The Sun News Myrtle Beach Online - Senate Election Pits Odd Rivals
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The Sun News Myrtle Beach Online - Senate Election Pits Odd Rivals
Democrat poses small threat for Graham's seat
By Jim Davenport
Democrat Bob Conley heads into his long-shot Election Day bid against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham with slim prospects of an upset and a chance to be remembered as emblematic of what happens when Democrats write off a race.
Graham, with millions to spend on the contest, has debated but otherwise largely ignored Conley, a newcomer to S.C. politics and to his party. The incumbent Republican says facing a Democrat who supported Ron Paul in the GOP primary is "just odd."
Embarrassing, too, for Democrats, who seem to have the nation's faltering economy and a strong presidential ticket working in their favor in other races around the nation, said Bill Moore, a College of Charleston political scientist.
"The bottom line is, by not paying attention to this race, they ended up embarrassed by what has transpired: a Republican getting the Democratic Party's nomination for U.S. Senate and a Republican who comes across as even more conservative than Lindsey Graham," Moore said. "The Democratic Party's representative for senator is not a Democrat."
Conley and the state party take issue with such characterizations. The candidate rails against U.S. spending abroad and calls for renegotiating trade deals and bringing troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq. He's also urged greater regulation of the banking and securities industries, said companies should be allowed to fail and warns of a North American union of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
"I am indeed a Democrat. I am a conservative Democrat. And I'm the kind of Democrat who can beat Lindsey Graham," said Conley, who has taken aim at the incumbent for supporting a failed illegal immigration measure that was decried as offering amnesty.
Conley's past political experience includes running for the Indiana Legislature as a Republican, only to leave the GOP dissatisfied and join the Reform Party. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old North Myrtle Beach flight instructor and engineer was a Republican Party executive committee member in Horry County helping Paul's presidential primary efforts. Conley notes he also was a delegate at the Horry County Democratic Party convention and became a state Democratic Party delegate.
Graham, 53, has spent little to fend off Conley and headed into the final weeks of the contest with $3.8 million. In fact, he's spent a lot more time on the campaign trail for McCain than he has defending his own seat. Conley had $5,277 at the end of September and had raised $23,628 during the campaign, according to his latest campaign finance report.
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