Get behind Trump, Sen. Graham, some SC Republicans say
The S.C. Republican Party’s convention Saturday was marked by low turnout, disappointment by some and, for others, an urgent need to get behind GOP presidential-nominee-to-be Donald Trump.
Some S.C. Republicans also were miffed at U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said Friday he could not “in good conscience” vote for Trump.
“It’s hypocritical for Lindsey Graham to say, ‘I’m not going to support him,’ ” said Spartanburg’s Alice Lang, noting Trump signed a pledge during the primary process – at the urging of GOP leaders – vowing to support the party’s eventual nominee.
Graham said Trump does not reflect GOP values. He also said he cannot vote for the Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
The Seneca Republican was scheduled to speak at the GOP convention Saturday, but did not attend. He also missed the state party’s dinner Friday night and plans to skip the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.
After initially hoping Ohio Gov. John Kasich would win the nomination, Spartanburg’s Lang says she now will back Trump fully in order to beat Clinton, his likely opponent in November.
“As Republicans, our values are different than the Democrats,” she said. “We can’t have four or eight more years of a government that ignores the plight of the American people.
“We have to get behind whoever the nominee is. To do anything else would be divisive.”
It's hypocritical for (U.S. Sen.) Lindsey Graham to say, “I'm not going to support him.”
– Spartanburg’s Alice Lang
However, some Republicans at Saturday’s gathering supported Graham’s anti-Trump pledge.
“I’m with him,” said Andrew Marion, a Richland County GOP member. “I respect him for publicly saying that.”
After Trump’s insults aimed at Republican leaders, Marion said he has “a hard time saying, ‘Oh, never mind.’ ”
But others Republicans said they want the party to unify now.
Christian Costa of Charleston wore Trump’s signature “Make American Great Again” trucker-style hat to the convention.
Costa, a former Carly Fiorina supporter, said she was disappointed Graham said he would not vote for Trump – “the type of candidate that people wanted, obviously.”
“We all know we don’t want a third term” of President Barack Obama’s Democratic policies, she added.
Turnout at the convention was low, causing a stir in some circles. To some, it was a sign that S.C. GOP enthusiasm for Trump is running low.
“The S.C. GOP convention feels like a wake,” tweeted Andrew Boucher, who ran Kasich’s state convention efforts.
The SCGOP convention feels like a wake. Only 57% turnout, even after alternates were seated. Feel the excitement for November.
— Andrew Boucher (@AndrewBoucher) May 7, 2016
Of the 870 delegates who could claim seats at the convention, only 496 – or 57 percent – showed up.
Republicans from six of the state’s 46 counties were complete no-shows. Other counties with strong GOP organizations had many empty chairs in their sections.
State Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, offered another explanation for the low turnout: The convention was anti-climactic. Some Republicans had been looking forward to the excitement of a contested convention in the event that Trump failed to win the 1,237 delegate votes he needs to secure the nomination.
“Things happened rather suddenly,” Davis said, referring to the swift exit Tuesday and Wednesday of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Kasich from the race, clearing Trump’s path to the nomination.
People are “still digesting” what happened, Davis said.
A lack of enthusiasm for Trump also was noticeable at the Republicans’ Silver Elephant dinner Friday night.
“It was noteworthy that none (of the dinner’s speakers, except S.C. GOP chairman Matt Moore) mentioned the name of the presumptive nominee,” Davis said.
Davis said the GOP will have to come around if it wants to win in November.
“We’ve lost two national elections in a row,” he said of the party. “If Republicans don’t turn out and the grassroots don’t get out there, then we’re not going to win.”
We’ve lost two national elections in a row. If Republicans don’t turn out and the grassroots don’t get out there, then we’re not going to win.
– State Sen. Tom Davis
R-BeaufortTwo Charleston Republicans — neither of whom initially supported Trump — agreed the party needs to unify behind the presumptive nominee.
That includes Graham, a S.C. politician neither of the Charlestonians have much appreciation for, said Lowell Knouff and Don Fort.
“Lindsey Graham’s words have tended to be meaningless to me for a long time,” Fort said.
“Lindsey needs to take his toys and go home,” Knouff said.
Trump supporters Ed McMullen of Columbia and James Epley of Greenville were relieved Saturday that their candidate will cruise to the nomination.
It is time for the party to unify behind Trump, they said.
Asked about Graham’s vow not to vote for Trump, McMullen said of his friend, “He’s in the early stages of grief.
“As he (Graham) evolves and starts to feel more comfortable with Mr. Trump, I know Lindsey Graham enough to know he’ll be a team player. He always has been.”
Jamie Self: 803-771-8658, @jamiemself
Haley to campaign against legislators, veto flood relief for farmers
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley pledged Saturday to campaign against lawmakers who she said are holding up progress on agenda items that she supports.
Haley applauded lawmakers in the S.C. House and Senate for passing ethics-related legislation, but said there is more work to be done on other issues, namely fixing the state’s roads.
Just because Republicans control the state House and Senate “doesn't mean we have good legislation that has passed,” Haley told the nearly 500 delegates at the S.C. Republican Party Convention.
The Lexington Republican said she will veto $40 million lawmakers OK’d for relief for farmers whose crops were damaged by the October flood.
“I will not support any bailout of any industry over any other industry that suffered” from the flood, she said.
Haley also said she would not approve any increase in roads spending, unless it came with reforms to how transportation dollars are doled out.
Haley said she plans to hit the campaign trail to highlight state lawmakers’ records. All S.C. House and Senate members face primary elections in June and a general election in November.
This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Get behind Trump, Sen. Graham, some SC Republicans say."