea Party supporters.

Does anyone want to live in a state where Lindsey Graham is considered the sane and rational Republican?

This battle is illustrated in the coming primary for the Senate seat currently occupied by Lindsey Graham in South Carolina.  Winning the Republican primary is tantamount to election, the state Democratic party being like Bigfoot (many reports of sightings, but no real evidence it exists).

Conservatives in South Carolina are eager to oust Mr. Graham, who has enraged the far right for, among other things, reaching across the aisle on immigration and supporting President Obama’s nominations for the Supreme Court. Tea Party supporters called him a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood when, instead of heading home for the Congressional break this month, he went to Egypt at the request of the president.

Right now there are three potential challengers to Mr. Graham, including this one, Richard Cash.

But Mr. Cash is staking out a position as the most anti-abortion, Christian constitutionalist in the race.

He is certainly the most seasoned campaigner among the challengers, even though his first race was not until 2010, when he was one of six Republicans trying to capture an open Congressional seat. Although he was not well known, he ran a disciplined campaign that moved him into a runoff against Representative Jeff Duncan, Mr. Woodard said.

In meetings with Tea Party groups, Mr. Cash repeats a carefully honed slogan about his candidacy, which he says is built on three C’s: capitalism, Christianity and the Constitution.

Of course, his knowledge of the Constitution is pretty limited, apparently he is not familiar with the idea of no religious tests for office. 

Money may not be an issue, even though Mr. Graham is flush with cash.  The real questions will be what kind of support the challengers can get from the current Senators like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, who will be torn between helping an incumbent or siding with a candidate they really want. 

And the race in South Carolina has a tangential benefit to North Carolina, where Republican have taken over the state and enacted radical legislation.  North Carolina Republicans can proudly point to the slogan, “Yeah we’re crazy, but we’re not South Carolina”.

Yep, a winning position if ever there was one.