Should Jaime Harrison replace Sen. Lindsey Graham? Here’s The State’s recommendation

South Carolinians will be taking a leap of faith if they elect Jaime Harrison and replace U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a three-term senator with significant influence in Washington.

By running a Senate campaign that has been moored by sensible positions and a level-headed temperament, Harrison has proven himself worthy of that leap by South Carolina’s voters.

On Nov. 3, the Democratic challenger should be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Pragmatist, centrist

Harrison, 44, has the potential to be a transformative political figure who will represent our state in a manner that mirrors the solutions-oriented mindset of most South Carolinians — but with the energy and unifying vision that longtime incumbency is clearly stripping away from Graham.

From his background as a private citizen to his policy positions as a candidate for public office, Harrison has traveled the path of a pragmatic, commonsense centrist.

The Orangeburg native is a Yale University graduate who got his law degree from Georgetown University. He’s worked as a lobbyist for a D.C. firm, served as a staffer for longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn and chaired the South Carolina Democratic Party.

There’s nothing “radical” or “out of the mainstream” about any of that.

And neither of those inflammatory labels can be applied to Harrison’s positions on the issues that confront South Carolina during these challenging times.

Harrison told The State Editorial Board that more money must be devoted to the communities still reeling from the economic and public health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He has called for our national leaders to put science ahead of politics as the search continues for a vaccine to combat COVID-19, which has killed thousands in our state and more than 225,000 Americans.

He has urged our country to make a renewed commitment to improving the nation’s infrastructure, with a clear eye toward reducing the appalling numbers of South Carolinians, in both urban and rural communities, who lack basic internet and broadband access.

He has called for repairing flaws in and making improvements to the Affordable Care Act, a reasonable approach that’s far more realistic than implementing Medicare for All — and far more responsible than repealing Obamacare without a real plan to replace it.

And Harrison has a judicious view on police reform: He has rejected calls for defunding law enforcement agencies but has pointed out that responsible measures can be put in place to improve the relationships between communities of color and police departments.

In short, Harrison would fit comfortably in the moderate Democratic wing of the U.S. Senate. And South Carolinians would wield the power to hold a freshman Sen. Harrison accountable to his vow to be a bipartisan-oriented lawmaker.

The power to inspire

Certainly, Harrison isn’t a perfect candidate.

The Democrat’s campaign has been financed by a tsunami of donations from outside sources, so it’s unlikely that Harrison will be a persuasive champion for getting big money out of politics if he’s elected to the Senate.

And while Harrison has displayed gravitas by running a largely disciplined campaign, some of his rhetoric toward Graham has been occasionally harsh.

For example, the Democrat’s claim that the Republican incumbent is consciously trying to scare voters into not supporting him seems overblown and off-base.

But Harrison does strike a resonant chord when he claims that his campaign is driven by a desire to inspire South Carolinians to expand their visions and dreams for what the Palmetto State can become.

And it should compel South Carolina’s voters to take the bold and, yes, inspiring step of sending Jaime Harrison to the U.S. Senate.

Graham: An undeniable impact

During his 18 years as a U.S. senator and eight years as a congressman, Graham has had an undeniable impact.

As a longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee — and its current chairman — Graham can proudly point to a legacy of reshaping the country’s courts with conservative judges who many believe better reflect the nation’s center-right sensibilities.

Indeed it’s a role that Graham is embracing right now as he uses his power as Judiciary Committee chairman to push through the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.

Graham, 65, has also been a reliable advocate for America’s armed forces — amassing an admirable record that not only reflects the military’s prominence in South Carolina but also the senator’s own service in the U.S. Air Force.

A diminishing force

But too often elected officials who spend decades in office, particularly within the insular bubble of D.C., gradually cease to make a real difference in politics and simply live off their names as politicians.

And it is difficult to shake the suspicion that another six years in the Senate will only yield diminishing results from Lindsey Graham and diminishing returns for South Carolina.

A telltale moment

The telltale sign came earlier this year when — as the pandemic began to wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of South Carolinians and other Americans — Graham declared his opposition to Congress extending an expiring set of coronavirus-related unemployment benefits.

But Graham didn’t merely voice his opposition to extending the original unemployment benefits package; he roared that only ”over our dead bodies” would it happen.

Here, however, is the question that Graham has never really answered:

Who was the “our” that Graham was so intent on passionately standing up and fighting for during that moment?

Was that “our” the millions of Americans and South Carolinians who were still struggling at that moment to survive the impact of the coronavirus outbreak?

Or was that “our” the small circle of politicians in D.C. who were bloodlessly viewing that moment as an opportunity to use an unemployment relief package as a budget bargaining chip in the midst of a global catastrophe?

Which “our” was Graham’s highest priority during that critical moment?

At a time when South Carolinians and Americans actually were dying, Graham’s flippant “over our dead bodies” remark was breathtakingly tone-deaf.

And months later it still does not reflect well on Graham, who declined to interview with The State Editorial Board and answer our questions.

Time for a fresh perspective

Graham’s comment hints at a public official whose ability to view issues through the lens of everyday South Carolinians has been dulled by years and years of being an powerful political insider in Washington.

And it suggests that the time has come for South Carolina to have a fresh perspective and a new senator in Washington.

His name is Jaime Harrison.

South Carolinians should elect him on Nov. 3.

This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Should Jaime Harrison replace Sen. Lindsey Graham? Here’s The State’s recommendation."