In-Clements Weather On the Ballot ...

Which One Is Tom, and Which Is Ed?  One Too Many Clements on the Ballot May Cause Election Day Confusion ....








     We'll admit, we never ran into this problem... When your last name is Reino, you won't have to worry about there being a candidate with the same last name on the ballot. Voters might have trouble pronouncing it, but.....



    Taking note of my absentee ballot, however, we noticed something that could cause trouble for one candidate in the 12th Solicitor's race.  Ed Clements has a tough enough race against Rose Mary Parham on November 2nd, but there is an unrelated race that might make it even tougher.  In the asswhipping that will be Jim DeMint's pummeling of Alvin Greene and his action figure and his immensely effective campaign literature, enter Green Party candidate TOM CLEMENTS.  BTW, Tom is the guy on the right, standing in front of what appears to be a garbage dump, next to a mental hospital...


    I put out a Facebook message, asking who I should vote for (like I'd listen), and one friend invoked me to vote for Sheheen and Clements.. She lives in Myrtle Beach, so what would she know about Ed Clements. That's when I realized that she was talking about Tom Clements.... and that got me thinking. This will be a phenomenon restricted only to Florence and Marion counties - just like Roswell with UFO sightings - but it could essentially cost Ed Clements the election. As usual, it all works out for Jim DeMint!


    Seriously, think of the average Joe in the area, who all he knows is to vote for Clements, and he/she votes for the wrong one?  It's not going to be a massive voter fraud, but as close as the Clements-Parham race is going to be, a couple hundred morons from Centenary or Lake City could send Clements (Ed, that is) packing home...


      It'll be easy to find out if it does happen: simply see what Clements (we're talking about Tom now) pulls statewide, and compare it to Florence and Marion Counties. If it's eschew, we - rather Clements - Ed Clements , that is - have a problem.. If the variation is greater than his , Ed Clements, loss, then you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be a grievance.


    Of course, the other thing that can happen is that everyone in the rest of South Carolina will think that Clements - we're back to Tom, now - is actually Clements - Ed, that is again - and Clements (we're talking Tom now) will be elected US Senator, where the voter inquiry will be invoked, and Ed Clements will be given the seat by attrition or confusion, whichever you prefer.  Are you still with me?


     Either way, this is a no-win situation for Clements (either one for that matter), but mostly Ed Clements - except for now, he would have an excuse.  If his name were Reino, this never would have happened......

.