[Cross-posted from Backcountry Conservative]

Yesterday’s Primary News

Today’s Schedule:
8:30 a.m.: John Edwards, Greenville, Meadors Sandwich Co., Downtown
11 a.m.: Hadassah Lieberman, College of Charleston, American Government Class, 316 Maybank Bldg.
2:45 p.m.: Hadassah Lieberman, Beaufort, Beaufort-Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission Head Start Center
7 p.m.: Voter Information Forum, College of Charleston Democrats, Physicians Auditorium
[Remaining schedule at the bottom of this post.]

News:
Edwards’ profile rises for state primary from today’s Greenville News (excerpts below.)

More on attempts to woo Gephardt supporters and news that Rep. Jim Clyburn might decide on a new endorsement as early as today from the Charleston Post & Courier (excerpts below.)

The State reports that Congressman Jim Clyburn will hold a conference call with reporters today to discuss his plans (excerpts below.)

Kerry playing catch-up in S.C. from The State (excerpts below.)

Today in S.C. Politics from the Post & Courier.

The Iowa Democratic Party is loaning staff and equipment to South Carolina Democrats to aid in tallying vote totals.

Caucus Crazies By Larry Donaldson

Democratic campaigns responded to controversial remarks made Monday at a MLK prayer service.

Kevin McGeehee links to an article from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution on Edwards vs. Kerry in S.C.

Edwards’ profile rises for state primary:

Edwards, 50, a freshman senator and native of Seneca who has emphasized his South Carolina roots, may now be the emerging favorite in this state’s first-in-the-South primary on Feb. 3, analysts said following his strong showing Monday in Iowa behind Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry….

…State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin said Iowa’s results confirmed “a wide-open, competitive national race. The road to victory leads straight through South Carolina and South Carolina Democrats are ready for a great fight.” …

…John Simpkins, a Furman University political scientist, said he doubts Gephardt’s departure will make a difference for any one candidate because “he had low poll numbers and no strong organizational presence here.”

But, he said that Edwards could be “poised to pick up voters who might have been attracted to Rep. Gephardt’s working class background and his up-by-the-bootstraps personal story.”…

…”I was hoping he’d do good, but I had my doubts a couple of weeks ago,” said an Upstate Edwards booster, Sen. Glenn Reese of Spartanburg. “After (Monday), I think we’re on track.”…

…To University of Virginia presidential scholar Larry Sabato, “Finally, the best campaigner of the post-Clinton Democratic generation has drawn the spotlight so that he can demonstrate his considerable skills.” Sabato posted the comment Tuesday on his political Web site….

…Now, he will compete in South Carolina as the favorite, Sabato said….

…He will return to Columbia on Friday and come back to South Carolina early next week either just before or after New Hampshire where he has lagged far behind Dean, Clark, and the now surging Kerry.

Alex Mumford, Greenville County’s Democratic Party chairman, said Iowa “definitely” gives Edwards credibility in South Carolina that his modest poll ratings had previously denied him.

Kerry, an austere New Englander and Vietnam War veteran, is more of an enigma in South Carolina….

…Dean’s three dozen South Carolina staff members huddled in Saluda Shoals much of the day.

Stacie Paxton, Dean’s South Carolina spokeswoman, said Iowa changed nothing for the campaign.

“We came into South Carolina to win and we’re still playing it that way,” she said. “Now that Iowa’s over, we’re expecting an onslaught of national press and a whole lot of volunteers to start heading this way.”…

…The top prize from Gephardt’s departure wasn’t tipping his hand.

Rep. Jim Clyburn of Columbia will discuss the primary in a conference call this afternoon with reporters, but won’t necessarily endorse another candidate, said Hope Derrick, his spokeswoman. Clyburn’s top aide, Ike Williams, had managed Gephardt’s state campaign.

Edwards telephoned Clyburn on Monday night, said Jenni Engebretsen, Edwards’ South Carolina spokeswoman. She would not comment on the nature of the conversation. Clyburn, the state’s highest elected black official, had worked at home and across the country for Gephardt and said previously he would not make another endorsement. But that’s standard procedure for a candidate’s top allies because such an admission would suggest a lack of confidence….

…Engebretsen said the campaign is making a concerted effort to win over former Gephardt supporters and “we’ve been getting a lot of calls from them.”

Among the first aboard was state Rep. Leon Howard, D-Columbia, she said.

Mumford said that before lunch on Tuesday, he had several calls from Gephardt supporters who told him they were moving to Clark. “I really think he made a hit (Monday) at Southside High School” with fiery criticism of the Bush administration.

“He speaks the language our folks want to hear,” Mumford said.

He said conversations with Greenville Democrats have followed a trend: “They don’t think Dean will do very well down here, and I think that’s probably reasonably accurate. You can apply the same to Edwards. You wouldn’t expect him to do as well in New England.”…

Political camps woo Gephardt’s staff, resources, votes in S.C.:

It took just a few hours after the Iowa caucuses for the surviving Democrats to start picking at the political carcass of Dick Gephardt in South Carolina.
Starting as early as 1 a.m. Tuesday, cell phones were abuzz as the remaining contenders tried to woo Gephardt’s South Carolina staff and volunteers for the state’s now potentially decisive Feb. 3 primary.

The camps of Wesley Clark, Howard Dean and John Edwards all contacted Gephardt’s Columbia headquarters looking to poach workers, telephone numbers and turnout lists.

“They want to hear you say ‘Here it is, come and get it,’ ” said Ike Williams, who ran the Gephardt campaign in South Carolina.

Still, the biggest prize wasn’t talking Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s office said he would have no comment about his role in the primary until today….

…Representatives of the Edwards camp, however, seemed buoyed by Clyburn’s remarks late Monday that the North Carolina senator was best-positioned to get former Gephardt backers since the two men have similar resumes.

“Everyone would like to have Clyburn’s endorsement,” Edwards’ press spokeswoman Jenni Engebretsen said Tuesday.

Other prominent Gephardt supporters were bombarded throughout the day Tuesday as word quickly spread that his national campaign was ending and his South Carolina network was breaking up.

James Sanderson, union leader at the Georgetown Steel mill, said he was called by an Edwards supporter at 8:30 Tuesday morning asking for him to appear with Edwards at a rally in Georgetown before the vote.

The United Steel Workers of America had endorsed Gephardt, and the votes of Sanderson and several hundred other unemployed steel workers from Georgetown were expected to be a significant prize on the coast….

…Other representatives of South Carolina labor said Gephardt’s exit frees them up to become more active in other campaigns. Among them is International Longshoremen’s Association union chief Ken Riley of Charleston, who said he plans to expand his support for U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the winner in Iowa.

The ILA national office endorsed Gephardt last year, but Riley had separately committed to Kerry. “Now it means I don’t have the decision haunting me that the national made,” Riley said….

…What remains uncertain about the Democrats’ selection process is how South Carolina’s black vote will be swayed by both the Iowa results and Gephardt’s quick withdrawal. College of Charleston political scientist Jamie McKown said the black vote probably will divide itself after Gephardt’s exit but that many will still be looking to Clyburn, the state’s leading black political figure.

” ‘Is he going to throw his weight in any direction?’ is a question I think everyone wants answered,” McKown said, adding that clues come through subtle quotes from Clyburn about a candidate or by his appearance at certain rallies.

Clyburn not ready for new commitment

As the most powerful black politician in an important primary state where up to half of Democratic voters are black, Clyburn’s endorsement is worth courting. He is known among South Carolina Democrats as “the kingmaker.”

But in the immediate aftermath of Iowa, the congressman has kept quiet about his plans, and sources close to his campaign say he may not endorse anyone until the party has chosen a nominee.

“His campaign is over, but the Democratic principles and priorities that Dick Gephardt fought for so passionately are still going strong,” Clyburn said. “Democrats have a strong slate of candidates, and I am confident that our nominee will lead a formidable challenge to the president this November.”

Today, he plans a conference call with reporters to talk about his plans.

Kerry playing catch-up in S.C.

“Organizations are probably the most important thing,” said former U.S. Rep. Butler Derrick, D-S.C. “The Democratic primary is about getting out the vote and that’s what organizations do. The best contact is one-on-one, candidate to voter.

“But if you can’t get that, it has to be the candidates’ representatives and the voter.”

But organization is just what Kerry lacks in South Carolina, a state whose first-in-the-South Democratic primary could clinch the race for the presidential nomination. Kerry, who weakened his South Carolina campaign to strengthen his forces in Iowa, already has begun rebuilding here.

The two staff members the Kerry campaign sent to the caucuses are already on their way back, and the campaign is signing up as many volunteers as they can to supplement the 321 South Carolinians already fanning out across the state for the Massachusetts senator….

…The Dean campaign, for example, counts 50 paid staff in South Carolina. The Edwards camp opened four South Carolina offices. And Clark’s organization boasts 2,000 volunteers here.

Joe Lieberman, slipping in the polls and low on funds, is hoping his relatively strong South Carolina organization will deliver him a respectable showing on Feb. 3….

…The Kerry campaign says it will catch up to its rivals. Until then, Kerry spokesman David DiMartino is emphasizing the campaign’s spirit and smarts.

“It’s lean and mean,” said DiMartino. “We knew what we had to do to do well in Iowa to do that. We know what we have to do to do well in South Carolina and we will do that. We will be aggressive on the air and on the ground.”…

…”Those organizations got trumped this week by Kerry’s willingness to spend a great deal of money on media buys,” said Gomez.

In other words, Kerry plastered his face on television screens across the Iowa plains, and it worked.

In South Carolina too, Gomez said, “broadcast politics is required.”

Remaining Schedule:
1/23: 2:30 p.m., Meet-and-greet with John Edwards, Margarette H. Miller Cosmetology Center, 1509 Fontaine Road, Columbia
1/27: Wesley Clark
1/28: John Edwards
1/29: John Edwards
1/29: 12 noon, Lunch forum with Wesley Clark, Margarette H. Miller Cosmetology Center, 1509 Fontaine Road, Columbia
1/29: Democratic Primary Debate, Peace Center for the Performing Arts, Greenville
1/30: 8:30 p.m., John Edwards - Hootie & the Blowfish Concert, Jillian’s, 800 Gervais St., Columbia

Complete coverage at Google News and SC Hotline.

Yesterday’s Primary News