Jun 18, 2010 at 1:25 PM

1 100% agree with you.

Jun 18, 2010 at 3:14 PM

It is wrong to question a public official's validity simply because he or she is black, and it is just as wrong to always overlook a political official's indiscretions because of race as well.

Jun 18, 2010 at 7:54 PM

Glenn, I enjoy most of your articles but I must offer your "affinity for underdogs" be relegated to sports. I'm a Black American Male from South Carolina so any crack in the "good old boy" system of doing things is welcomed but I do not condone it being done through incompetent leadership. Alvin Greene has become a national punch line and his grasp of current issues is second only to that of Sarah Palin. His platform of “Let’s get South Carolina back to work” can be used interchangeably as a campaign slogan and he has done nothing to map out a plan for doing so. With the Democratic Party not offering any support due to his legal challenges he will have as much chance of winning this race as Wile E. Coyote had catching the Roadrunner. I don’t see how anyone would want to place any part of government oversight in this man’s hands. He likened himself to Jessie Jackson in 1988 and the only similarities I see are they’re Black Men from South Carolina. Though I think Rev. Jackson can be an opportunist at times I will say he does offer action plans as to how matters should be addressed. Alvin Greene seems to feel this is an opportunity to stretch his “15 minutes” which is not what we need in a state where Jake Knotts feels comfortable enough to call President Obama along with Nikki Haley, “ragheads” and Joe Wilson sees political gains from shouting “You lie” during the president’s speech on healtchcare. The Tea-Party movement has made it “en vogue” to call the election of America’s first Black president an “experiment”. If candidates like Alvin Greene and Bill Randall here in North Carolina are allowed to gain traction they will do nothing to offset this way of thinking. As I said initially, underdogs are great to root for in sports but in such a critical time in history we need viable leadership which truly exhibits the qualities required to help us plot a course of positive change. Especially in South Carolina which so urgently needs it.

Jun 18, 2010 at 8:08 PM

ASP: Thanks for your thoughtful commentary. You're not the first person to take me to task over this one. But let me be clear - any sympathy I have for Mr. Green has to do with the fact that he won. In a democracy, that must be respected, regardless of what we may think of the candidate. Those who would disqualify him without just cause do a disservice to our system of government. As I said, part of me wants him to simply go away. But there's another part of me that doesn't like to see the weak picked on.