Graham, Harrison accuse each other of deception in final SC Senate race debate
The final debate between Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison was often contentious as both candidates accused each other of being dishonest with voters.
With less than four days before Election Day, Graham accused Harrison of running ads aimed at tricking conservative voters into voting for a third party candidate, and Harrison said Graham lied when it came to waiting to fill a Supreme Court seat during a presidential election year, to his policies on offshore drilling and other positions he’s held over the years.
The debate, hosted by SCETV and the Post and Courier on Friday, was their final chance to speak to a live television audience and reach possible undecided voters still making a decision in the hotly contested race that has garnered national attention.
The most contentious exchange came near the end of the debate when Graham chastised Harrison for taking comments the senator made out of context, accusing him of racism, and for running ads promoting a third-party candidate in an effort to peel of votes from Graham and aid in his own win.
“I’ve had my word snipped and cut. I’ve been accused of supporting segregation, because they took a line and stopped it,” Graham said, referring to being criticized for talking about the “good old days of segregation” and saying African Americans can go anywhere in the state as long as they are conservative.
Graham later said he was being sarcastic when he asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to confirm she did not support going back to segregation era law.
Graham continued: “I’ve been accused of things I’m not. What’s going on in this campaign? It started hopeful. ‘(A) New South. Now, its desperate Mr. Harris, you’ve got an ad on TV right now, urging people to vote for Dr. (Bill) Bledsoe. Why? because you know Mr. Harris, if conservatives vote for me you’re going to lose. This is the most manipulative, deceptive ad I’ve seen in South Carolina.”
“A vote for Dr. Bledsoe is a conservative vote that helps Jaime Harrison,” Graham said, adding, “So I don’t need a lecture about ethics. I don’t need a lecture about how to run a campaign. I’ve done this for a while. But this effort by Mr. Harris and his liberal allies to trick conservatives into voting against conservatism will not work. Come Tuesday, this is going to be soundly rejected.”
Bledsoe, the Constitution Party nominee, dropped out of the race and endorsed Graham, but his name remains on the ballot. Harrison has been running ads promoting Bledsoe as too conservative. Bledsoe has called on the ads to be taken off the air.
Harrison defended himself, saying Bledsoe has not officially withdrawn from the race with state election officials, and he sees it as his responsibility to let voters know who’s on the ballot.
“Folks at home, let me tell you this,” Harrison said. “Vote for Jaime Harrison. Don’t vote for Bill Bledsoe. Don’t vote for Lindsey Graham. Vote for Jaime Harrison. Because I’m trying to build a bridge to our future. I’m not a relic of the past. I’m trying to build a bridge to the future.”
At that point, Graham interjected off camera: “If this is our future, God help us all.”
The candidates also rehashed an ongoing debate about their views on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Harrison, again, didn’t say how he would have voted on Barrett’s confirmation, a point Graham highlighted as a problem for conservative voters in South Carolina.
But Harrison retorted by bringing up then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland in Obama’s final year of his presidency, and how Graham and fellow Republicans blocked Garland from getting a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying the vote should wait until after the 2016 presidential election.
Harrison reminded viewers that Graham had previously said if a vacancy on the Supreme Court came up during the final year of a presidential term, the Senate would wait to confirm a nominee until after the election. Graham made the comments in 2016 after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, as well in 2018 shortly after the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.
“You can’t give a lesson on telling the truth. You’re the man who said ‘Hold the tape. Use my words against me,’” Harrison said repeating Graham comments from a 2016 Senate committee meeting and during 2018 interview. “Senator, you have constantly lied to the people here in South Carolina, you lied about term limits. You have lied about the Supreme Court.”
Graham tried to get Harrison to take a stance, mentioning five times on stage about Harrison’s lack of an answer on Barrett. It’s a move that will remind voters that Graham has helped confirm three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during Trump’s presidency.
Harrison did try to make inroads to South Carolina’s military community. Support of the military is a key issue for South Carolina voters, with several bases and many retired military personnel in the state. So while on stage, Harrison announced he received the endorsement of retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who commanded NATO forces in Afghanistan.
“Over many years I learned time and again that talent, charisma, and even experience have value, but character is what matters most,” McChrystal said in a statement released by the Harrison campaign. “Ultimately our security comes most from the cohesion of a just society – trusted by all citizens and respected worldwide. Jaime Harrison displays the compassion and courage to help us rebuild both.”
Like he did in their first debate, Harrison again brought his plexiglass shield to protect himself against the spread of COVID-19. The participants lecterns, however, appeared to be well spaced apart.
Graham earlier this week attended a rally in Greenville with Vice President Mike Pence in Greenville. Pence, who has tested negative for COVID-19, has staff members who have the virus.
Another debate was planned for Oct. 9, but that was nixed over Harrison and Graham disagreeing over whether Graham would take a COVID-19 test.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 9:51 PM.
