EXCLUSIVE: Draft Katon Movement has Started
We have heard from multiple sources that high level state and national Republican leaders are currently in the process of recruiting SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson to run against Sen. Lindsey Graham in next year’s Republican Primary.
Many of these leaders are currently unhappy with Sen. Graham’s stances on several key issues including immigration. Most of these same people were pinning their hopes on State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, but after he was recently indicated on cocaine charges they began to search for a new candidate. It now appears that candidate is Katon Dawson.
Katon is extremely popular with the party’s base. His successful efforts to turnaround the SCGOP’s debt left behind by the poor management of Henry McMaster along with his recent well publicized policy positions has turned him into a favorite among the party faithful. Dawson would not have to give up his chairmanship if he ran against Graham, which would allow him to garner the necessary level of earned media most fringe candidates would struggle to get.
More to come soon…..
June 29th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Any time I’ve ever heard Katon speak he’s always talked about how great Graham is and how “if anyone’s brave enough to go against him to do so at their own peril.”
Still would be interesting.
June 29th, 2007 at 12:31 am
If this is true Katon had better get going fast. Believe it or not that race is less than a year away, mid June, and Lindsey ALREADY has a lot of cash on hand - plus as he starts to talk about immigration and people actually listen to his points, which usually doesn’t happen in the current hysteria, he does make many good arguments. He was willing and ready to vote for construction of a wall and more stringent boarder protections. For those angry about how that happens now their ire should fall squarely on President Bush, no Graham.
If would be interesting if Dawson ran, and I have no idea who I’d support, but I thought Dawson was mulling over whether or not to break his pledge for another term as party chair again and not so power hungry as to vie for what could be a fool’s errand the Senate seat. Little quick factoid for everyone out there, when Joe Liberman lost in the Democratic Primary this last year in Conn. he was only the 3 sitting U.S. Senator to loose a primary since 1980, and that has to weigh on Dawson’s mind as he tries to drum up support for the ‘Draft me’ movement.
June 29th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Give me a break…Katon wouldn’t know how to tie his shoelaces if W. Whetsell didn’t explain the whole “rabbit down the hole” trick to him.
Graham has been a pretty good senator. The people of South Carolina like independent thinkers (see also Thurmond and Hollings). He’ll win because he’s a conservative, but he’s nobody’s lap dog.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:48 am
I haven’t heard that Katon was thinking about challenging Lindsey - that’s the best news that I have heard in a long time.
Lindsey has become arrogant and forgotten the people who elected him. He will do anything to please McCain or get on Sunday morning TV. I wonder when was the last time Lindsey went to church on Sunday morning.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:27 am
Got a feeling these “leaders” are the same ones who have floated about a dozen other names to take on Graham. With the SCGOP being such a dominant party, there will always be some who are not content, no matter what. Most of the SCGOP party activists love Sanford but virtual unknown Oscar Lovelace was able to pull a surprising 35% against him on a shoestring budget.
The good news for Republicans in SC is there are lots of Republicans around. The bad news is that since there are lots of them, it’s inevitable that some are always going to be PO’ed about something.
June 29th, 2007 at 5:31 am
I don’t know what church has to do with anything, conservative man, but I agree with you that Lindsey Graham has no regard for the people that he represents.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
You people have been had. This is a joke.
This is nothing more than the spaz antics of the Romney geeks Wes and Tim just trying to stir something up.
Pure T. geekery at it’s finest.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Lex,
I can assure you I’ve heard the same thing from extremely reliable sources. Why would it be so surprising that national conservatives are asking Katon or any other candidate to challenge Graham?
Clearly, Graham has alienated national and state conservatives by going to left wing racist organizations such as the National Council of La Raza (translated: the race) and decrying anyone who opposes his Amnesty bill as “racist”. Not to mention, in the wake of a war on terror, insisting that terrorists who have never stepped foot on American soil get US Constitutional rights.
Does it really surprise you that national conservative leaders are trying to recruit someone to run against Graham?
June 29th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Chairman Dawson would be a very credible candidate since he has the right fundraising contacts and the political experience. South Carolina needs a reliable, independent-minded conservative like DeMint and not a “party line puppet” like Graham. If Dawson can accept that personal challenge, he’ll have a lot of South Carolinians rallying behind him.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
If a lot of Republicans end up sitting out the election because they’re fed up with Graham, then THIS GUY:
http://www.columbiacitypaper.com/2007/5/9/the-agitator-mulls-run-for-u-s-senate-in-08
might do OK. Of course he’d have to mobolize the youth/liberal/black vote 10-fold and really hope the conservatives don’t turn out. Hey, it could happen.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Until we get rid of the open primary process and start registration by party no one has a chance to unseat Graham.
Tackle that issue and Graham is toast!
June 29th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Dawson would be a great candidate but what about Bob Peeler that would make for a three way primary and Lindsey wins.
June 30th, 2007 at 4:09 am
Well, Katon has got tons of legislative and political experience needed to serve this state as U.S. Senator - I am just not sure what it is?
June 30th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
He better, one of those other two sitting Senators was appointed to fill Dole’s seat, and lost the primary to Brownback. Different circumstances, but it does support your point that incumbents are virtually unreachable.
However, that 4 to 5 million that Graham already has might not be enough to combat TV ads with multiple shots of Lindsey yucking it up with Ted Kennedy. There seems to be plenty of material.
Years ago someone told me that he thought politicians should appoint their successors. Recently I reminded him of that; he laughed, having not remembered saying it, and remarked that the results wouldn’t be much different than what we have today.
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June 30th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
er, yukking it up. On second thought, let the original stand.
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June 30th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Senator Graham has been a great Senator. I like how this “exclusive” article says “state and national Republican leaders” yet can’t even give a hint of one real person. This is totally bogus. Anyone bothered to ask Katon??? because didn’t he just say if anyone runs against Lindsey they will have to pack two lunches since Lindsey will eat one?? Most South Carolina Republicans I talk to think Senator Graham has done a great job for the state. I think by his statement Katon thinks so too. You won’t find one respectable politician that doesn’t think Senator Graham is doing a great job, despite what a few of you crazy bloggers think. The only folks that seem to have a problem with Graham seem to have much bigger problems of their own.
Thad Viers, he would be a good candidate, wait, he has bad judgment (just in court).
Thomas Ravenel, he would make us proud in DC, wait, he too has bad judgment.
Maybe Andre could take on Graham, wait, he too has bad judgment, maybe he could somehow derail Amtrak on the way to DC so he could finish out the trains, planes, and automobiles.
Someone mentioned Bob Peeler, wait, he too has bad judgment, didn’t I read something about his wife beating up his red truck with his golf clubs?
You guys and your fantasy politics. You live in LA LA Land. President Bush says Senator Graham is doing a great job, and I agree with him, not some blogger who blames all their problems on someone else. You guys are making really bad character choices by not seeing that these other guys are just telling you what you want to hear in order to try to advance their career while Graham has real character and is a great Senator for conservative Republicans and South Carolina.
June 30th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Carolina Conservative,
Just curious. Do you not see a problem with Lindsey addressing a left wing hate group (la raza= the race) and saying “we have to shut the bigots up” (referring to those who oppose amnesty? Also, what do you think of his efforts to give US Constitutional rights to terrorists who have never set foot on American soil?
I’d recommend you change your posting name.
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Katon can’t do it. Although I have respect for him as state party chairman, a Dawson for Senate Campaign would be unsuccessful.
July 15th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Lindsey is beatable by just about anybody who challenges him IF the people of SC are made aware of his stances over the past couple of years. He squeeked in as a Congressman back in 94 during a revolution, and did a good enough job to take STrom’s seat when it was empty. Anyone who thinks he is unbeatable is flattering Graham and giving him WAY too much power, he’s not in the same league as Thurmand or Hollings.
Or maybe I’m giving the people of SC too much credit, their memories are short.