DeMint Versus Graham: It’s On!
One is a principled fiscal conservative Republican who is loathed by the Washington establishment as an ideologue and an obstructionist (red robot). The other is a fiscally liberal “consensus builder” who is loathed by taxpayers and mockingly referred to in his home state as the “third Senator from New York” (blue robot).
One is currently the most popular Republican elected official in South Carolina (red robot). The other has seen his poll numbers tank as a result of his sharp turn to the left (blue robot).
One is adored by the growing number of fiscal conservatives in the GOP (red robot). The other has spent the better part of the last year picking a fight with them (blue robot).
Meet Jim DeMint (red robot) and Lindsey Graham (blue robot), two United States Senators who hail from a backward, backwoods little upside down triangle known as South Carolina.
Amazingly, they’re both Republicans, although in Graham’s case it’s pretty obvious he’s playing for the other team (no pun intended).
Just look at their vastly divergent approaches to two of the most high-profile pieces of legislation being pushed through the U.S. Congress.
DeMint, on the one hand, is threatening to put the U.S Senate on lock down to prevent passage of President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine proposal. Graham, on the other hand, is meeting with Obama at the White House to help him push through a massive energy tax that could cost the average South Carolina family as much as $4,000 a year in higher energy bills.
That’s Graham’s shtick, though – the notion that “reaching across the aisle” is in and of itself a virtue.
DeMint, to his credit, reaches only so far as his principles permit, which admittedly doesn’t look like much of a stretch until you consider the headlong rush to the left that has taking place in our nation’s capital, over the last three years in particular.
Obviously, we’re incredibly biased in our take on these two Senators, but as it turns out our opinion is not the only opinion that matters (although what a wonderful world it would be, right?).
We want to know what you think … specifically, which one of these Senators best represents your views?
Also, after you’ve voted in the poll, be sure to post your comments in the space below.
You can enter any name or email address you want in the fields, too, as we encourage anonymous feedback.
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Comments
By Genomic Repairman on December 7th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I don’t really like either so can the idiots knock each other out.
By hammerheadSC on December 7th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I think you did intend the pun…………
My vote will go to anyone who runs against graham just to send my messege
By ICEMAN on December 7th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Probably not how you envisioned this poll turning out. Looks like that “tanking of support” is exactly where it was last November…nowhere to be found. Graham gets things done in Washington, which is respectable these days. We could send anybody up there till fill Demint’s seat, outside of the state, he is virtually an unknown.
By Hal on December 7th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Graham sucks.
By vicupstate on December 7th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I will give DeMint this, he is consistent and true to his principles. Unfortunately, he is jousting at ideological windmills, and not accomplishing much except to assure he never wield any real power in Washington. He will win the Teabag Party nomination for President one day, but so did Strom. Other than a footnote in history, what good was/is that?
Graham is a realist and a pragmitist who understands that compromise and consensus are not dirty words. He votes his conscience which is not bound by mindless ideological boundaries. If SC is stupid enough to send him back to Seneca, then we will get what what we deserve-nothing.
By Graham is Great! on December 7th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
If you conservative monkey butters could focus on what really matters you’d see that Lindsey is doing what’s best for our state and the nation.
By Cole Blease on December 7th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Demint is the man. He is the best senator in Washington since Jesse Helms retired.
By JR on December 7th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Jim Demint is just the leader of a very loud minority. Lindsey is actually trying to get things done that will happen. I don’t care if Jim Demint is sticking to his guns, sticking to his guns is getting nothing done for him or any of his other tea party friends.
By fitsnews on December 7th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Again, again, we appreciate all this “getting stuff done” nonsense but WTF has Lindsey “gotten done?”
SC remains last in everything good and first in everything bad, last time we checked.
-FITS
By SJ Reidhead on December 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Don’t you ever get tired of lying, twisting, manipulating and acting like a red-neck version of Glenn Beck? It does get old, fast.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
By fitsnews on December 7th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Flamingo,
Do you ever get tired holding up all of those chins?
-FITS
By Proud American and Carolinian and I Know The Irony in Teabaggers Protesting Violations of Property Rights on December 7th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Bullshit! Show me the numbers where its going to cost our shitty little backwater state $4k a year per family. In the words of the immortal Joe Wilson, “You Lie!”
By Ynot on December 7th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
both of em suck.
Demint lives at C Street and is more interested in Hounduras than the people who elected him to represent them.
Graham… well…. there are no words for how bad he really is.
By Liberty For Me on December 7th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I dont know what to say…How can a socialist gayboy play pretend and people cant see through it.40 % idiots I would say….What does he have to do wear a soviet uniform..or carry a sickle…More war and more enslavement is his montra..Demint has the best and consevative voting reord in the Senate…hard to beat that!
By Billy Bob on December 7th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
FITS – that egg is lookin’ more like Humpty Dumpty every day.
By Mrs. Ethel Krabitz on December 7th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
i will vote for WHO EVER runs against Graham.
By Truth Seeker on December 7th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Helms was an idiot from NC, Thurmond was an idiot from SC. They did nothing to progress the future of the carolinas except to bring home military dollars. Demint is not doing anything at all but to be a mouth piece for the Dick Armey / Glenn Beck PAC/lobby funded tea partiers. They represent nothing but BS!!!!
By Liberty For Me on December 7th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Proud American….I am just curious about this property rights thing..What are you talking about??
Fits…must we keep this flamingo persons pic up???…JEZ..I just ate
By dusty on December 7th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Proud American and Carolinian and I Know The Irony in Teabaggers Protesting Violations of Property Rights
FITS: Is that the longest screen name in your blogs’ history.
Why not shorten it to Ima Douche. Short, Succinct, to the point
By Old Bike Dude on December 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Sorry FITS but Graham will be in office when Moses comes back. Demint is just another faux yankee SINO. Southerner in Name only.
By 2 cents on December 7th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
With all the spin and disinformation on everything by everyone about everyone, how can anyone form a truly valid opinion.
They are SC politicians. Hell, they’re politicians. That’s enough for me to say screw them both.
After my being fooled by and voting for Obama, perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut.
I will continue to make my decisions on the issues & voice my beliefs after careful consideration of all sides of them, but my saying I believe in or am loyal to any politico or party would be foolish & untrue.
It’s like me being offered a choice between several candy-coated terds on a stick & choosing which flavor I’d like. Pointless. I’m going to end up sick, disappointed, and highly pissed off all at once.
By Gillon on December 7th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Demint…”‘the most popular elected Republican figure in S. C.” That’s kind of damning the man with faint praise isn’t it? I mean, look who he is in contention with: Mark Sanford, Joe Wilson, Andre Bauer, Gresham Barrett, Henry Brown? And oh, let’s don’t forget those other Republican darlings who fell by the wayside and into prison: Former treasurer Thomas Ravenel and Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Sharpe. I guess it’s still true that “in the land of the blind the one-eyed are kings.”
By Hal on December 7th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Graham suck even more now.
By vicupstate on December 7th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Fits, Graham was personally involved in the Boeing negotiations. That alone is more than DeMint will ever do for this state.
By walter david on December 7th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Liberty for Me is exactly what is wrong with this state. You have no real frame of reference relative to partisan politics so you spout off the “talking points” thinking you know something. You are pathetic. What’s even scarier? There are so many of you here. Now I know why most of you don’t like public education(other than dealing people who ain’t like you)is that it has obviously failed you.
By Wesley on December 7th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Graham does not represent me. Yet, having said that, these days in America……just who does? I’d still like to see him out.
By Pete Smif on December 7th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I grow weary of Graham. I forget, which party is he?
By Liberty For Me on December 7th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Walter David..OK…educate me
Ok..I was a little dramatic with Graham….
But he always promotes anything military to solidify votes even if it is totally wrong…Then he supports Cap and trade..or is it public ed you want to talk about??..are you saying I am dumb so I must have public ed??
If that is your thinking wouldn’t that prove my point?
By Liberty For Me on December 7th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
vicupstate…You misread.Graham was personally responsible for boning negotiations…two different things
By James the Foot Soldier on December 7th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Senator DeMint SINGLE-HANDEDLY kept the nation of Honduras from falling into another socialist dictatorship. The Obama folks were blindsided by the fact one Senator was able to block their socialist agenda.
Strong work Senatory DeMint.
BTW….not being the biggest fan of Senator Graham….he has made a hard right turn in the last 8 months – surpisingly hard I might add. I’ll take an 85%er like Graham ANYDAY over a 35%er turncoat like Specter.
By Shar on December 8th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Not much for politics or politicians, but I really admire a man who sticks to right principles in spite of opposition. It seems that Graham is more interested in what he can get out of compromising than representing the people…we need some folks who don’t get to thinking they are “all that and a bag of chips” just for getting elected, and willing to step down and come back to the “real world”.
When people start insulting other’s looks, calling names, it shows they have run out of logical arguments, resorting to personal attacks…
Wonder how a Demint/Palin ticket would fly?
By Truth Seeker on December 8th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Old Bike Dude, you are so right! We have too many SINO’s around here telling us how things need to be! And they don’t have a clue!
By Truth Seeker on December 8th, 2009 at 2:42 am
Once upon a time they were called carpetbaggers!
By Barney Frankfurter on December 8th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Yes Hal, Lindsey does suck, and he does a damn good job of it too, if I might say so.
By Pete on December 8th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Lindsay is just one of the Mino’s in the SC GOP…
(men in name only)
By FITS is just like the rest of them...bought and paid for on December 8th, 2009 at 9:14 am
To answer Will’s question of what Graham is doing…
Currently, he’s trying to make sure Washington bureaucrats like Lisa Jackson at the EPA don’t have the chance to regulate carbon, to the detriment of the wallets of American families.
Carbon is going to be regulated, make no mistake. Wouldn’t you rather have your legislators, who you actually vote for, set up the system rather than unelected goons?
Oh, but wait. Will lives in a fantasy world where we can re-take the majority by being obstructionist, so in his mind we can all drive Hummers and run the AC in the winter time if we damn well please.
Get with the times Will, before someone with the time and capital to challenge you on the SC blogosphere shows you for the fraud you are.
xoxo
Gossip Girl
By TotalWench on December 8th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Yes, thank God that Honduras is safe. You know the saying, as Honduras goes, so goes the world! Way to go, Jimbob. We can all sleep easy now.
By Fred Simmons on December 8th, 2009 at 11:08 am
DeMint. By far. I don’t understand how we, South Carolina, one of the reddest states in the country, can complain that he’s an “obstructionist”, given the nature of the current leadership of this country!
By Stephen on December 8th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Graham is an embarassment to the conservative movement. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is sleeping with Barney Frank!! He needs to go and I will do my part to help a conservative send him home.
By Mike at the beach on December 8th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Ask the people of Honduras if Demint “gets things done.”
If he is part of blocking this health care madness, he will have accomplished enough to call it a career.
By SCCON on December 8th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I think the only thing the FITS poll shows is that a lot of Democrats like the site too — probably for all the teenage innuendo.
By Liberty For Me on December 8th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Wait….You people are attacking DeMint for standing up for Honduras Liberty…But condone Obama siding with Venezuela??
By Swampfox on December 8th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Graham strikes me as little man trying to play big and doesn’t make it. Plus I disagree with most of his positions. I mostly agree with DeMint. HE takes anonymous comments on his website. Most politicians want so much info on an email that it’s obvious their just building the mailing list.
By Pat Hendrix on December 8th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Wow, a blog with Will Folks on the masthead talking about extra weight? That dude looks like 200lbs of shit stuffed in a 100lb bag.
And liberty for me, I’m at loss – does the military junta that illegally took over the government and suspended civil liberties represent “freedom”? Just curious, heading down to Central America on Friday and was hoping you could give me some tips.
Remember fits readers, mental illness can be treated.
By rick on December 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I’m kinda at a loss, Jim DeMint is an issue because he stands by his beliefs. Linsey Graham has no such convictions so he stands for whats good for Lindsey Graham. I guess the founding fathers waffled all over the place looking for a location in which to plant their lips. Problem is, if you have no convictions, stand for nothing and just pay lip service to your constituency, does that make you a man the electorate can trust to look out for the nation and its people? Always admired a man that believed in something enough to take the unpopular road….God Bless men like Jim DeMint.
By me on December 8th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
most be all the transplants who keep electing these idiots. Demint>Graham
By WorkingTommyC on December 8th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
At least DeMint is a fighter. And, unfortunately for the liberal fascists and conservative fascists, he stands for THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
It would be great if we could get some more men of action working to RETURN our government to the US Constitution. In other words, simply working to make our central government obey the law again. Adversarial politics and open, honest debate are what our country was founded on and the only way to recover our liberty.
Instead we’ve got collaborators like Lindsey Gaham making hamburger out of our backs with his big, moderate knife. He and other big government proponents whine about the “inevitable” and promote the big lies of socialized medicine and global warming.
Are any of you mentally healthy enough to be CYNICAL? How many bridges have you bought from these politicians? You scourge the Republicans but then swallow the lies about the government taking care of you when it comes out of the collagen filled lips of Democrats? [Insert definition of insanity here.]
The Dems are the abusive law-breakers and almost all the Republicans, if not also collaborators like Gaham, are enablers and passive collaborators refusing to seriously fight if they think it might hurt them.
We need fighters instead of wimps. At this rate, we’ll wind up with another revolution if we can’t find representatives who will actually represent the will and diversity of the states and the people, respectively.
For you folks so blithely ignoring the Constitutiona, remember that we have not seen the end of history. One more terrorist attack in NYC could provide the straw to break the economy’s back and bring about the break-up of the United States.
Can’t happen here? That’s what everyone said about the USSR which, despite its oft-exercised propensity to bloody repression was at an utter and complete loss when their economy went down the toilet.
A lot of you naysayers may be begging for such a solution when the alternatives are the equivalent of falling into an economic black hole along with city-states such as NYC.
You arrogant, close-minded scoffers may be left with your mouths hanging open and mouthing the words “Common Defense Force” as the states in their new alliances negotiate the handling of our nuclear missiles and other military matters.
You’ve ignored the 1-2 million WORKING PEOPLE who protested in D.C. You’ve ignored the incredible amount of building anger across the country. You won’t be able to ignore what happens in the next few years, however.
Get ready. It’s going to be a wild ride and you who think you’re going to wind up on top of the heap in an abusive, class-warfare based socialist “utopia” are in for a rude surprise.
And the latest Rasmussen report gives a big “IN YOUR FACE!” to those who support the current state of increasing fascism:
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/07/rasmussen-poll-imagines-a-tea-party-exists-and-says-it-would-rival-republican-support-in-2010-congressional-races/
Just keep an open mind or your head will explode as you watch what happens to your world in the next few years. (Hint: it won’t be global warming.)
By MikeR on December 10th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I always get a little nervous when I see someone who “isn’t afraid to reach across the aisle”. Why is it only compromise when Republicans move left? Who was the last Democrat to reach to the right?
This entire debate can be simply summed up by comparing these, or any other, legislator’s votes to the Constitution. If they vote for something other than a Constitutional bill, they are voting away your freedoms. Doesn’t matter which party they are in. For that reason alone, Demint is far and away a better representative. Li’l Lindsey only cares about his own hide. Some public servant.
By George on December 11th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Very good article.
My only complaint is your portrayal of my state of SC as “backward, backwoods little upside down triangle” You got 1 out of 3 correct.
You don’t get multi-national corporations, like Michelin, BMW, and Boeing, to move to your state by tax breaks alone.
We may not be as sophisticated as Obama, Pelosi, and Reid, but we know how to balance our state’s budget. We helped create this country – it’s a shame that three of our own state’s elected officials, Graham, Spratt, and Clyburn, are intent on destroying it.
By GoJim on December 11th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
If we can just get Graham, Spratt, and Clyburn fired before they destroy not only this state but also this nation it will be a wonderful thing.
By Peter Hoffman on December 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I don’t understand people who support someone just because he ‘gets things done’. If those are the wrong things that’s worse than not getting anything done.
I’ll vote against Lindsey Graham at every opportunity. My analysis of his voting record is that he is much more interested in advancing his career (i.e., someday running for president) than he is in representing the interests of South Carolina or even the U.S.
Jim DeMint is very well known and respected outside of South Carolina as anyone who reads knows. We need more politicians like him who actually stand for something. Lindsey Graham and his sycophants epitomize the saying that if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. Unfortunately, as they are falling they are dragging down the country with them.
By Glenn on December 22nd, 2009 at 11:23 am
Graham is a socialist that did NOT get my vote, I had to write in myself to ensure that!
By 2bluestarmom on January 7th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Are you guys crazy?!! I believe half of you are trolls from the DNC! Lindsey is sleeping with the enemy! He bought into this “green” crap and has been pushing for everything that is destroying our nation! It’s only been recently that he has seen the outrage of the American people, he has changed his tune!
Y’all have your head up your buttes!
Our nation has been hijacked! Obama et al are systematically dismantling our country. They are neo communist & you are going off the cliff with them and Graham!
Friggin unbelievable! Like I said, you can’t be conservative, but are trolls!
By NewYorkConservative on January 7th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
“Third senator from New York” ROFLMAO Graham has a bit further to go to reach the status of Schumer and Gillibrand, but at least some people feels my pain.