The candidacy of Alvin Greene in South Carolina might be the most delightful-yet-dispiriting thing to happen in American politics in decades. His ascent: mysterious. His interviews: bizarre. His campaign infrastructure: non-existent.
Or is it?
Whereas once Greene had no campaign presence of any kind beyond his name on a primary ballot, the Alvin Greene for U.S. Senate website is now up and running, and it is a thing to behold--like something on the bleeding edge of Geocities technology circa 1995. It must be seen to be believed.
Join me, won't you?
Let's just start with the URL. "www.alvingreeneforussenator.com" I mean, alvingreeneforsenate wasn't available? It had to be "senator"? And in case you forget the URL, the front page reminds you of it...twice.
Because, since you're already at his website, you really, really wanna make sure you use that screen real estate for repetition of the URL already displayed in the address bar of one's browser.
Moving into the site, we find the Issues page, where one would hope to discover Greene's detailed positions on the various areas of policy with which a potential Senator Greene would be confronted.
Meh.
As you can see, these unlinked bullets don't provide much in the way of substance. We learn that Greene is for improving this and that, and that someone he knows knew where to find some stock photos and how to align them differently on one page (but not how to keep the bullets from mushing into the images, apparently).
Most fascinating, we learn that Greene is going to be a champion for "more parental involvement" in education (how, through legislation mandating mom helps with homework?) and for what I can only assume to be fairness in sentencing. That's nice.
Moving on, his Newsroom page makes the odd choice of showcasing two of his recent TV interviews, neither of which makes him appear competent or even terribly lucid. Wisely, he omitted his star turn on Keith Olbermann's show.
The very fact that Greene has a website is astounding to me, and one gathers that it astounds him, too, as exclamation points are all over the site (in place of actual infomation, one assumes). He rallies us to his cause shouting on every page, "Let's Get South Carolina Back to Work!" He wants you to "Join the Greene Team Today!" and promises that "More information is coming soon!" If you want to get in touch, you are excitedly told to "please feel free to contact us by filling in the form provided!" And if you so choose to be so generous as to "DONATE HERE!" you'll know:
"We thank you for your Support! Your Contributation is greatly appreciated!"
Yes, and I think this website is a real "con-trib-u-ta-tion" to our grand political discourse. I bet it only gets better from here.
Comments
Okay, I watched the video and went to the site. Limited to this exposure to Mr. Greene, what is so "weird" about this guy. He is a simple-speaking, citizen on a limited budget who is outside of the power structure trying to run for office.
Well, we have done really well hiring slick salesmen with the right connections so far, haven't we?
Condescension doesn't drip from the interviewers, it spews. I have no idea what Mr. Greene's politics or ethics are, but he deserves objectivity and at least the respect given to traitorous embarrassments like Lindsey Graham, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, or the late Ted Kennedy to name a few examples of the human garbage we elect.
Mr Green is a true citizen legislator. He certainty can't be WORSE than what occupies many congressional offices today.
I much preferred the comments to the article, which seems to be just another routine "hatchet job," on a working-class black man who dares to run for a high office.
Attacking his website because he displayed extra URLs and a word that is not spelled correctly? Rather petty, don't you think? Do us a favor, use that GW masters degree in political management and critique one of those dirtbag, pro-establishment/corporate congressmen's campaign sites. If you really are the DC Liberal Examiner and attacking a regular guy who happened to win the Dem primary because the Dems were sleeping, then you are an establishment lefty who apologize for Dems and can't stand someone from another class running up against the people in your "Good Old Boys Club."
More time in this column should have been devoted to attacking Greene on substance issues (i.e., his platform). The is a legitimate attacks since he has avoided the media and his website is pretty thin. If you attack this superficial garbage, you should apply for CNN, Fox, or MSNBC since you would blend right in with their staff.
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