Bob Conley


Robert M. Conley is an American pilot, engineer, and politician. He was the 2008 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from South Carolina; he ran against and lost to Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham.
Conley defeated lawyer Michael Cone in the primary election on June 16, following a recount, by a margin of 1,058 votes. He has been labeled a "conservative Democrat".
Conley supported libertarian Republican Congressman Ron Paul in his presidential campaign. He is a resident of North Myrtle Beach, where he served as a member of the Horry County Republican Committee prior to seeking the Democratic nomination. His candidacy was endorsed by many conservative South Carolinians, as well as by Constitution Party presidential nominee Chuck Baldwin.

Positions

"Conley stands for ending illegal immigration, protecting American workers, bringing our troops home from Iraq, increasing veterans' benefits, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, ending Wall Street bailouts, repealing the Patriot Act, cutting spending, and fidelity to the Constitution." He is pro-life and opposed to same-sex marriage. He supports a non-interventionist foreign policy.

Criticism

Michael Cone, Conley's primary opponent, criticized Conley as too conservative, saying, "We've nominated a Republican in a Democratic primary." Conley was a Republican but left the party due to frustration over immigration, trade, and the Iraq War. Numerous commentators, including Lew Rockwell of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Jack Hunter and Daniel McCarthy in The American Conservative, have compared him to Republican Congressman Ron Paul. Conley voted for Paul in South Carolina's presidential primary.

2008 South Carolina Senate campaign

After Bob Conley beat Cone in the primary he went on to compete against incumbent Republican senator Lindsey Graham. Conley's campaign followed his mantra of fiscal conservatism by spending only $15,202 for 42.25% of the vote on November 5 to Graham's $6,596,229 for 57.53%.