There Goes Lindsey, Again

THERE’S a little joke, a throwaway line, really, that South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham often uses when he addresses audiences in his home state. “We change senators every 50 years,” Graham says. “Thanks for the job.”

Audiences usually smile at the allusion to Graham’s long-serving predecessors in the Senate, Strom Thurmond and Ernest Hollings. But these days, among some conservative activists in the South Carolina Republican party, Graham’s joke is wearing a little thin. We decide how long senators keep their job, those activists say. And watch out, Senator Graham—there’s no guarantee you’ll get those 50 years.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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The New York Times

THERE’S a little joke, a throwaway line, really, that South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham often uses when he addresses audiences in his home state. “We change senators every 50 years,” Graham says. “Thanks for the job.”

Audiences usually smile at the allusion to Graham’s long-serving predecessors in the Senate, Strom Thurmond and Ernest Hollings. But these days, among some conservative activists in the South Carolina Republican party, Graham’s joke is wearing a little thin. We decide how long senators keep their job, those activists say. And watch out, Senator Graham—there’s no guarantee you’ll get those 50 years.