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Crash And Burn: Shep Smith Calmly Derails Alvin Greene’s Political Career

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» 36 comments

The last time a politician so spectacularly crashed and burned on national television was when Eric Massa took his tickle fight stories to Glenn Beck‘s hot seat. SC Democratic candidate for Senate, Alvin Greene‘s phone interview with Shep Smith today was perhaps slightly less flashy, but safe to say, equally devastating. Oof. Fox should really consider some sort of regular Midterms series where Shep is unleashed on all the candidates.

Greene, who has no political background, or fundraising, or really any experience that would suggest he is capable of being a competent Senator — also, he is facing felony pornography charges — called in to Shep’s show today to discuss his candidacy. Though the result was less a discussion than a total political train wreck. Actually, it was sort of the political version of Shep narrating a car chase. Some highlights:

Shep: You know what people in your own party are saying, Mr. Greene, that people voted for you because alphabetically speaking you were first on the list and that’s why you got 58-59%.

Greene: Look, 60% is very decisive.

Shep: You know Mr. Greene, I like it, and you wouldn’t be the first politician to ever work off talking points, but as I read today through the websites of all of the things that you’ve said every single word you’ve said to me of substance today is repeated….you’re saying the same things over and over again in the same way you’ve said them before. Are they written down?

Greene: Well I get asked the same questions all the time, so I have the same answers for the same questions.

Shep: And to those who would say ‘I smell a rat’ you would say ‘stop smelling’?

Greene: Yes

[…}

Shep: You have a matter of a porn charge against you, how are you going to handle that?

Greene: I have no comment on that.

Shep: No, no, seriously sir, wait just a moment. With great respect, you are running to be a senator from the great state of South Carolina, trying to unseat an incumbent, you did so without campaigning, you have a porn charge against you, you’re not going to tell the people of your state the details of those charges?

Greene: I have no comment on that.

These are just the hightlights, mind you, the whole interview is pretty spectacular. The icing on the cake being the look on Shep’s face when he concludes “Mr. Greene, South Carolina’s candidate from the Democratic party to be a Senator in the United States Senate.” Priceless. Watch below.

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  • The Real Royal King

    Good going, Shep.

    I think the stinking rat here is the South Carolina Republican party. Looks like they planted candidates in three (3) other races, as well. I’m surprised they have the time what with all the adulterous trysts going on, but, perhaps, they are an energetic people despite the subtropical heat.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Xeta-Byte/100001174410994 Xeta Byte

    RT @AlvinGreeneSC: All calls from the media shuld go to Daniel Vovak at 202-367-4835. He is my new campain manager.

  • me1ranger

    Alleged trysts..king. Get it straight.

  • SteveMG

    I think the stinking rat here is the South Carolina Republican party’

    Cui bono?

    Why isn’t it equally conceivable that a Democrat put him up to it to split the Democrat vote? Why would a Republican operative fund an absolute no-name with zero chance?

    Nice smearing though; Olbermann (and Limbaugh) would be proud. Both of them like to deal in rumors and allegations.

  • me1ranger

    alledged

  • paulmdoro

    South Carolina politics never ceases to be crazy and entertaining.

  • Johnny M

    TRRK – Under that presumption – you’d have to think that 100,000 voters knew this candidate was the Republican plant that had a ton of baggage without any of that leaking to a media that would have slurped up that storyline.

    In this day & age of media, I find it hard to believe that nothing leaked on this evil Republican ploty, that the Dem caucus of South Carolina did zero research into his background (there were only 2 candidates running!), and information can spread to 100,000 people in the state to pull of such a plan. Besides, neither party is organized enough to pull off such a heist. Look at the way they continue to eat their own in elections (Lincoln or Haley, for instance).

  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

    I said it with more detail and included an additional news link in a comment Meenal’s to initial post about Mr. Greene, but I think it bears repeating.

    I really hope that in all the media hoopla surrounding his victory, more people would take the time to look into his so-called “crime”. Perhaps understandably, Mr. Greene doesn’t want to comment because he’s afraid of admitting to the underlying circumstances, but the actual charge seems disproportionate and while the “crime’ may seem distasteful, it’s also a huge stretch.

  • paulmdoro

    Isn’t he charged with a felony for showing someone a nude photo?

  • The Real Royal King

    Fair enough, alleged (you had it right the first time) as the what’s her name, not as to the current Republican governor.

    The information Representative Clyburn is getting is pretty convincing, and he’s always been a straight shooter.

  • The Real Royal King

    Let’s face it, guys, there is not a functioning Democratic party in South Carolina. That’s one of the reasons the Republicans there are such scoundrels. No checks and balances, at all.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Xeta-Byte/100001174410994 Xeta Byte

    Check out this Daniel Vovak’s wikipedia page. This whole thing is a hoax, but hilarious I must say. Way to go SC Democratic Party!

  • SteveMG

    That’s one of the reasons the Republicans there are such scoundrels.

    Sort of like Chicago machine politics? Crooks and scoundrels and unqualified people getting elected?

    Just trying to help you clarify things.

  • me1ranger

    Does anyone dispute the election results? Did this Greene get the votes or not? Why are you guys trying to nullify yet another fairly elected man? You should educate your damn voters..maybe we need to have a poll tax or some sort of test. What do you think King?

  • The Real Royal King

    Sort of Steve ….

    I couldn’t agree more, Me1Ranger, that we need to educate voters. A poll tax, of course, has been declared unConstitutional.

    As I said, there is no Democratic party in South Carolina.

  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

    @paulmdoro: If you click over to my comment in the other thread, I editorialize a bit and posted a link that has a little other information than Meenal’s to an AP version, but yeah… He was in a computer lab, pulled up a website and got the attention of the girl next to him, which resulted in a charge of “disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity”.

  • SteveMG

    Sort of Steve

    Always glad to lend a hand.

    We all know that you sometimes struggle for the right words, the right phrase, the right analogy.

    So, I thought I’d help you out a bit. Feel free to use that analogy again.

    (Actually, I could have said Chicago or Texas politics).

  • me1ranger

    I was trying to get your goat with the poll tax..just happy I spelled it correctly.

  • Toshiba2

    Wow!

  • justme

    I beileve it is time to put South Carolina in the “are you shitting me” column. Is their not a politician in that state that can be believed?

  • notsofast

    The information Representative Clyburn is getting is pretty convincing, and he’s always been a straight shooter.”

    LOL

    Hr is just a racebaiter.

  • bc206

    Don’t know much about SC politics, but how did this guy win the primary? He just got annihilated by Shep, and couldn’t give a halfway decent answer to a single question. To second what Jon Stewart said a couple of nights ago, Thank You South Carolina! The unintentional comedic gift that keeps on giving.

  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

    I retweeted what is allegedly Mr. Greene’s Twitter earlier without looking at it. The Shep video had broken wide and suddenly everything, everywhere was all Alvin Greene.

    Now that I’ve actually read his tweets, the first several makes me think that it’s fake, but then the tone sort of changes when he declares one of Laura Ingraham’s producers as his Communications Director and the funny thing is when he replies to at least one reporter, who may think it legit.

    But the big story that may apply to the above clip is the tweet, where he replies to a SC twitterer, whom if you click through to the conversation, may possibly have someone willing to go on the record about Mr. Greene being a plant.

  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister
  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

    …including the allegation that he didn’t have $10,000.

  • whytee

    The S.C. Dems need to get their act together. It seems with all the scandals and corruption S.C. would be easy pickins for a Democratic challenge.

    But whatever’s happening with this nominee seems so ham-fisted that I can’t help but think the truth will out fairly soon.

  • Burnnotice

    This guy can’t be a serious candidate??? I can almost hear Shep saying. Ok where are the cameras. Ashton Kutcher, You rascal You…

  • ChrisNH

    So! The King laments that there are “No checks and balances, at all” in South Carolina. Certainly not like all the ‘checks and balances’ that now exist across the federal government with Lib control everywhere you look. What an Einstein to interject the very thought of ‘checks and balances’ while we witness the wreckage of the country thanks to unfettered one-party rule.

  • Burnnotice

    ChrisNH: says
    “we witness the wreckage of the country thanks to unfettered one-party rule”.

    You may not realize how right you are! Republicans and Democrats are both Progressive. There is your one party no matter who has the majority. They just have a different approach on implementing fascism. Libertarians see the destruction they are leaving in their wake! Until Americans wake up and see the wool has been pulled over their eyes. They will continue to vote themselves into tyranny..

  • The Real Royal King

    Well, Chris. the Republicans have filibuster capabilities in the Senate, and we have a Supreme Court which tilts right. Sure seems like checks and balances to me.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

    Seems the season for crash and burn candidates. Rand Paul set the pace, Alvin Greene is neck and neck with Rand Paul.

  • writer

    King, could you provide evidence that Republicans were planting candidates on the Democratic side? Or was that just conjecture?

  • Beth

    Why would the GOP have to plant a candidate to run against DeMint, who’s almost certain to win anyway in November?

    You silly Dems and your conspiracy theories!

    Care to explain how the eeeeeeeeeeeevil Republicans got 60% of SC Dems to vote for this clown?

  • ex political-media hack

    this is sooo hilarious!

    oh right – the primary voters picked him because his NAME was listed first!

    right…..

    obama got 98% of the black vote in the 2008 SC primary and id bet that Alvin Greene got close to the same number – but NO ONE in the MSM will even mention that possibility!

    amazing!

    kinda reminds me of all the Obots reasons about Blacks voting for Obama with 94 to 96% of the black vote having NOTHING to do with his race –

    oh my!

    even if the GOP put up the 10 grand for greene that doesnt change why greene became the nominee but it does helps explain the truth about how and why Obama won the primaries in SC, NC, GA, VA etc..

    is this reverse racism at work?

    duh.

    hilarious!

  • ex political-media hack

    i just looked through the comments and saw that the dufus royal king wrote:

    “Representative Clyburn is getting is pretty convincing, and he’s always been a straight shooter”

    now thats just about the dumbest thing ever.

    Clyburn lied for two years about how he was “neutral” during the 2008 prez primaries – the whole time pushing Obama and slandering the Clintons – he was the major force behind the entire “Clintons race baited” bullshite.

    man – watch a bunch of complete fools keep lying about this..its so f-n funny!

    hypocrisy this clumsy and naked is sooo hilarious!

  • rushyoungberg

    What percentage of the black vote did he get? Is it another black racist skew?

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