By Logan Smith - bio | email
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Long-shot U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene made a surprise campaign appearance in Columbia on Wednesday at the state fair -- right in the middle of a live WIS News 10 broadcast!
Anchor Ben Hoover, surrounded by a group of smiling children, was telling viewers about the fair's opening day specials, including $1 admission and $25 unlimited rides. As he spoke, a man in a green hat with an "A" on it and wearing a green T-shirt labeled "GREENE" pushed through the crowd to stand over Ben's left shoulder.
Unaware of his famous guest, Ben continued to talk about the fair's attractions while Greene smiled and waved at the camera. As Ben tossed the shot back to anchor Judi Gatson in the studio, Greene did something unthinkable for a serious Senate candidate, holding up two fingers behind Ben's head to give the award-winning journalist "bunny ears." Greene said on Thursday he was actually giving the victory sign.
Greene's actions left state Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler searching for an explanation. "He has no experience in running for office of course, and insisted in starting with one of the top offices," Fowler said. "But you know, on November 3 his 15 minutes of fame will be over."
Greene is trying to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Jim DeMint after winning a surprise primary victory over Charleston politician Vic Rawl. The state Democratic Party has not supported Greene's campaign, and the party's booth at the state fair has no Greene campaign materials or literature. "Nobody believes that Alvin Greene is going to be elected to the United States Senate," said Fowler. "From the day after the primary, nobody has thought that Alvin Greene had the ability to be elected."
Greene also faces misdemeanor and felony charges after he was arrested in 2009 for allegedly showed a University of South Carolina student online pornography in a campus computer lab. Last week, Greene's attorney told a judge the 33-year-old Greene was attempting to flirt with the teenage student.
Fowler and her party have made no secret of their unhappiness about Greene's mystifying victory last spring and his behavior since then, and it shows. At the Democratic headquarters in Columbia, you'll find campaign materials for all candidates but Greene. A party handout showing everyone running for a major office except for Greene. "Having him in this campaign is totally irrelevant to what happens to South Carolina in the next few years," said Fowler. "He is not going to be our senator."
According to a Winthrop poll released on Tuesday, DeMint currently holds a 47-point lead over the unlikely Democratic challenger. In fact, Greene is even behind in the polls to Green Party candidate Tom Clements, who has the support of 12% of South Carolina voters.
However, Greene was still getting significant support from likely Democratic voters prior to Wednesday's incident. The Winthrop poll showed Greene with almost 31 percent of the Democratic vote, with 22 percent saying they're backing Clements.
Clements says he's continuing to pick up support from many Democrats who say they simply cannot vote for Greene. "I think a lot of Democrats and others might not vote if they only had a choice between DeMint and Greene, so they're happy that I'm in the race," said Clements. "They can pull the lever for somebody they actually agree with."
We asked Greene on Thursday if his actions at the fair might have looked a bit childish to our viewers. "It's the state fair," he responded. "It's a party. It's not a funeral."
Greene also accused Sen. DeMint of starting the recession.
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Alvin Greene's surprise campaign appearance
Greene gives Ben Hoover "bunny ears"
