http://scstate.blogspot.com/2007/01/breaking-news-first-democratic.html

Why Orangeburg? Clyburn credits Erwin; Dems pursue southern strategy


By CHARLENE SLAUGHTER, T&D Special Assignments
Sunday, April 22, 2007

Congressman Jim Clyburn rarely resists an opportunity to promote South Carolina State University.

When South Carolina was in a neck-and-neck competition with Alabama to continue to hold the first Southern Democratic primary here, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin asked Clyburn for his help in persuading the U.S Senate Rules Committee to keep the primary in South Carolina.

One day, during a meeting in New Orleans, Clyburn recalled, he "half-jokingly" said to Erwin, "If we win this thing and we get a debate, we ought to consider going to S.C. State."

He insists that he wasn't really serious -- well, maybe just a little bit. Clyburn said he was pleasantly surprised when he found out that Erwin and S.C. State President Dr. Andrew Hugine were literally working behind his back to bring the debate here.

"Joe made the call," Clyburn said. "He had talked to Hugine about various things. Hugine, he just kept the secret. I can't believe he was able to keep a secret like that. I was blown away and very honored. Of course all of this took place before I became Whip. ... Joe Erwin put it on his mind. He was willing to be helpful. He did as good a job of convincing the Rules Committee as I'm getting credit for."

The debate will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Theater on S.C. State's campus Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m., giving Orangeburg and South Carolina overwhelming exposure and a huge voice in the season's political process.

But why South Carolina? Why Orangeburg? Why now?

"This all got started really with the Republican success with the 'Southern Strategy,' which was essentially to get an indication of how solid the South was going to be in sewing up enough Electoral College votes and then they would only need 40 percent of the vote," said Dr. Blease Graham, a professor of political science at the University of South Carolina and a scholar of Southern and South Carolina politics for more than 30 years. "Sort of, as South Carolina went, so went the South.

"That hasn't been true for the Democrats. They haven't been winning nationally. South Carolina developed a reputation as the robin of spring for the South such as Iowa is in the West, New England is in the Northeast and Nevada is trying to be in the far West."

To understand South Carolina's role now, one must understand the history of party relationships in the state, Clyburn said.

Until 1948, the real election in South Carolina was the Democratic primary. Whoever won that primary usually went on to win the presidency. During that time, the Democratic Party was made up of whites, and blacks were Republicans.

"My parents were Republican," Clyburn said. "The Republican Party in the '40s and early '50s was basically blacks. The Democratic primary was like a private club, white only. In Elmore v. Rice, (Holly Hill native George) Elmore, a taxi driver in Columbia, challenged this in court and won. The court ruled that the Democratic primary had to open itself up to black people. This started a surge, really.

"When I went to S.C. State in '57, I thought of myself as a Republican and held on to that thought through my junior year."

Clyburn was among the blacks who shifted to the Democratic Party as a number of disagreements along racial lines caused another surge. White Democrats were unhappy with the court decision; Black Republicans began to relate to the Democratic party.

"These things came to a head in '64," he said. "There was too much integration here. That began the next big surge. Whites that were former Democrats were going to the Republican Party in droves."

What does this history mean for Democrats and Republicans in South Carolina today? The debate coming to Orangeburg and the primary being held in South Carolina signifies that after all of these things, the Democratic Party here is now regaining its footing, Clyburn said.

"We had all of these things where people left their party in droves; there was a black-only party, white-only party. White people, white Democrats, are saying, 'This is our party too.' We are learning to live with each other, operate in a biracial" environment, he said. "It solidifies that we do have a viable two-party system. That's as it should be.

"This primary in South Carolina and this debate at S.C. State and the General Assembly inviting yours truly to speak to the Senate -- ... that says to me the Republican Party in South Carolina is maturing just as the Democratic Party is maturing and headed in the not-too-distant future to a real true two-party system in South Carolina."

In hindsight, South Carolina still gets eight electoral votes. But, as seen with the last presidential election, eight votes could have made a difference.

"These days and times, every vote counts," professor Graham said. "The media exposure; we get to see these candidates in a South Carolina context. It's a revealing showroom. South Carolina is among four early states with a sizeable racial minority. South Carolina's diversity is perceived in the rest of the national challenge."

Clyburn said Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller, in a conversation with him, expressed his concern that, with all of the media here, the focus would not be on the good things going on in Orangeburg, but its history and the racial climate here in the '60s.

Clyburn said such conversations this week are necessary to some degree.

"No matter how you open up a campaign, it's how you close that campaign that makes a winner," he said, comparing the process of putting on a national presidential debate.

"What I'm trying to do with this primary, this debate, the transportation center at S.C. State, the science program at Claflin, I'm trying to build a platform that will launch a new and magnificent future in the Orangeburg community."

"I feel about Orangeburg just like I feel about Sumter, where I was born," he continued. "I think I have a responsibility here in this Congress to do what I can. To move Sumter (and) Orangeburg forward; Charleston and Columbia where I now live, to move them forward. I feel I have an obligation. My job is to turn all these things into positives, and I want to be able to look back on my career and say we made a difference for the better. I think it's important that we do these things."



Charlene Slaughter can be reached by e-mail at cslaughter@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5529. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

Red hot rumor: Bill Clinton coming to the debate


By DIONNE GLEATON, T&D Staff Writer
Sunday, April 22, 2007

Are you a Friend of Bill? If you are an FOB or not, you may – or may not – want to stick around Orangeburg for the first Democratic presidential primary debate of the 2008 election cycle.

There have been rumors that former President Bill Clinton will be attendance at Thursday’s debate at South Carolina State University, where his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, will be among the other Democratic hopefuls hoping to be the nation’s next leader.

“It’s not been confirmed yet,” said Rep. David Mack, D-North Charleston, who is helping with the senator’s presidential campaign.

Mack said the former president’s presence would add to the excitement of the debate.

“There’s always been a certain amount of excitement and magic with Clinton, and I can tell you he is planning to spend some time in South Carolina campaigning,” Mack said.

While several Democratic legislators had heard about the possibility that Clinton would surface at the debate, they could not confirm there is truth to the rumors. Like Mack, many said his presence would add to the overall enthusiasm surrounding the debate.

“I think he will not only add a lot of value, but it’ll add a lot of prestige to the debate. I think Bill Clinton just brings a lot of excitement to the Democratic Party. He has a lot of support,” Sen. John Matthews said.

Matthews cited Clinton’s record of service as a U.S. president.

“I think one of the things that most people would say is that the Clinton years in the White House really uplifted our economy. The economy was across the board because it helped people in all walks of life, including the working families. I know the poverty rate went down when he was president,” said Matthews, noting that Clinton, however, may not show up at all.

“He may not. He doesn’t want to take the focus off the debate. It needs to be on the debate and the candidates running for president. I think he respects that, and I respect him for that,” he said.

Rep. Harry Govan said Clinton’s presence would signify the impact Orangeburg has had on Democratic politics.

“We have eight very exciting candidates for the office of the presidency, including the former first lady. With a former president ... coming to the area, that would just add to the overall excitement and impact that this debate is going to have on this community,” Govan said. “I just think it adds to the excitement and just goes to show what an important county Orangeburg is ... when it comes to Democratic politics.”

Orangeburg County Councilwoman Janie Cooper said Clinton’s presence would be “political gain” for Hillary while adding more excitement to the debate.

“There’s a lot of excitement already with some of the candidates. We’re overwhelmed over Obama ... Hillary ... Edwards, but if Clinton were to come, that would add tremendously to the overwhelming scene. The road to Orangeburg? That road has to be paved with no bumps if Clinton is going to come. I will pick him up from the airport myself,” Cooper said.

Betty Henderson, Orangeburg County Democratic Party chairwoman, said while she doesn’t know whether Clinton is slated to attend, the community would certainly be “very happy” if he did.

“It would be an honor to the Democratic Party and to the candidates. We certainly would welcome him. I’m sure that all the candidates would love to have a previous president in the audience. The university would certainly love to have him in attendance,” said Henderson, noting with certainty the next president will be chosen from among the Democratic contenders.

“It would be wonderful to have a past president and future president in the same place. We’re all excited,” she said, laughing.

Orangeburg resident Deloris Frazier, who described Clinton as “soul brother,” said Clinton would bring his own style of charisma.

“They’re calling him the soul brother. And if he’s the soul brother, his wife is the soul sister. A lot of people want to see Bill. He is a charismatic person,” Frazier said. “Most people would come out not necessarily for Hillary, but just to be near Clinton. Bill was our president and a good man.”

Sen. Brad Hutto said while Clinton’s presence would be “great” and would certainly be welcomed, the former president may opt to stay in the background and not overshadow his wife’s campaign.

“That’s probably a wise thing to do because she’s not running as Mrs. Clinton. She’s running as Hillary Clinton and on her record as a United States senator. I’d be a little surprised if he came to the first debate,” said Hutto, noting that if an early presence of Secret Service agents has not been seen, Clinton’s visit is unlikely.

“I think the debate is exciting enough as it is, but we would certainly welcome him here if he decides to come,” Hutto said.

Rep. Harry Ott said while Clinton would draw excitement, it is his wife who is actually running for president this time around.

“Any time a former president comes to the community, I think it adds a level of excitement. But the truth of the matter is he’s not running for president, she is. Other than being a former president, I’m not sure how that will help her campaign. Quite frankly, I haven’t endorsed any presidential campaign, so I’m not really into that right now,” Ott said.



T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

http://thetandd.com/debate/

The buzz is in the air with the students. last night i had class and everyone was talking about the debate and are really excited. Hopefully, i'll be able to attend the viewing in SHM

President Hugine to appear on The Steve Harvey Morning Show
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Attention SC State Students, Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Supporters!

SC State President Andrew Hugine Jr. will appear on the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show on Thursday, April 26, at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the Path to the Presidency Democratic Presidential Primary Debate, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the great things that are happening here at SC State University.

Visit SteveHarvey.com to locate an affiliate station near you!

Future teachers, education and policy experts to ‘grade’ Debate’s dialogue around education Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Candidates’ solutions for concerns of the classroom focus of student town hall meeting

ORANGEBURG— South Carolina State University education and political science students will be among the millions tuning in for the first presidential debate of the 2008 cycle. And on the day after the debate, the teachers-to-be will join former South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, current educators and public policy experts to “grade” what the candidates said, didn’t say—and should have said—on the issue of education.

With an eye to life on the other side of the teacher’s desk, the current students and future professionals will be paying particular attention to the candidates’ solutions for pressing education issues such as funding, salaries, and the No Child Left Behind Act. Five years after it became law, President Bush’s hallmark of education reform has the nation’s current and future teachers raising serious concerns about the law’s implementation and effectiveness. It’s up for reauthorization by Congress this year with candidates for president who happen to also be current Members of Congress playing a key role in its future.


WHO:
S.C. State education and political science students
Former South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges
Dr. Judy W. Fair, school social worker, Richland County School District One
Dr. Margaret A. Felder-Wilson, S.C. State Associate Professor of Education, Humanities and Social Science
Kim Anderson, National Education Association Lobbyist
Sheila Wright, student president of The South Carolina Education Association

WHAT:
Student town hall meeting on education issues

WHEN:
Friday, April 27, 2007
11:00 a.m. – Noon EST

WHERE:
Barbara A. Vaughan Recital Hall
Fine Arts Center
S.C. State University
300 College Street NE
Orangeburg, SC 29117

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=f8f7be26-6686-423...60e2001&f=34&fg=copy

Media swarm SCSU before presidential debate

By CHARLENE SLAUGHTER
T&D Special Assignments
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Standing, from left, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Edwards, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson.

That is the order in which the candidates will stand during tonight's Democratic presidential debate.

With an elaborate backdrop of the American flag behind them, in the richest red, white and blue imaginable, the first-in-the nation presidential debate seemed more real than ever as NBC allowed a peak inside the guarded MLK Auditorium.

The news officials were in the midst of rehearsals during the early afternoon Wednesday, with students, dressed in their best business attire, posing as the candidates. Each went on stage and stood behind a podium, with pieces of paper hanging in front with the candidates last names written on them. The auditorium still smelled of fresh paint; there were cable lines and TV cameras everywhere. Some workers were suspended high above the stage, adjusting the lighting, while others manned cameras.

MLK has been transformed. Save a few odds and ends, the debate hall is ready.

Phil Alongi, NBC's executive producer, said the network jumped at the opportunity to do another debate in South Carolina.

"NBC Nightly News will broadcast adjacent to where I'm standing," he said, standing in front of the Donma Administration Building across from MLK. "Brian (Williams) will be the moderator; the debate will be 90 minutes long with no commercial interruptions. We are still identifying topics and questions and will probably be doing that until late tonight."

On campus, media -- whose numbers have increased to more than 600 -- have taken over. Satellite trucks entered the campus like a convoy; television stations have set up stages under tents across from MLK. One blasted cheesy '70s music. In the middle of campus, the Hardball stage sits high above the ground. By the looks of it, it will be as festive as it is a venue to discuss the debate.

Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and debate officials bragged about S.C. State and the Orangeburg community during a press conference and media scrambled to get equipment ready.

In the midst of it all, students roamed the campus, heading to class, going in and out of the Student Center for a bite to eat.

"There's a lot of activity, a lot of excitement going on on South Carolina State University's campus," said Dr. Andrew Hugine as media trucks roared behind him. Hugine has had his fair share of media exposure this week and will start Debate Day with an appearance on the Steve Harvey Morning show at 9:30 a.m. "This is history in the process of being made. In less than 30 hours, the eyes of the world will be on South Carolina State University, the City of Orangeburg and Orangeburg County."

Speaking on the phone, U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn spoke with pride about the debate coming to his alma mater. He reminisced about being a boy and coming to Orangeburg every other weekend with his father, who pastored the Church of God on Treadwell Street. It was then that he was first introduced to S.C. State. His hope, he said, is the exposure the debate brings will launch the university beyond events like the Orangeburg Massacre in 1968.

"For 35 years we have been trying to find various mechanisms to launch us beyond those circumstances," he said. "It is my hope that this debate will help us regain that morale that was there when I was a student there -- to showoff who and what we really are."

South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin, who Clyburn peppered with compliments for bringing the debate to S.C. State, said Thursday will be a coming-out party for South Carolina.

"The path to the presidency goes right through Orangeburg, South Carolina," he said. "This is the epicenter of American politics. I believe the next president will be in MLK tomorrow."

Erwin said after learning the debate would be in South Carolina, he could have chosen to hold it in a place that would pay them a lot of money or provide infrastructure, but instead he wanted to do something historic.

<strong>"I promised (Clyburn) I would not make this a burden on the university (to have the debate there)," he said. "We wanted to leave S.C. State better than we found it. Thanks to a number of sponsors, this won't be a 21st century campus, it will be a 22nd century campus -- one of the most wired, high-phi, high-tech campuses in the state."</strong>

All 3,000 tickets to the Community Celebration Viewing and After Party were distributed rapidly and the more than 600 media expected are the most of any presidential debate in history, Erwin said.

"This place is ready to go," he said.

Charlene Slaughter can be reached by e-mail at cslaughter@timesanddemocrat. com or by phone at 803-533-5529. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

Political, media ‘stars are aligned’ for S.C. State
By JAMES T. HAMMOND - jhammond@thestate.com

Debate format
For first debate, Democrats try to lower expectations
GOP stirs a media storm for Democrats’ parade
Clinton, Obama won’t debate in New Hampshire
Security for tonight’s debate in Orangeburg will be tight...
Orangeburg will have a decidedly foreign flavor today as nearly 600...
WHAT THEY WILL TALK ABOUT
Debate expert says S.C. event’s format favors front-runners
Q&A with moderator Brian Williams
KEYS TO SUCCESS
ABOUT THE DEBATE
Tonight: 7 o’clock
The 90-minute program will air on:

MSNBC cable network

ETV stations

NBC affiliates in South Carolina, including WIS-TV

South Carolina State University becomes the national political stage today, hosting the first debate among Democratic Party candidates for president of the United States.

The event gives the Orangeburg campus once-in-a-lifetime exposure from dawn to evening on NBC’s family of networks. It has also provided the campus with a few fix-ups — from new plants to new seamless network of wireless Internet access.

The campus was a beehive of activity Wednesday, as gardeners put finishing touches on the grounds, electricians tested every light to ensure the bulbs were good and students acted as stand-ins for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards for television technicians to adjust lights on the stage.

State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin said corporate sponsors have contributed $500,000 to cover expenses and make permanent improvements at the historically black college.

For James Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House and an S.C. State graduate, it will be a chance to start a new era for his “beloved alma mater,” to mitigate the bloody stain of the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, when state troopers shot and killed three black youths and wounded 27 others.

In a news conference in which he spoke by telephone from Washington, the U.S. House majority leader said he hoped the exposure would “recast the (school’s) image around the country and around the world.”

“Aside from the massacre on the sad and tragic side, nothing like this has ever happened to this institution,” said William Hine, who has taught history at S.C. State for 40 years.

“This is a bright and shining moment” for the university, he said. “The stars are aligned right for this.”

After plans for the debate were announced three months ago, party and university officials began to take stock of what was needed to prepare the campus for the national stage. Some needs were cosmetic, while others were fundamental.

“When I walked on this campus and had no cell phone signal, I knew we needed help,” said Jenny Backus, who is working on her 19th debate for the Democratic Party.

Erwin reached out to the state’s business leaders for support. AT&T has installed about 100 dedicated telephone lines at the request of media companies planning to cover the event. About one-third of those will be equipped with DSL service to give reporters high-speed Internet access. About 600 media representatives have registered to cover the debate.

AT&T also has installed routers and other equipment to make wireless Internet access almost seamless across the campus.

“Thanks to Joe Erwin, this campus is a wireless hot spot,” said Backus.

Valerie Dinkins, S.C. State’s vice president for advancement, said the schedule of some capital improvements was moved ahead because of the opportunity for national publicity.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, the venue for the debate, has received a major facelift. Fresh paint tweaks the nose. All the seats in the auditorium have new garnet-colored upholstery. Outside, garnet-colored outdoor carpet covers the plaza. The embankment leading up to the plaza has freshly planted flowers: red geraniums, yellow marigolds and scarlet bougainvillea.

The small media relations staff has been barraged with requests from news agencies for local angles. Brazilian television, for example, got to interview two Brazilian citizens who attend the college and play on the tennis team.

S.C. State President Andrew Hugine said the opportunity to host the first Democratic candidates’ debate was the “opportunity of a lifetime.”

“The eyes of the world will be on S.C. State and on South Carolina.”

Reach Hammond at (803) 771-8474.

http://video.wjla.com/wciv/DEMOCRATDEBATE.wmv

NBC Spotlight Video about SCSU!



http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=f8f7be26-6686-423...60e2001&f=34&fg=copy

Morning calm but something big in the works


By RICHARD WALKER T&D Staff Writer
Thursday, April 26, 2007

The atmosphere on the South Carolina State University in the morning hours Thursday campus tells you something is about to happen. Something momentous.

"Ive seen different SLED agents, I've seen BBC and ABC," said security officer Ronnie Tyler.

Tyler is manning the front gates keeping the flow of traffic in and out of the campus smooth. From his vantage point at the front gates, he's seeing everything and everyone up close and personal.

Like ants at an ant hill, food vendors, rental companies, package delivery people have been scurrying about to complete their tasks before tonight's debate between the eight Democratic heavyweights set to face-off at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium.

"Everybody's still trying to set up," Tyler said. "There's a few things here and there to do."

Some of those things remaining to do were last minute touches on the grounds. As a supervisor of sod, Hank Bowdoin said efforts to spruce up the campus have been fairly hectic over the last two weeks.

But today is crunch time for the 35-year veteran of vegetation. There is no more time for Bowdoin and his crew of eight.

"This is a little extra effort to spruce it up a bit," Bowdoin said.

Has he ever had to put on a rush job like today?

"Not many. Nothing of this magnitude."

Meantime, SLED agents and other officers can be seen making security sweeps, last minute checks of the facilities around the MLK auditorium.

One undercover officer, who asked not to be named, said the atmosphere here at SCSU is similar to the excitement of a rivalry football game. Yet, that excitement is tinged with a good dose of seriousness as well.

"We're talking about the future of the country," the officer said. "Everybody is getting ready, getting set up. The future of the county will be decided in the next few months.

"It's showtime fellows," a passing motorist with the NBC news crew said as he entered the campus.

Pre-Debate Photo Gallery