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Demographics at heart of South Carolina primary

HERB FRAZIER | AP Auto Writer

January 22, 2008

CHARLESTON, S.C.--On the eve of the nation's first caucuses, creative writer Yvonne Ravennah Bondurant was inspired to write a poem calling on Americans not to judge Barack Obama by the color of his skin.

In her verse, "Words for Obama," Bondurant, who grew up in Hempstead, wrote: "Why does my color and name say to you I can't win? Did you forget the builders of this place were too the backs of my kin."

When Obama won Iowa, she wept, but not because of his historic win. She cried because her late husband, Milton Bondurant, a former National Urban League executive who had worked in the civil rights movement, did not witness a black man gain a real chance of becoming president. "Iowa gave me hope for America," said Bondurant, who has been living in a local suburb for nine years. "We need a change in America. Obama is pulling everyone together."

Voters here voiced similar pride in Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, whom they see being poised to make history as the first female president. Diana Salazar recently joined the New York senator's campaign as Latino coordinator for the area after holding the same post with former candidate New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson before he dropped out. A local court interpreter, she emphasized, "Hillary has the ability to run our country."

Clinton has withstood the stresses that many women experience, including the need to confront questions about her husband's infidelity, she added, saying, "Latinos are family-oriented people, and she has their respect because she has held her family together."

Rival John Edwards--who has gained more than 80 endorsements from politicians statewide--is also generating a buzz among residents here as South Carolinians from the Appalachian foothills down to the Atlantic beaches prepare to cast their ballots in Saturday's Democratic Party primary.

A message well received

In this state, which has some of the poorest areas in the country, the candidates have preached messages of change, which have been well received by voters of all ages--but particularly by older residents who remember how social activism has transformed South Carolina since the days of segregated lunch counters and schools.

Cleveland Sellers, director of the African-American studies program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and a political analyst, said, "I am excited about all of the candidates...But the Obama campaign reminds me of the ideals from the John Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy campaigns. I like the energy."

Saturday's contest will be the nation's most racially diverse vote so far in a tight presidential primary, which is expected to draw a large turnout. More than half of the Democratic primary voters are expected to be African-American, and many analysts believe it will be a tight race between Clinton and Obama.

In an e-poll released Friday by the South Carolina New Democrats, Obama was favored by 30 percent of the respondents, while Clinton and Edwards were tied at 26 percent each. The unscientific poll of 1,000 computer users also showed that 63 percent of the respondents said change is most important while 37 percent said experience is paramount.

"I think Obama has the potential to shake things up," said Phil Noble, president of the New Democrats, an independent reform group that does not endorse candidates.

Ahead of the poll's release, Zac Wright, a Clinton spokesman, noted, "There are three strong candidates in the race, and it has the potential to be a close race."

The stakes are high in South Carolina because of the state's early position on the primary calendar and a win here will have a significant impact in upcoming primaries, said Josh Earnest, an Obama spokesman.

In a state where health care, education, the environment, immigration, job creation and the Iraq war are key issues, the looming concern, Noble said, is a break from the status quo.

Voters want to move away from transactional politics to transformational politics, he said, explaining that politicians have operated in a transactional mode, promising "vote for me, and I will build you a bridge." Voters now want policies and programs that will transform their lives, he said.

Greenville radio talk show host L.R. Byrd said that in the upstate, where technology and automakers drive the economy, Clinton is doing well among blacks because she got the early support of black preachers.

Clinton's endorsement among the pastors is powerful given that they are important role models, said Edward Newkirk, a car mechanic in Hollywood, a town south of Charleston. Newkirk is predicting she will win, but said he's voting for Obama because "he isn't looking out just for his own folks, he's trying to help everybody."

Clinton also has received the support of longtime friend and former U.S. ambassador to England Phil Lader, who has said she would be ready to serve as president without on-the-job training.

Key supporter undecided

On the coast, Obama has the backing of Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, who was recently elected to his ninth four-year term in a city with a strong tourist economy. The endorsement is significant, given Charleston's slavery history.

"I decided to support Senator Obama after watching the candidates for many months...," the mayor said. "[He] has the best ability to bring our country together and usher in a new era of strong bipartisan governance."

None of the Democrats, however, have the endorsement they covet--the backing of Rep. James Clyburn, the U.S. House majority whip. Clyburn has remained silent because he promised statewide party leaders that he would let the voters decide the primary.

Noting Obama's win in Iowa and Clinton's victory in New Hampshire, the congressman said, "Edwards hasn't demonstrated that he can win. The question is can they [Obama and Clinton] keep winning?"

John Moylan, Edwards' South Carolina chairman, said the former senator is the only candidate who has won in South Carolina and North Carolina with primary successes four years ago. Moylan said: "He is the one candidate who can compete across the country."