Alvin Greene- the Unadvertised Candidate

When you think of a political campaign, what comes to mind? Political stumping, buttons, yard signs, television ads, and political speeches are some of the things that may pop up. However, what if someone ran for office but did none of that? What are the chances that he would win? This is the case for Alvin Greene, a 32 year old military veteran from South Carolina. He is the winner of the Democratic Primary for South Carolina's US Senate. But who is this man and how did he win?

Alvin Greene is an unemployed military veteran of the Army and Air Force who currently lives with his father in Manning, South Carolina. Sources state that he has a degree in Political Science, but this is currently unconfirmed. He did however serve a 13 year stint as a supply and intelligence specialist in the military. During that time he served six months in Korea. There was someone who served with him during that time that spoke with a writer for Gawker.com. During that time frame, the soldier who served with him told of a man who was far from someone who would be a political candidate. Alvin gave the air of someone who didn't want to be soldier. He would take apart an M249, but then had no clue on where to begin with putting it back together. He would come to work and stare at the wall until it was time for lunch. He would then go eat lunch, come back and stare at the wall again until it was time to end the work day. His interactions with people, as highlighted with his interviews, were common place. He had issues talking with anyone, and would often mumble to himself. It is possible that he may have Asperger's Syndrome based off of this behavior. This is not confirmed however.

So how did a man with this lack of political influence and lackluster military service end up winning the Democratic primary? Apparently it was a combination of voter apathy and his name that led to his success. According to one person interviewed by WSAV in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the name was what did it for her. She did not recognize the name of the other Democrat running, Vic Rawl. She therefore went for the person with the most name recognition, and since Alvin's name was similar to the popular R&B singer Al Green. Now, she is, along with the over 50% who voted for Alvin, are ashamed of what they did. They became even more embarrassed when it was revealed that Alvin currently faces a felony obscenity charge.

History is full of unknowns making it big. The story of the small man coming out on top is the ideal of the American Dream. However, politics may not be the way for some people to make their mark. Maybe Alvin Greene will be a great politician. Maybe he will be able to bring changes to the state of South Carolina. But to be able to do that, he will need to actually campaign, present a better public image and explain his past. Let's hope that this is the case.