On Tuesday night there was debate between Ralph Norman and Dorline Graham Nordone. These are the two people who are running in the special primary in South Carolina on August 25th to replace Lindsey Graham. Ralph Norman is the House rep from District 5. Dorline Graham Nordone is Lindsey Graham’s sister who was appointed by Governor McMaster to fill out the remainder of Lindsey’s term.
Short take: Most neutral observers I checked with thought that Norman won the debate. And it was not close.
Let’s look at a few items. Both candidates were asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea and the connection to America’s national security.
Norman described Taiwan as “a definite ally” of the United States, citing the strong U.S.–Taiwan trade relationship as a key reason for maintaining close ties. Norman framed U.S. support for Taiwan as part of a “peace through strength”strategy, arguing that American military credibility is deterring Beijing from aggression.
He also aligned with PDJT’s approach, supporting the policy of enabling Taiwan to defend itself against China. Norman emphasized that the U.S. should not allow the situation to escalate into another prolonged American war, but he made it clear that Taiwan’s security is a core national security issue.
Graham-Nordone, on the other hand, talked in generalities and specifically never answered the question. “I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not that informed on national security. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise.” Graham-Nordone went on to say she trusted President Trump.
This approach by Graham-Nordone was visible in other policy statements. She appears to be riding on Trump’s endorsement without the requisite knowledge or skill to hold the office.
Graham-Nordone said she wants to cut government spending. Don’t they all say that? However, her work experience in government supported organizations shows just the opposite.
Norman, on the other hand, has been consistent in calling for cuts to government spending even after he was elected. The Big, Beautiful Bill had some government subsidies in it for wind and solar. Norman opposed these subsidies and let PDJT know. The subsidies were removed.
Darline appears to not know just how big the state is. At one point in the debate, Graham-Nordone said that 50 million people lived in South Carolina. If that were so, South Carolina would be the largest state in the country by far.
Darline was trying to make a point that she understands the difficulties that many people face every day. She was trying to draw an inference that Norman due to his wealth does not understand this. However, when you do not know how many people actually live in the state you are trying to represent, this is another example of how ill-prepared she is to actually be the state’s next Senator.
This debate shows that Ralph Norman is far more qualified to represent South Carolina than Graham-Nordone is.