Sen. Darline Grahams not my thing debate gaffe no accident: insiders

Sen.Darline Graham (R-SC) may have been crazy like a fox when she delivered what looked like an epic debate flub when she admitted “national security is not my thing,” said one state expert who has been watching the fallout.

The comment had shades of a Joe Biden-style collapse when she uttered it Wednesday night in response to a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea during the only debate in the Senate Republican runoff race.But some political pros say it was a designed ploy to separate herself from her opponent Rep.Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).

At a minimum, it is something she is incorporating into her final pitch before Tuesday’s runoff election to fill the seat long held by her brother Sen.Lindsey Graham, who died last month at 71.

“It might have been a strategic choice to try to get sympathy,” one state GOP operative told The Post.Graham doubled down on the comment after she made it, and has been using the incident to try to make herself relatable while trying to try to cast rival Norman, who has spent two decades in elective office, as an insider and “career politician.” But Graham, who was appointed to fill the seat by Gov.Henry McMaster last month, is benefitting from her late brother’s political machine and millions in spending from outside groups.

The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, has spent more than $1 million hammering Norman for setting up a pro-solar power coalition in 2018 and then later leading an effort to kill federal subsidies in the One Big Beautiful Bill.The group also spent heavily against Rep.

Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who lost his primary.Another group, the Security is Strength PAC, which is linked to her brother, poured $1.5 million into the race and put out a mailer calling Norman a “MAGA traitor.” Norman has been mostly pulling punches in the mail and on air, saying he appreciates what Graham is going through after the loss of her brother.“A lot of money spent against him, but that debate thing hurt her,” said one...