The Curious Case of Alvin Greene

[Xantar]

I agree that the scenario being thrown around (Republican operatives boosted Alvin Greene in order to save DeMint's seat) is bogus. But I also find it hard to accept the result. He never campaigned, advertised, or so much as produced a lawn sign. His opponent was a state legislator who at least had the backing of the Democratic Party. And yet we are supposed to believe that over a hundred thousand people in South Carolina voted for Alvin Greene? I don't think anybody has even been able to find a voter who will admit to voting for him.

I'm going to go out on a limb and offer this theory: I think somebody tampered with the voting machines just to make a point about them. Most of the voting machines in South Carolina are electronic only and have no paper trail. I have been told by computer experts I know that many of these machines are simply running a modified version of Windows with Excel. It would be ludicrously easy to hack them. So I think somebody, not necessarily a Democrat or Republican, decided to mess with this race in order to demonstrate the fundamental problems with the system, creating a result that was clearly ludicrous and which would get people's attention. And he chose to use this race because, as Strangler has pointed out, the result won't actually make any difference.

[Professor S]

Well I read somewhere that they did interview some people that voted for Alvin Greene. At least one of them said that the reason they voted for him was because his name sounded like the famous singer Al Green.



I think Xantar's theory is the most plausible "conspiracy" type theory, but if someone did hack the machines to make a point I think the tamperer would have revealed the hoax by now. Unless the perpetrator reveals their act, I'm not seeing how any point is being made... unless the hacker is waiting to have Greene unseat DeMint through nefarious means...