Alvin Greene Mocks White House Staff As 'Harvard Rich Kids'

Alvin Greene, South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate, may seem to defy many classic stereotypes of aspiring politicians, but when it comes to confidence -- a must for most political contenders -- a new op-ed written by Greene in The Guardian shows that the enigmatic unemployed Senate hopeful has no shortage.

"I'll save your house. I'll save your job," Greene loftily promises in the editorial. "I'm unemployed, and, if elected, I can teach the Harvard rich kids in the White House and the senate a thing or two."

"Do any of these fat cats know what it's like to be unemployed? To not know how you will feed your children and pay your mortgage?" Greene continues. "I will vote for any law and propose any measure to keep jobs in my state of South Carolina. I will vote for huge tariffs, and, if necessary, vote to ban imports of foreign goods. Millionaire egghead politicians in the pocket of big business talk about "free trade" - and let all of your jobs get shipped overseas. No more free trade. Your job is not going to Indonesia."

The op-ed goes on like this, with Greene making further pledges to "stop debt collectors," "shut down payday lenders," "stop house foreclosures," "break up the big banks" and prosecute "bankers who committed fraud," before finally asking voters to send him to Washington in order to "teach at least one of those senate millionaires what it's like to be unemployed."

Though the editorial could be criticized for being heavy on the buzzwords and light on detailed policy, all in all it marks a step forward for Greene, who, to this point, has struggled repeatedly with his communication skills. It's not the most succinct piece of writing, but it's more developed than his first public campaign appearance, more informational than his recent advice for college students, and certainly more positive than an interview in which Greene appeared to howl at a local reporter who brought up his felony indictment on pornography charges.

With poll numbers still looking dismal, Greene has more than a 40-point gap to close on Sen. Jim DeMint. Perhaps this op-ed, paired with a campaign stop in South Carolina on Monday can build some much-needed 33rd birthday momentum.

Comments

[kmeccat]

01:00 AM on 09/05/2010

It was a decent essay...for Alvin. But, being written, not spoken, how can we be sure these are actually Alvin's words and thoughts?

[The Brain]

04:22 PM on 09/03/2010

This man is plowing through the system and using what he has,either way his out come will be positive for him.

[EricLightborn]

07:39 PM on 08/31/2010

After reading him in his own words I find Alvin Greene much more appealing. He wants to end job outsourcing, break up the big banks, end the pay day lender scams and forgive homeowner's debt.

[rory talbot]

04:38 PM on 08/31/2010

Is it "mocking" if it's true?

[runtwelds]

09:53 AM on 08/31/2010

perhaps I was slipped some decaf this morning, but is he starting to make a little sense?

[Joan Jacobs]

12:56 PM on 08/31/2010

I was just going to say that I think he's slipped a few cogs. Assuming he can get himself elected (& he would have to get himself elected as it doesn't appear that the Democrats are exactly in his corner), does he really think he's going to be able to change the entire structure of the Senate - not to mention the country to fix all the things that are wrong in South Carolina? When he's done, maybe he could fix the other 49 states. What an ego! I think this man needs help.

[sueno]

09:42 AM on 08/31/2010

This guy is a clown-

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

11:14 AM on 08/31/2010

Based on what's in the essay?

[StanleyBing]

10:13 AM on 09/01/2010

Based on everything known about him.

[HenryDubb]

09:41 AM on 08/31/2010

Maybe South Carolina Dems should give a Green somee love. http://www.scgreens.blogspot.com/

ncumbent Republican Senator Jim DeMint deserves a vigorous challenge for his lack of attention to the people of South Carolina. His policies - outright opposition to any substantive health care reform, a weakening of campaign finance rules, laxity in corporate controls, unbridled support for Wall Street greed, uncritical boosterism of the nuclear and oil industries and an unseemly enthusiasm for an interventionist foreign policy that has needlessly cost of American lives and dollars - harm rather than benefit the people of South Carolina.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

11:15 AM on 08/31/2010

Voting for anyone other than the Democratic Party nominee ensures a Republican victory.

[TurnToTheLeft]

04:42 PM on 08/31/2010

What kind of victory would it be to vote for the Republican chosen Democratic Party nominee Alvin Greene?

[R U Sirius]

09:40 AM on 08/31/2010

Is this guy SURE he's running as a Democrat? He's starting to sound a little like Jim DeVarMint.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

11:16 AM on 08/31/2010

Apparently you didn't read the essay: Alvin Greene supports unemployment benefits, DeMint opposes them.

[R U Sirius]

12:24 PM on 08/31/2010

I was going on the basis of his attitude toward the White House. And somehow, I DON'T think that's something he'd come up with on his own....

[StanleyBing]

10:12 AM on 09/01/2010

Don't lie, Dr.. DeMint opposes borrowing money to fund them when stimulus money is laying around unspent.

[westreal]

09:28 AM on 08/31/2010

Somebody tap this guys phone. I bet he's getting daily calls from John Boehner.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

11:17 AM on 08/31/2010

Based on what do you say this? Not the essay, since the essay would give Republicans an aneurysm.

[Kiffanik]

09:24 AM on 08/31/2010

Since when did words like "Harvard", "educated" "intellectual" become synomous with "elitist" and become bad things? In the history of this country, we once prided ourselves on being an educated populace, in the 1970's almost 50% of hs graduates pursued some type of higher education. Education used to be valued, now we have a failing education system where almost half of our students aren't obtaining standard high school diplomas, they're not getting degrees, and they're losing out on jobs and resouces to foreign nationals who are being imported to obtain their educations and pursue jobs that we don't have the workforce for (sciene, technology,engineering, and math) and yet we continue to celebrate ignorance and deride those who go to college where critical thinking and reasoning is learned and those who, though informally educated, pursue knowledge and self-empowerment.

[R U Sirius]

09:41 AM on 08/31/2010

Since people who didn't do very well in school (but got rich on their daddy's backs anyhow) got into politics or big business.

[gbrooks]

10:50 AM on 08/31/2010

The reason it's become a "bad" thing is because of the chutzpah of a lot of these folks who think they know better than we do, and go on to pass legislation that restricts our freedoms because of it.

That's the offensive part.

Even more offensive is when a meathead like Palin has a similar attitude.

I don't care what your education level/political affiliation is, I'm a free person, I don't harm anyone else--stay out of my business.

[R U Sirius]

11:45 AM on 08/31/2010

Okay, as long as you don't start complaining because "nobody" fixed your crumbling highway bridges, or your lights go out because of an obsolete power grid, or your wheels get out of alignment because there's no tax money to repair the potholes on your street...or your mother's aunt has to come live with you because the GOP managed to cut her social security and medicare. I guess you'll have to call your rich daddy!

[MosiahGarvey]

07:16 AM on 08/31/2010

It's obvious he's a losing candidate but that does not disqualify his point, the elite of politics is being run by the Harvard, Yale and co (appointment of Sotomayor, Kagan. etc), makes me wonder if those are the only schools that produce smart people. Seems like there's some cronyism going on even with in the Obama admin

[GoDems2012]

07:01 AM on 08/31/2010

Embarassing. But Dems have to have our own Sarah Palin, I guess.

[Gidster]

09:10 AM on 08/31/2010

Hubris and ignorance are not party specific...

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

11:18 AM on 08/31/2010

Sarah Palin supports universal health care?

[ljkcan]

12:26 PM on 08/31/2010

Hardly she told a Canadian comedian posing as one of her ardent fans. That we need to be more like the US when it comes to healthcare.

We get screwed with car insurance, hell would freeze over before most of us would allow the same system that they have in the US.

[templedancer]

06:04 AM on 08/31/2010

Greene either has a very low IQ or he's mentally ill.

[HuffpostSuperUser]

09:49 AM on 08/31/2010

His brain and his mouth have trouble working in concert. The man is a college grad.

[intragan]

10:11 AM on 08/31/2010

both

[Crixus]

03:26 AM on 08/31/2010

ok when did a LOSING CANDIDATE get this much press???? who cares what Buckwheat says or thinks... anyone that will waste a vote for this dumbo is nuts.

[GoDems2012]

07:03 AM on 08/31/2010

Buckwheat? Why do you think you're allowed to call him a racial slur because you don't like him? Insult him, but stay away from slurs.

[Gidster]

09:11 AM on 08/31/2010

Co-Sign!

[Crixus]

12:10 PM on 08/31/2010

umm its not a racial slur... and I am black so i can say it.. if it was..

[gbrooks]

10:52 AM on 08/31/2010

He doesn't look a thing like Buckwheat.

[Sassys]

03:05 AM on 08/31/2010

Yeah this guy is definitely not the most savvy politician out there...nonetheless he could still take on Sarah Palin and her Magic Markers and win. For Demint this guy still might wind up being a Lozenge to contend with.