(Guest post by Greg Forster)
Jim Geraghty, sorting through the various theories that have been offered to explain the mysterious landslide victory of unknown candidate Al Greene in the South Carolina Democratic senatorial primary:
Shortly after the election, Robert Ford, an African-American South Carolina state senator who ran for governor, offered the theory that voters could tell Greene was black by his last name: “No white folks have an ‘e’ on the end of Green. The blacks after they left the plantation couldn’t spell, and they threw an ‘e’ on the end.” This is an intriguing and possible theory, except that the world is full of people with the last name Greene who aren’t black (such as Florida Senate candidate Jeff Greene, author Graham Greene, and actress Michelle Greene) and plenty of African Americans with the last name “Green.”
Bad news, Jay – apparently you’re only the fourth most famous non-black Greene.
Jay P. Greene's Blog 
I’ve got my own theory…
Alvin Greene defeated Vic Rawl, well
Alvin Greene sounds like a nice, cuddly, environmentally conscious chipmunk and Vic Rawl sounds like a mean, leather wearing wizard with a bad temper.
Or a pro wrestler.
Nathanael Greene was a Revolutionary War hero, who drove the British out of central South Carolina. Alvin Greene might be one of his relatives, such as
a descendant of one of his slaves, if he had slaves.
(Similar to the case of some “Black” Jeffersons, who claim descent from Thomas Jefferson.)
By coincidence, there is currently a man named “Matt Green,” who is walking across the US, from coast to coast. He started in New Jersey, and just yesterday he was walking westward from Fargo, North Dakota.
He has a blog, that he writes regularly, on his walk.