-The South Carolina Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate, hosted by MSNBC, Young Democrats of South Carolina and Furman University, at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in Greenville, SC -- Thursday, January 29, 2004. 

-Dem Fest Weekend -- May 2-3, 2003

South Carolina encompasses a number of distinct regions stretching from the Coastal Plain to the Piedmont Plateau (Pee Dee) to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Phil Noble, president of the South Carolina DLC and founder and CEO of Phil Noble & Associates and Politics Online, describes his fellow Palmetto Staters thusly, "I think...we're a little crazy and cantankerous, and we're always sort of different in throwing a monkey wrench in the machinery, but fundamentally I think we're a pretty good reflection of America."  There are 46 counties.  Just under 30 percent of South Carolina's population of four million consider themselves Black or African American according to the 2000 Census. 

The Confederate Flag posed a tricky subject for Democratic candidates in South Carolina.  The flag formerly flew atop the Capitol, but now flies at a Confederate monument on the Statehouse grounds.  The NAACP called for economic sanctions on South Carolina "until the Confederate Flag is removed from positions of sovereignty within the State."  A South Carolina NAACP fact sheet stated, "No hotels, no restaurants, no tourism, period."   Despite such strictures the campaign proceeded. 

Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.) hoped to benefit from his status as a Southerner and a military man.  He picked up much of the organization of Sen. Bob Graham after the Floridian withdrew in early October.  The Clark campaign opened four regional offices around the state in addition to its state headquarters in Columbia.

Former Gov. Howard Dean secured some early endorsements but did not gear up his campaign organization in the state until early December.  Responding to concerns about how well he, a New Englander, could do in the South, Dean liked to state that, "White folks in the South who drive pick-up trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us because their kids don't have health insurance either, and their kids need better schools too."  However, in a telephone interview reported November 1 Dean shortened this sentiment to, "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," prompting a frenzy.  The New Republic did a December cover story highlighting Dean's difficulty 

Sen. John Edwards, born in Seneca, South Carolina, needed to win or do very well here.  Edwards gained the backing of at least 16 current state legislators and nine county chairs, more than any other candidate.

Sen. John Kerry included a stop at Patriot's Point in Charleston on his announcement tour in early September 2003.  Kerry featured one of his Vietnam crewmates, David Alston, an African American born and raised in South Carolina, and now a minister here, in a TV spot.  In January Kerry picked up the endorsement of retiring Sen. Fritz Hollings and a week later he inherited the endorsement of Rep. Jim Clyburn after Rep. Dick Gephardt withdrew.

For Sen. Joe Lieberman the Palmetto State was one of the several February 3 states where he hoped to do well; a summary from the campaign cited "his lifelong commitment to civil rights, connection with voters of strong faith, strength on defense in a state with a large military presence, and profile as an independent-minded Democrat."  The Sunday before the primary Lieberman gained the endorsements of The State and the Greenville News.

Rev. Al Sharpton placed a major emphasis on South Carolina spending a lot of time in the state.

Rep. Dick Gephardt had a put together a fair South Carolina organization before he withdrew on January 20, 2004.  Gephardt had laid some groundwork in the pre-campaign period as his Effective Government Committee leadership PAC contributed $26,000 to 26 mayoral candidates in the closing weeks of the Nov. 2002 election campaign; many of these mayors later endorsed him.  Gephardt opened a headquarters in Columbia in May, and in December he picked up the much coveted endorsement of Rep. Jim Clyburn. 

Sen. Bob Graham had a sound South Carolina organization in place before he withdrew in October.  Former executive directors of the SCDP served as his state director and political director.
 
 

Note.
The flag also arose as an issue in South Carolina's 2000 Republican primary; now Republicans are having fun as Democrats grapple with it [SC GOP Jan. 21, 2003 press release].  Rep. Gephardt on Jan. 11, 2003 told AP the Confederate flag "is a hurtful, divisive symbol and in my view has no place flying anywhere, in any state in this country."  Then on March 9, 2003 he told AP, "It's a hurtful, divisive symbol in our country, and it just shouldn't be in public places.  They're free to do whatever they want in private property."

Population (2001 est.):  4,063,011
Race (2000 percentages): White - 67.2%    Black or African American - 29.5%    Hispanic or Latino origin - 2.4%    Asian - 0.9%    American Indian - 0.3%

Major Cities: Columbia, Charleston, North Charleston, Greenville, Rock Hill.

Local Government:  46 counties
State Government:  Governor: Gov. Mark Sanford (R) elected in 2002.  Legislature: South Carolina General Assembly  House: 124 seats   Senate: 46 seats.
Federal Government:  Senators: Lindsey Graham (R) elected in 2002 and Fritz Hollings (D) up for re-election in 2004.  Congressmen (4R,2D): 1. H.Brown (R) | 2. J.Wilson (R) | 3. J.G.Barrett (R) | 4. J.DeMint (R) | 5. J. Spratt (D) | 6. J.Clyburn (D).

Political: SC Republican Party | SC Democratic Party  | SC Libertarian Party  | United Citizens Party (Grn)  |  Constitution Party of SC  |  Reform Party of SC  |  Natural Law Party of SC | Politics1-SC  |  State Election Commission

Media: The State (Columbia)  | Post and Courier (C'ston)  | SC Reference Room-News Media
 

After the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary in January 2004, the next step is several primaries on February 3, 2004, including the South Carolina primary.  As an early state, as the first Southern primary, and as a state with a large minority population, South Carolina drew a fair amount of attention from the candidates..  The state's large minority population, almost 30 percent African-American, is an important audience, and candidates do adjust their messages somewhat to appeal to this group, while still seeking to reach white voters. 

Phil Noble, president of the South Carolina DLC and founder and CEO of Phil Noble & Associates and Politics Online, describes his fellow Palmetto Staters thusly, "I think...we're a little crazy and cantankerous, and we're always sort of different in throwing a monkey wrench in the machinery, but fundamentally I think we're a pretty good reflection of America."

One South Carolina wrinkle is the Confederate Flag issue, a a tricky subject for Democratic candidates in South Carolina.  The flag formerly flew atop the Capitol, but now flies at a Confederate monument on the Statehouse grounds.   The NAACP has called for economic sanctions on South Carolina "until the Confederate Flag is removed from positions of sovereignty within the State."  A South Carolina NAACP fact sheet stated, "No hotels, no restaurants, no tourism, period."   One can see that such strictures would make it difficult to campaign. 

The February 3 primary, to be run by the South Carolina Democratic Party, will cost upwards of half a million dollars and require mobilization of as many as 4,000 volunteers [interview] to man polling places in 1,959 precincts stretching from the Coastal Plain to the Piedmont Plateau (Pee Dee) to the Blue Ridge Mountains.