Lindsey Graham in 2002 on his campaign to replace Strom Thurmond in the Senate | 60 Minutes Archive
In a Nutshell
Lindsey Graham, a Republican congressman, is running to replace retiring Senator Strom Thurmond in South Carolina by emulating his legendary constituent service and personal outreach while tying himself to President Bush and the Iraq War. His Democratic opponent, Alex Sanders, struggles against the state's Republican advantage, attacking Graham on Social Security while fending off ads labeling him a liberal for opposing the flag-burning amendment and death penalty. The race highlights how fundraising demands, authenticity, and Thurmond's legacy of delivering federal benefits define the contest, with Republicans holding a structural edge.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Senator Thurmond was elected in November of 1954. Lindsey Graham was born in July of 1955. Their graveyards are full of people in this state wanting to be Strom Thurmond's heir. The Republican contender for that title is Lindsey Graham, a four-term congressman who came to national prominence during the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
Graham's opponent, the Democrat, is 64-year-old Alex Sanders, a former state senator, chief judge of the state court of appeals, and most recently president of the College of Charleston.
Alex Sanders states he has to be very careful not to offend Strom Thurmond because he is so admired in South Carolina. If Sanders offended him, six years from now, Thurmond might run against him. Everyone in South Carolina jokes about Thurmond's age, but very gingerly. Down in South Carolina, he's a hero. Not because of his politics or his legislative record, but because he delivered federal dollars and federal projects. Over the years, he seems to have extended a favor or a courtesy to nearly everyone in the state, white or black, Republican or Democrat.
Lindsey Graham remembers campaigning with Thurmond a few years ago. They started into the crowd and didn't get ten feet before a guy came up and said, "Senator Thurmond, so good to see you." Thurmond responded, "Well, glad to be with you." The man said, "Thanks for getting me on social security." The guy was in his mid-60s. Then he said, "Thanks for getting mama in a nursing home and thanks for getting my grandson in the Air Force Academy." Graham was saying, "This is one guy, one family. Do I have a tough act to follow if I ever run for the Senate?"
Thurmond is also legendary for writing to congratulate every high school graduate in South Carolina and calling to console nearly every widow. When Graham's father died, he said, "Hey, Mama, Strom Thurmond called you yet?" She said, "What are you talking about?" Graham told her, "Mama, he calls everybody and he'll call you sooner or later." She responded, "Uh, silly. Why would he do that? Do it for political reasons. I think that's awful." A few minutes later, sure enough, the phone rang.
It was Strom Thurmond for Graham's mother. She came back a few minutes later and said, "You know, he was really sorry about your daddy and he knew a lot about your father and I think it's terrible that you would imply that he was doing this for political purposes. He is a great man." She turned on Graham, his own mother.
Strong stories aside, the campaign to succeed Thurmond looks pretty much like races all over the country. The Republican says the words Bush and Iraq as much as possible. Graham states, "This president is going to win this war and I'm going to be there to help him." On the other hand, the Democrat says the words social security and stock market. Sanders states, "The economy of the country is really not in good shape."
The race for Strom Thurmond's seat is pretty close. Even though South Carolina is decidedly conservative, the Confederate flag still flies on the capital grounds and it's polarized. While over 90% of black voters support Democrats, Thurmond led most white voters into the Republican party. The bottom line even Democrats acknowledge is a Republican advantage. If you had two candidates of absolute equal merit, same amount of money, same quality of campaign, the Republicans would win.
In this conservative state, Alex Sanders has some unconservative positions. He opposes both the death penalty and an anti-flag burning amendment. Lindsey Graham is pouncing with the message: "Tell Alex Sanders to support an amendment to protect our flag, not those who burn it." When asked if he's doing everything he can to make Alex Sanders look like a liberal, Graham responds, "Well, he is liberal on issues that matter to our state." When pressed about putting a big L on his t-shirt, Graham clarifies, "Well, let me tell you what I'm working hard to do, and that is to define the differences. And Alex is a witty, charming guy. You've interviewed him. He's the great storyteller. Getting him on the record is like nailing Jell-O on the wall."
Sanders explains how the ad exchange works: "I run a 32nd spot that says I'm in favor of saving social security by not spending the social security trust funds. And then Lindsey runs an ad. It says I'm in favor of saving social security, too. So I run an ad and I say, 'Wait a minute. Okay, but you want to put the Social Security trust funds in the stock market. A dismally bad idea.' I figure I've seized the high ground. Then he runs an ad and says, 'Yes, but you're in favor of burning the American flag.' Now, exactly how do I top that? I'm not sure, but that's where we are. And what I just said consumed a million dollars."
Neither candidate really fits into his 32nd spots. Graham's ads make him look like President Bush's best friend, but he endorsed John McCain in 2000. Alex Sanders is no Ted Kennedy liberal. He's a member of the NRA and supports the president on Iraq.
It isn't just about being right on the issues in South Carolina. It's about being colorful, larger than life like Thurmond, who after all married a beauty queen and made a bunch of babies after most people retire. Thurmond had his first child when he was almost 70. He's been married twice. Both of them are Miss South Carolina winners, 22 years apart.
Graham states, "Yeah. I mean, I'm not married, so my game plan is, you know, 20 years from now, go to the Miss South Carolina pageant, pick out the winner. I mean, I'm right on schedule. I'm right on track. I'm doing the Strom thing the best I can." Trying to be like Strom means that Graham and Sanders, both of them with college degrees and law degrees, spend a lot of time trying to out-country each other.
Graham shares a lesson from Lee Atwater: "The most important thing in politics today is authenticity." Then he adds, "And that's the first thing you got to learn to fake. That's what Lee Atwater would have told you."
Alex Sanders is often more candid than you expect a politician to be, particularly about the indignities of running. Especially the greatest indignity, the six hours he has to spend on the phone every day begging people for money. Sanders demonstrates his fundraising pitch: "Hey Billy, this is Alex Sanders. I'd call you up now and I'd say this Alex Sanders, you remember me, don't you? I'm supposed to tell you how good this campaign's going. And I got a poll. It really is going good. My campaign's really going great, Bill. And I'm sure I'm a win. And I don't have a one problem. And the problem is I'm running out of money. Let me ask you something, Bill. Could you give me another 500 bucks? My only problem is I am running out of money."
Sanders continues his fundraising script: "Now, you don't say anything when I say that. No. There's a long pause, right? And that pause is interrupted by me and I say as pathetically as I can, you know, this is so embarrassing. No decent person would get involved in this. Let me tell you something. I'm embarrassed to ask you. You know that, right? And if you don't say anything after that, I say, 'How about 250?'"
No matter how much money Sanders raises, it may not be enough. He has made it a close race and an entertaining one, but he knows better than anyone that it's easier to lay claim to Strom Thurmond's crown if you're a Republican like Lindsey Graham. Graham states, "Look how many people wanted this job who are now dead. I mean, the job comes open while I'm at the prime of my political life. I've been in the Congress for eight years. We got a hugely popular president, George W. Bush. So, I can't complain. I've been dealt a good hand. I just have to play it well."
Graham is asked to confirm a previous statement: "If I am ever tempted to run for statewide office, I want to be locked in a bathroom so that I can flush $100 down a toilet because that would be easier than running out and asking for money and then spending it the way you have to." Graham clarifies, "No, that wasn't what I said. I said if I was ever tempted to run for public office, I would lock myself in the bathroom and flush $100 bills down the toilet till the feeling passed away because that would be comparable to running for statewide public office. Right. The difference in that and this is how you get. I have the opportunity here to flush other people's $100 bills down the toilet."
The 2002 Senate race in South Carolina to replace Strom Thurmond featured Republican Lindsey Graham against Democrat Alex Sanders in a contest that highlighted the challenges of succeeding a long-serving political figure known for personal constituent services and federal project delivery.
Keep 60 Minutes in your library
Save the videos and channels worth coming back to, and find them again in one place.
