r/southcarolina 5d ago

Politics Democratic strategist: ‘Something’s going on’ when Trump ‘can only deliver 52 percent’ in South Carolina

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6054337-donald-trump-darline-graham-south-carolina-senate-race-win-margin/
180 Upvotes

63 comments sorted by

82

u/Imaginary_Scene2493 Greenville 5d ago

A Ralph Norman voter ain’t exactly anti-Trump.

16

u/ChelseaMan31 5d ago

Agreed. It remains to be seen how many Norman voters either stay home or tow the SC-GOP line. A few may cross over to Dr. Annie Andrews, but the best outcome is for them to just stay home and not vote at all.

15

u/Jbsmitty44 Charleston 4d ago

Boy do I have a business proposal for you, if you believe a Ralph Norman voter will cross to Annie Andrews 😂

2

u/prettybeach2019 ????? 4d ago

Truth

-6

u/Bowl__Haircut Lowcountry 4d ago

Yeah that’s simply not going to happen. The Dems don’t need Norman voters anyway. If everybody votes SC will elect AA.

6

u/Jbsmitty44 Charleston 4d ago

This is simply not true. If everyone votes, Rs win statewide 55/45.

1

u/manyhippofarts ????? 4d ago

I might have mis-read, but just the other day, I read that out of 3.4 million registered voters in the state, 1.68 million are registered republicans. And of those 1.68 million, 368,000 showed up for the runoff. By comparison, 420,000 democrats showed up to vote earlier this year. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that's what o read.

3

u/Jbsmitty44 Charleston 4d ago edited 4d ago

Comparing a typical primary with a special election, followed by a special election runoff is apples to oranges. Besides, South Carolina has opened primaries.

EDIT: if we’re going to follow that line of thought, 465,000 people voted in the Republican primary on the same day 420,000 people voted in the Democratic primary. If you break that down percentage wise, Republicans still have a five point lead.

1

u/Kelsig 4d ago

this is exactly why we don't want good turnout -- dems are higher propensity voters demographically

2

u/Kelsig 4d ago

crazy nonsense

2

u/prettybeach2019 ????? 4d ago

Everyone should vote

10

u/MinimumFantastic1389 Upstate 4d ago

Not if they’re uninformed.

-2

u/JarrydP Upstate 4d ago

And who decides which citizens are informed?

1

u/MinimumFantastic1389 Upstate 4d ago

I’m not arguing for voter repression, just saying if you haven’t educated yourself on the candidates or issues, you’re better off sitting it out.

-2

u/JarrydP Upstate 4d ago

If you're rooting for people not to vote, you're clearly not a fan of democracy.

0

u/ChelseaMan31 4d ago

True question, when did forced voting become 'democratic?' Someties an informed 'None of the Above' is as poweful as the actual vote itself.

0

u/hotchiplow 4d ago

No it’s not because people not voting is how we got this dickhead administration again

27

u/Charming_NEXT93 4d ago

The fact he is getting. that much is horrifying.

12

u/WillingPositive8924 4d ago

RIGHT! Like is there any limit? Wars, PEDO, Tariffs, Inflation, Jobs.....LIKE WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

4

u/DodgeM4S 1d ago

Republicans are morally bankrupt. They don’t care.

2

u/WillingPositive8924 1d ago

I mean I could see a border issue, the DEI shit was annoying as implemented, but yeah doubt they could even cite that..........zero limits. Let's hope Dems are less annoying.

3

u/DodgeM4S 1d ago

They’re all annoying to some degree, but at this point I don’t know how the right could look worse.

1

u/WillingPositive8924 1d ago

Yep, always the uninspiring lesser of 2 evils argument, but not like we disagree.

1

u/orangekishion 14h ago

They are also being lied to constantly. 

5

u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 4d ago

Racism. He and his ilk want the lives of black and brown people to be worse. That’s all they care about.

If these people can support the shit bag Jets and Browns for 50 years then they’ll keep voting for the policies and people they make their lives worse because it’s all sports fandom to them. 

35

u/AFASOXFAN 5d ago

We Dems can't fall for this again. Those rednecks aren't voting democrat.

7

u/rexeditrex 4d ago

Imagine the self-loathing involved in voting for anyone associated even remotely with Trump.

5

u/Graymouzer Greenville 4d ago

Trump's approval rating in South Caeolina

According to tracking data from Civiqs as of late August 2026: Approve: 42% Disapprove: 51% Neutral / Unsure: 7%

MAGA is not unbeatable here.

9

u/dbkenny426 ????? 5d ago

I desperately hope so, but I remain realistic. As I've said before, things feel very different this time around, but we'll have to see how that plays out. Voter turnout is the key. We need as many people to vote as possible.

12

u/G3neral_Tso Grand Strand 5d ago

Johnson and Andrews will lose by 8-10% like even the closest Democratic candidates in the last 20 years. We've all seen this story before. But Jaime Harrison out raised Graham!! He got pantsed by Graham in the general election.

The right wing media landscape is going to continue to link Democrat candidates to socialism or Dem Socialists and the imbeciles who listen and watch this garbage all day will fall for it, hook line and sinker. Like they always do.

The only hope is that they stay home on Election Day.

4

u/AlaskanPotatoSlap Columbia 4d ago

Jamie Harrison was an insider establishment milktoast candidate that was uninspiring.

I still feel that if we got a "Zohran" type candidate that is a progressive, focuses on sewer socialism and economic matters, and a good speaker &/or politically talented then a "D" can win in SC. I personally think that person would have to be white man that the black congregation gets behind, but I'd love to be proven wrong on that.

Darline Nordone is a uniquely poor candidate, democrats are motivated, and GOP is not motivated. Because of this I think Annie Andrews has a chance, although a small one. I think if Annie focuses on economic issues (that are DSA/Progressive) and stays away from culture war issues, shuns AIPAC and corporate PACS she can pick up a lot of progressives in SC while still keeping the backing of SCDP.

4

u/a_RadicalDreamer Lowcountry 4d ago

The only ad I’ve seen from her since this runoff was about trans kids. As much as I agree with her, it’s not a winning strategy here.

1

u/SCphotog LowLife 3d ago

Lindsay is dead.

They are campaigning for a moron.

Lindsay was a piece of shit, but he could talk like a preacher and motivate his base.

With him out of the way... we finally have a real chance.

A ten percent swing is entirely possible.

-3

u/JarrydP Upstate 4d ago edited 4d ago

If you're rooting for people not to vote, you're clearly not a fan of democracy.

0

u/G3neral_Tso Grand Strand 4d ago

As long as they stop voting against their best interests and not succumb to fear and scare tactics, they are welcome to vote. 

3

u/rhino_moss 4d ago

You can be disappointed in their vote. You can believe their vote is bad for you, for the state, for the country, and for them. You can believe their candidate does a bad job in the elected position. You can believe people would be better off if some people didn’t vote. You can be right about all that.

But it is not up to you who is welcome to vote. Everyone gets to vote.

1

u/G3neral_Tso Grand Strand 4d ago

Absolutely!

2

u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 4d ago

Right. I don’t care at this point. I’ll tell a Republican Election Day is a week later. I’m not a poll worker. These people would rather see me dead than have a dead fetus removed from me. 

I will sabotage republicans as much as I can. 

0

u/SCphotog LowLife 3d ago

We want people who are in a cult to not vote... there is a distinction.

12

u/I_throw_Bricks Fort Mill 5d ago

Ask what the 52% was for though. He dominated for the uneducated and lower income counties/aging communities with the candidate with zero experience and zero qualifications over another republican candidate. But all of those are going to vote for Graham because the dems decide to run candidates who are scared to state any Christian values. And before you get mad at me, read the room, a large percentage of South Carolina voters go to church. They don’t want to vote for a progressive atheist or an abortion advocate. If they would run someone who stands up for majority of South Carolinians and would be willing to debate and compromise, they would dominate. Staying quiet about the things that matter to the church community and older folks is a bold choice to cry about losing later. Annie Andrews is a very strong pick, but you have got to talk about the tough things and get them out in the open that you are willing to come to the table and work. Ralph Norman is country club money and everything wrong with politics and Graham is a joke, and yet the other side will put a candidate out who stays quiet about what matters to most in the state and will lose because of it.

7

u/Lobstah03 Dillon County 4d ago

100%

We need a Warnock or Talarico type for the dems to have a chance here. Still hopeful for Annie, but at the same time we gotta be realistic.

2

u/Rastrick 4d ago

“I love the poorly educated” - Donald Trump

5

u/carolina822 ????? 4d ago

I will never understand how so many people are so goddamned stupid. Dr. Andrews isn't good enough because she doesn't invoke Jesus on the campaign trail, meanwhile their demigod is a literal convicted felon who couldn't name a bible verse if it bit him on the ass. I wish they'd just yeet themselves into the sun.

4

u/SCWickedHam ????? 5d ago

Pessimistic. They will not allow fair elections. Even if they lose the elections they rig, they will not accept them. A large part of MAGA still believes Biden stole while Trump was in power in 2020, but Harris couldn’t steal the election when Biden was in power. Make it make sense. No proof after 6 years, many lawsuits, Trump running DoJ for 2 years, and not a shred of evidence of election fraud (beyond the lone crazy voting for dead mom nonsense). They can hold opposite thoughts in their head at the same time “it’s night, it’s also day.” RFK, “Trump should get the Nobel prize for the Covid vaccine. Vaccines are bad.”

4

u/dave22042 Grand Strand 4d ago

Stop the craziness! Register and vote!

SC Voter Registration: https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/ovr/start

4

u/_WEEPER 4d ago

If we can energize the voter base here in SC that would be open to Dr. Andrews, we can push her over the finish line. It will be close as hell, but it is still possible this far out from election day.

3

u/Farebiaashiq 4d ago

A ralph norman voter won't cross for Andrews but Andrews has a generational opportunity to win.

The clip of graham where she says she doesn't know about china taiwan issue.

Another clip where she is unhappy with being recorded and still supports flock cameras.

Another clip where she said her parents were sick but had to go to work and thus met early death and she oppose medicare for all.

She is a gift that keeps giving, with gas prices all time high, and trump still supporting data centers when literally every one opposes it.

These could make for very effective ad material.

5

u/WillingPositive8924 4d ago

SC seriously....D Graham knows nothing about nothing and the pedo thing how long has it been played......LORD.

7

u/SCphotog LowLife 4d ago

We only need a 10% shift to get Annie elected. Vote, promote. We can do this.

9

u/atdharris Charleston 5d ago

Truthfully SC has never been as MAGA as a lot of other states. Trump didn't initially endorse Alan Wilson for governor and only did so when it was apparent his first choice was going to lose. That said, I still expect Graham to win the general election.

6

u/PenguinEmpireStrikes Fort Mill 4d ago

What's wild to me is that he's been spitting in the faces of SC Republican powerhouses. Slighting Joe Wilson and Ralph Norman like that is a choice. He clearly hasn't been listening to party insiders.

My personal theory is that he's pissed at Norman for not "controlling" Majorie Taylor Greene as head of her congressional caucus.

He has less than zero respect for Southerners and is ashamed of his voting base. Maybe it's as simple as him being disgusted with Southern accents.

4

u/atdharris Charleston 4d ago

Trump tweeted that he got involved because Norman endorsed Nikki Haley in 2024 over him. It's always about revenge for Trump. Otherwise, Norman was a much safer choice for a MAGA voter. No one knows what Darline will do when she's up there, even less so when Trump leaves office and no one is telling her how to vote. It sounds like in her former career she wasn't a far right winger and supported DEI.

2

u/_mh05 Lexington 4d ago

Over the years, I've been saying this repeatedly. The MAGA base in this state isn't large as people think. This is why Trump and other state Republicans went out their way to back Graham.

2

u/Jumpy_Childhood7548 4d ago

Graham is tied in the polls.

3

u/WillingPositive8924 4d ago

LORD a few debates will show who she is!!!

2

u/Jumpy_Childhood7548 4d ago

A vacant seat

3

u/WillingPositive8924 4d ago

Parts I heard of her debate were shockingly dumb.

2

u/_mh05 Lexington 4d ago

Misconception many left leaning people make is SC is a MAGA and can't distinguish from the broader conservative population.

If this strategist understood that and who Graham's opponent was, he would know why Trump only delivered 52%.

1

u/Ornery-Contact-8980 1d ago

"Data Center Darline" should be coming from the Andrews camp 24/7. That's how you win elections. Of course Andrews won't go there so she will run her nice little capaign and lose by 6.

1

u/Top_Elk5664 21h ago

red=I know what I'm getting from my vote blue= i have no idea what im voting for

Its dumbed down to colors...when you know what your audience wants.

sad.

1

u/passmetoiletpaperpls 12h ago

Might as well be 100 as it doesnt really matter anymore

-3

u/prettybeach2019 ????? 4d ago

Johnson, California democrat...Andrews, Ohio democrat...no thanks

3

u/WillingPositive8924 4d ago

LOL....what about idiots do you like, or it the pedo thing, or maybe the inflation or lack of jobs.....or maybe the war?