Green Party candidate sees opportunity

Will the controversial U.S. Senate candidacy of Democrat Alvin Greene open the door for the Green Party? Tom Clements hopes so.

Clements decided to enter the race as a Green Party candidate before he knew who the Democrats would put up to face incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint.

And now that the Democrats are so ambivalent about their nominee -- party leaders only discovered after the June 8 primary that Greene is facing a felony pornography charge in Columbia -- Clements sees an opportunity.

"I view it as a Democratic party meltdown and not a meltdown of Alvin Greene," Clements said. "That's when the chance for me to secure more of the vote arose."

But Clements has his share of obstacles, beginning with his having raised less than $5,000 compared to DeMint's $3.7 million. Or the reality that a Green Party candidate has never won a U.S. Senate seat.

Clements also has relatively less time to campaign because he still holds his full-time job as the Friends of the Earth's southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator.

His platform is to push for Congress to do more to provide universal health care coverage, to reduce a "bloated" military budget, and to have the federal government act in a more fiscally conservative manner.

As a Green Party candidate, environmental concerns also are at the root of his campaign. He said sustainability and environmental protection should be the foundation of all government policies and spending.

"I'm the real Mr. Green, without the 'e,' when it comes to environmental and policy issues," he said.

Clements was in Charleston Thursday visiting with potential supporters. The Greater Columbia Central Labor Council of the S.C. AFL-CIO has endorsed him, and Clements said he also is working with African-American groups, environmentalists, the gay and lesbian community and other traditional Democratic allies.

Even with Greene as the Democratic nominee, Clements' prospects aren't significantly better, said Scott Huffmon, political science professor at Winthrop University.

Covering the politics of the Lowcountry, South Carolina and the nation.

"He (Clements) may get some fringe protest votes, but I don't see an increase in his vote total as a result of this fiasco," Huffmon said, adding that most voters either know nothing about the Green Party or think it's extreme. "Whether that's fair or not, that's the perception out there."

Clements said his immediate goal is to work hard and build credibility so he will be included in any voter forums or debates as the Nov. 2 election nears.

"I do feel I'm a serious candidate," he said. "I want to be the voice of people who aren't traditionally represented in the debate."

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or rbehre@postandcourier.com.