If you've been following the down-ballot November races, you will have seen that Senator Lindsey Graham, who has held one of South Carolina's Senate seats since 2002, is in very real danger of losing his seat to Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison.
And Graham seems fully shaken about his prospects. Appearing on Fox News today, Graham implored viewers to donate money to his campaign in a tone that can only be described as begging--and the internet has had a field day mocking him for it.
The Senator's groveling appearance had even some of his fellow Republicans mocking him.
This is delicious. https://t.co/kWlCd5DAzYโ The Lincoln Project (@The Lincoln Project)1600962236.0
Recent polling has Graham and Harrison in a dead heat, 48% to 48%, with just 3% of South Carolina voters undecided. Graham's Senate races have never been so close--or so expensive.
As he told the hosts of Fox News's morning show Fox & Friends:
"My opponent will raise almost $100 million in the state of South Carolina. The most money ever spent in the state on a Senate race was by me in 2014 when I spent $13 million. He raised $6 million from the time Justice Ginsburg passed away, within 72 hours..."
Graham was careful to be respectful about Justice Ginsburg, but nonetheless blamed her death for his decline in the polls.
"...God bless Justice Ginsburg. We're celebrating her life... But I am being killed financially. This money is because they hate my guts."
Indeed, Harrison, along with the campaigns of many other Democratic candidates, raked in extraordinary amounts of donations in the wake of Ginsburg's passing: $91 million dollars in over the course of just a few days.
It's easy to see why Graham is so rattled: He won his 2002, 2008 and 2014 elections by roughly 12, 15 and 10 points, respectively, so it seems like a whole lot more South Carolinians just might "hate his guts" than ever before.
And on Twitter, there was very little sympathy for Graham's plight.
@ProjectLincoln "this money is because they hate my guts." Most truthful thing he's ever said.โ Katie (@Katie)1600962329.0
@ProjectLincoln Oh my God give me moreโ โ๐๐๐๐ท-๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐โ (@โ๐๐๐๐ท-๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐โ)1600962283.0
@ProjectLincoln We didnโt always โhate your guts,โ @LindseyGrahamSC. That happened after you flipped positions on 1โฆ https://t.co/sra3a62gfXโ Jack Kennedy (@Jack Kennedy)1600962777.0
@ProjectLincoln Is this real?โ Jennie Zeiner (@Jennie Zeiner)1600962290.0
@ProjectLincoln Please inject this right into my veinsโ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃโ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ (@๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃโ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐)1600962325.0
@ProjectLincoln People realize how compromised & complicit Lady G is.โ Andrew Goss ๐USAF๐ (@Andrew Goss ๐USAF๐)1600962494.0
@ProjectLincoln Hates too strong of a word for me, but we really cannot stand you!! ๐ ๐ ๐โ Natalie Combs (@Natalie Combs)1600974226.0
@tlccourville @ProjectLincoln "Don't be defeatist dear. It's very middle class."โ Edward J. Higgins (@Edward J. Higgins)1600962460.0
@ProjectLincoln "I'm being killed financially. This money is 'cause they hate my guts." You gotta give him credit for his good insight.โ Paul ๐ป (@Paul ๐ป)1600962396.0
@ProjectLincoln Usually Lindsey isnโt so delicious. I made a Lindsey cake: it tastes of flop sweat, sweet tea, facโฆ https://t.co/K3RBdMhGCkโ Jay Black (@Jay Black)1600962466.0
@ProjectLincoln Lindsay I do appreciate you sharing your "woe is me" story this morning as it reminds me to again dโฆ https://t.co/9cIS9vd7Ziโ Rich Johnson (@Rich Johnson)1600962577.0
@ProjectLincoln @LindseyGrahamSC you said because they hate your guts. Perhaps you might reflect on why. I look fโฆ https://t.co/c7uOptCcpdโ Hamilcar Barca (@Hamilcar Barca)1600962639.0