# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns >  Thomas Ravenel to run against Lindsey Graham in the General

## Brian4Liberty

A wealthy libertarian-Republican celebrity looks to run against Lindsey Graham. He has some past baggage (convicted for cocaine use while a Ghouliani supporter). Can he pull off a Mark Sanford?




> Thomas Ravenel (born August 11, 1962) is a South Carolina politician and former State Treasurer. He is the son of former South Carolina Congressman Arthur Ravenel, Jr.
> 
> He currently stars on the Bravo reality series Southern Charm.
> ...
> Ravenel ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, seeking the seat left open when Fritz Hollings retired. He came in third in the Republican primary election. After Ravenel endorsed Republican Jim DeMint, DeMint went on to win the Republican runoff and the general election.
> ...
> *Ravenel endorsed Ron Paul in the 2012 Republican primaries.*
> ...
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ravenel





> Thomas Ravenel Makes His Move
> 
> LINDSEY GRAHAM’S WORST NIGHTMARE IS TAKING SHAPE … 
> 
> Readers of this website have long known about former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel’s plans to challenge incumbent “Republican” Lindsey Graham in his bid for a third six-year term in the United States Senate.
> 
> Back in April, Ravenel made it clear he would throw his hat in the ring as an independent candidate for this seat in the event Graham won the “Republican” nomination.
> 
> Graham did win - and now a pair of mainstream media outlets are confirming Ravenel is taking the steps necessary to appear on the ballot in November.  Meanwhile Graham’s allies are reportedly taking steps of their own to try and keep Ravenel off  of the ballot.
> ...



Website:
http://thomasravenel.com/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Thomasravenel

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## Brian4Liberty

An article by Thomas Ravenel:




> Thomas Ravenel: “Heeding Eisenhower”
> AMERICA MUST RECALL THE WISDOM OF ITS FORMER PRESIDENT
> 
> By Thomas Ravenel
> 
> On January 17, 1961, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address to the American people. The speech contained several prescient warnings, including an admonition against mortgaging “the material assets of our grandchildren” in pursuit of our own “ease and convenience.”
> 
> *With the national debt at $17.5 trillion, this advice has clearly gone unheeded – especially under the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. One reason? Bush and Obama also failed to heed Eisenhower’s warning against “the disastrous rise of misplaced power” in the hands of America’s military-industrial complex.*
> ...
> ...

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## TaftFan

He is obviously great on the issues. 

But this is going to be tricky on multiple levels.

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## Brian4Liberty

> He is obviously great on the issues. 
> 
> But this is going to be tricky on multiple levels.


If he gets on the ballot, it could get interesting. Can he bring in both Republican and Democrat votes?

Murkowski did it in Alaska...(with the huge difference that she was the incumbent.)

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## willwash

There are only 2 possible outcomes here...Graham wins anyway or the Democrat wins due to the split conservative ticket.  It is inconceivable that whoever that Democrat is could be worse than Graham, in fact in the deep south there are a lot of semi-decent Dixiecrats, one of whom might be likely to win the Democratic nod in this race.  I'm fine if that happens, because the overwhelming priority is that Graham lose.

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## willwash

> If he gets on the ballot, it could get interesting. Can he bring in both Republican and Democrat votes?
> 
> Murkowski did it in Alaska...(with the huge difference that she was the incumbent.)


I shudder when I hear that name.  I lost a lot of respect for Alaskans when that happened.

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## William Tell

Graham needs to lose, I hope Thomas makes that happen.

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## mad cow

If he gets on the ballot,Ravenel money bomb?
I'm in.

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## RandallFan

> There are only 2 possible outcomes here...Graham wins anyway or the Democrat wins due to the split conservative ticket.  It is inconceivable that whoever that Democrat is could be worse than Graham, in fact in the deep south there are a lot of semi-decent Dixiecrats, one of whom might be likely to win the Democratic nod in this race.  I'm fine if that happens, because the overwhelming priority is that Graham lose.


Cochran(R-MS) and Travis Childers(D-MS) are both fiscally weak, anti-amnesty southerners.

Brad Hutto(D-SC) and Lindsey Graham(R-SC) are both Chamber of Commerce candidates. Hutto is meant to be a mainstream Democrat. I guess he is okay on taxes and gun control. At least he won't be running the GOP foreign policy or Meet the Press or running to replace Chuck Hagel in 2017. Lindsey Graham could get picked as Defense Secretary by the 2016 Republican if it is not Rand. It would actually work politically in the short term. You get a conservative in his seat.

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## TaftFan

"On the hot-button topic of same-sex marriage, he says government should not even be involved with marriage."

http://www.wyff4.com/news/thomas-rav...#ixzz35nG3Wzop

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## Cleaner44

> Graham needs to lose, I hope Thomas makes that happen.


This!

Let the liberal Democrat beat the liberal Republican and then fight to elect a conservative Republican in 2020.

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## Occam's Banana

> [Ravenal] has some past baggage (convicted for cocaine use while a Ghouliani supporter).


The Ghouliani thing is FAR more alarming than the cocaine thing ... I wonder if they are related (and if so, which caused which) ...

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## Brian4Liberty

An interesting video. His politics certainly seem to be a product of his situation. He's a real estate developer, and loves the cheap labor, so the Chamber of Commerce will like that. His cocaine conviction has made him very much against the war on drugs, and also an advocate for giving felons back their Constitutional Rights.

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## Brian4Liberty

> The Ghouliani thing is FAR more alarming than the cocaine thing ... I wonder if they are related (and if so, which caused which) ...


He probably would have been just another RINO and/or neoconservative if it wasn't for his drug conviction. Now he seems a lot more "libertarian".

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## Mr.NoSmile

Given the huge margin Graham won by during the primary, Ravenel doesn't stand a chance at all. There's a reason Graham has such a huge war chest- he's had years to build up the name recognition and donor base.

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## Brian4Liberty

> If he gets on the ballot,Ravenel money bomb?
> I'm in.


Well, he's already wealthy, so our couple of bucks are nothing compared to what he can self-fund.

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## Aratus

Senator Lindsey 100% deserves to be smack dab in the middle of an intense senate debate
whereby he fends off a true BILL Of RIGHTS respecting Libertarian & a Blue Dawg Democrat.

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## economics102

If all the conservatives who Graham defeated in the primary pushed their supporters to back the Democrat, maybe we'd have a chance of defeating Graham.

It's a strategically sound move, it'd be a Dixiecrat, plus, unless they act very conservatively, there's no way a Democrat would hold the seat past 2020.

We should send a message that if you're an establishment Republican in a very red state, you need to not only win your primary but win the support of the people who didn't vote for you in the primary.

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## RonPaulGeorge&Ringo

Let's hope Ravenal plays dirty and destroys Graham.

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## Brian4Liberty

More information:




> Sign The Thomas Ravenel Petition
> WANT LINDSEY GRAHAM GONE? HERE’S HOW … 
> 
> Over the last few days we’ve been bombarded with requests from readers wanting to know how they can help former statewide official and reality television star Thomas Ravenel appear on the November ballot to run against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
> 
> Frustration with Graham is at an all-time high, and many pro-freedom, pro-free market voters – Independents, Democrats and Republicans alike – are looking for an alternative to the warmongering liberal.  Even those who don’t necessarily like Ravenel have told us they think his participation in the race would be a good thing for the state – citing his outspoken advocacy on behalf of his brand of fiscal conservatism and social libertarianism.
> ...
> Read more at http://www.fitsnews.com/2014/06/30/s...enel-petition/

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## Vanguard101

Graham goes. 6 years from now we elect a real republican. Hopefully Bright sticks around.

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## RonPaulMall

> Given the huge margin Graham won by during the primary, Ravenel doesn't stand a chance at all. There's a reason Graham has such a huge war chest- he's had years to build up the name recognition and donor base.


The dynamic is different in the primary though.  Remember, even at the state level most journalists are Democrats.  They viewed all the challengers to Graham as unknown whackos, didn't want them to win, and didn't believe they had a chance to win.  And as a result, the challengers got no attention in the media.  But Ravenel is a good looking reality TV star with a salacious life story.  They'll have to cover him just for the tabloid element.  And what if that free media attention gets Ravenel 10% in the polls?  Well now all the sudden he's within striking distance of giving the race to Hutto.  And with the balance of the Senate in the balance, journalists are going to want to do all they can to prop Ravenel up, giving him more and more attention.  And then the national media and Democratic operatives will get in on the helping hand as well.

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## mad cow

Cantor and Graham falling in the same year?It would send a message.If he gets on the ballot,he gets some money from me.

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## RonPaulMall

> If all the conservatives who Graham defeated in the primary pushed their supporters to back the Democrat, maybe we'd have a chance of defeating Graham.
> 
> It's a strategically sound move, it'd be a Dixiecrat, plus, unless they act very conservatively, there's no way a Democrat would hold the seat past 2020.
> 
> We should send a message that if you're an establishment Republican in a very red state, you need to not only win your primary but win the support of the people who didn't vote for you in the primary.


The Democratic nominee this year is not somebody that holds to potential to galvanize Conservative voters.  Six years ago, a Ron Paul Republican actually won the Democratic Senate Primary and it would have been a great opportunity to employ such a tactic, but this year Ravenel represents the last hope of somebody conservatives _might_ rally behind and finally rid us of Lindsey Graham.

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## Mr.NoSmile

> The dynamic is different in the primary though.  Remember, even at the state level most journalists are Democrats.  They viewed all the challengers to Graham as unknown whackos, didn't want them to win, and didn't believe they had a chance to win.  And as a result, the challengers got no attention in the media.


Which, given the results of the primary and Graham's war chest, none of them _did_. And I'd guess that not many people outside of South Carolina Republican circles knew the names of Richard Cash, Lee Bright, Nancy Mace and so on before this race.

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## Brian4Liberty

Ravenel makes Senate run official




> A Charleston businessman and reality TV star has announced his plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Lindsey Graham.
> 
> Thomas Ravenel, former state treasurer who resigned from office after his arrest on drug charges, announced his run Friday. He still must deliver 10,000 signatures from registered voters to state election officials by July 15 to get on the ballot.
> 
> http://www.greenvilleonline.com/stor...cial/12235097/

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## Brian4Liberty

Extensive article on Ravenel:




> With the South Carolina GOP primary behind him, Sen. Lindsey Graham appears to be on a glide path to re-election. But as of July 4th, Graham will have one more hurdle to clear when Thomas Ravenel, a wealthy Charleston real estate developer and the former Republican state Treasurer, announces that he'll challenge Graham as an independent candidate on the November ballot.
> 
> Ravenel’s name won’t be new to most South Carolinians, nor some reality TV fans. He is the scion of the deeply rooted Ravenel political family, the face of a 2007 cocaine scandal that forced him from office, and, most recently, a cast member of Southern Charm, a reality show on Bravo TV that chronicled the alcohol-fueled lives of the single, social and well-connected in Charleston.
> ...
> Now that he has been “emancipated” from the party label, the more libertarian Ravenel gladly holds forth on just about any issue that comes up.
> 
> On federal spending he warns that the nation is headed for “a doomsday scenario.” “The federal government is making all these promises, but at some point, we’re not going to be able to fulfill those promises,” he says. "We're going to end up like dogs fighting for scraps."
> 
> He also speaks of the overarching need for Americans to reevaluate their relationship with their government, "We need to ask not what your government can do for you, but what you can do for yourself and where necessary, what you can do for others.”
> ...

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## Brian4Liberty



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## jurgs01

Waiting for a website to come out with concrete issue positions. I'm sure they will be pretty good, but he needs to put them down and get official for this race.

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## philipped

I hope this guy knocks Graham out of his seat.

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## Brian4Liberty

Graham at 39% favorable...44% unfavorable.




> CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) – 
> 
> ...the poll including Ravenel was conducted only days after he filed, so he’s not had much time to generate broad, state-wide support for his campaign. At this point, the former state treasurer-turned-reality show celebrity is pulling in 10 percent of the vote, primarily from the Upstate, 12 percent of voters there, and the Lowcountry, 10 percent of voters.
> 
> “It remains to be seen whether Ravenel is a factor in this for the long haul,” Lee said.
> 
> Ravenel responded to the poll’s results early Friday morning, quoting John Paul Jones in saying he was just starting his battle for the Senate seat.
> 
> "I'm at ten percent and haven't spent a dime getting my message out. By contrast Lindsey Graham has spent $5 million getting his message out in the last few months and his approval rating is only 39 percent,” Ravenel said.
> ...

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## Brian4Liberty

> Waiting for a website to come out with concrete issue positions. I'm sure they will be pretty good, but he needs to put them down and get official for this race.


It's up:

http://www.ravenelforsenate.com/

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## CaseyJones

subforum?

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## Brian4Liberty

> subforum?


Probably not worth the effort. Sometimes I get the feeling this is more of a PR thing for him.

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## CaseyJones

> Probably not worth the effort. Sometimes I get the feeling this is more of a PR thing for him.


not saying he is liberty or that he is gonna win, but anything that we can do to help take Graham out would be a good thing

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## Aratus

ought we to give him space here, anyway? perhaps?
even if we run the risk of upsetting mitch mcconnell?

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## CaseyJones

> ought we to give him space here, anyway? perhaps?
> even if we run the risk of upsetting mitch mcconnell?


we should, and I think even mcconnell would secretly be happy should graham lose

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## Brian4Liberty

Burger King...




> OBAMA/GRAHAM CORPORATE TAXES KILLING JOBS
> 
> By Thomas Ravenel
> 
> Burger King, Inc. is considering moving its headquarters to Canada to avoid paying Obama/Graham taxes of nearly 40% for corporations. How many more American jobs will be lost due to an economic environment that is hostile to free enterprise and job creation? President Obama and Senator Lindsey Graham have been working hand-in-hand to kill jobs for the last six years through government overregulation and burdensome taxes.
> 
> It is time to send someone to Washington who believes in free enterprise and getting the federal government off the backs and out of the pockets of job creators. As an independent conservative candidate for U.S. Senate, I believe South Carolina deserves better than the status quo. While Lindsey Graham has been a cheerleader for Obama’s destructive economic policies, I will stand up to Obama and stand up for the beliefs – and pocketbooks – of the business owners and consumers of South Carolina.
> ...
> More:
> http://www.ravenelforsenate.com/obam...-killing-jobs/

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## Brian4Liberty

Ravenel Statement on Sen. Rand Paul’s Visit to S.C.




> Ravenel Statement on Sen. Rand Paul’s Visit to S.C.
> August 26, 2014 
> 
> I was encouraged to hear that U.S. Senator Rand Paul took an aggressive position in support of individual liberty during his trip to South Carolina this week. His support for the Bill of Rights – including our Fourth Amendment freedoms – is exactly the sort of perspective we need in the U.S. Senate.
> 
> Unfortunately, while Rand Paul was fighting for these liberties on the Senate floor during his heroic filibuster last spring – Lindsey Graham sided with President Obama in attacking him.
> 
> What is it about freedom that makes Lindsey Graham so afraid?
> 
> ...

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## RSLudlum

18minute interview of Thomas Ravenel discussing his run as an independent against Graham.  He says "He [Graham] is addicted to power...Now I know that may be a loaded word for me to use. But he is ADDICTED to power. I was never addicted to anything.  I used an illegal drug but I wasn't addicted"

August 22nd interview:
http://www.wqsc1340.com/index.php/fe...-d-audio-vault

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## Brian4Liberty

http://www.ravenelforsenate.com/lind...are-hypocrisy/




> Lindsey Graham has spent hundreds of thousands of special interest dollars this election year trying to convince South Carolinians that he opposes Obamacare. Go to his website, and right off the bat you’ll read how he’s a “conservative leader” and a “strong opponent of Obamacare.”
> 
> Is that true, though? And if it is true – why is Graham having to spend all that special interest money convincing people it’s true?
> 
> Maybe it’s because Graham’s opposition to Obamacare – like his “Republican” label – is “in name only.” The truth is he’s actually an Obamacare supporter – and I can prove it.
> 
> Last September Graham bragged about his support for a House resolution that would have defunded Obamacare – but when it came time to actually stand up for this resolution (and remove Obamcare funding from the budget) he folded like a cheap suit.
> 
> While real conservatives – including Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and South Carolina’s own Tim Scott – courageously stood against funding Obamacare, Lindsey Graham voted with the Democrats.
> ...

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## Barrex

What are his chances?

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## Brian4Liberty

> What are his chances?


Longshot. But he has name recognition and money...

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## Brian4Liberty

Latest:




> Lindsey Graham Slammed On Obamacare Votes
> THOMAS RAVENEL TURNS UP THE HEAT ON “WASHINGTON LIBERAL”
> ...
> The first candidate out of the gate this year?  Thomas Ravenel – the independent conservative who’s running as a petition candidate against incumbent “Republican” Sen. Lindsey Graham.
> 
> In what we’re told is a preview of forthcoming internet, radio and television advertisements, the Lowcountry businessman and reality television star released a broadside against Graham on the issue of Obamacare.  The email’s time stamp? A quarter to eight o’clock in the morning … making it one of the first missives to land in reporters’ inboxes as they returned to work.
> 
> “Lindsey Graham has spent hundreds of thousands of special interest dollars this election year trying to convince South Carolinians that he opposes Obamacare,” Ravenel wrote.  ”Is that true, though?  And if it is true – why is Graham having to spend all that special interest money convincing people it’s true?”
> 
> ...

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## mosquitobite

Today is the first day I've heard of the guy.

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## Natural Citizen

> Today is the first day I've heard of the guy.


Yeah, me too.

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## Mr.NoSmile

> Longshot. But he has name recognition and money...


So did Richard Cash and Lee Bright, and we mark them in the 'Loser' column. This guy will soon join them.

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## Brian4Liberty

> Today is the first day I've heard of the guy.





> Yeah, me too.


Where have you been? 

Do you live in South Carolina?

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## Brian4Liberty

Lindsey Graham More Vulnerable Than Ever According To Latest Poll
By Thomas Ravenel - September 8, 2014




> The percentage of likely voters supporting incumbent “Republican” Lindsey Graham in this fall’s general election has slipped below 40 according to a new CBS/ New York Times/ YouGov survey.
> 
> Only 37 percent of those polled support Graham – while another five percent say they “lean Republican” in the upcoming election. Combined, the support of both groups would only get Graham to 42 percent.
> 
> Lindsey Graham spent $5 million of special interest money during his GOP primary campaign trying to fool South Carolinians into believing he is a conservative leader. It didn’t work.
> 
> Voters haven’t yet learned the extent to which Graham has betrayed their best interests.
> 
> None of his primary opponents were able to raise enough money to highlight his glaring vulnerabilities – including his support for tax hikes, amnesty for illegals, Obamacare funding and Barack Obama’s radical judges. Once I take the fight to him, Graham’s numbers are going to implode.
> ...

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## Brian4Liberty



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## Brian4Liberty

THOMAS RAVENEL RELEASES RADIO SPOT “FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY”

http://thomasravenel.com/thomas-rave...om-prosperity/

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## Brian4Liberty



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