So I'm in the press filing center waiting to eat our free meal. I'm surrounded by the "liberal media" if you listen to the goofball behind me. An anti-Hillary guy is running around here trying to push the Central America-CIA-cocaine connection... Anyway.

This debate is crucial. The polls predict an Obama win Saturday but you have to remember New Hampshire. The most recent polls have Obama at around 45%, Hillary in the 30s and Edwards in the teens. Grain of salt. I'd be interested in a poll of people in SC that are undecided going into this debate and the primary.

I personally am hoping Obama does well. I saw him first as an intern at the Center for America Progress and was impressed. since then he grew on me. The fact that he did not vote for the authorization to use force on/in Iraq all but wins him my vote. But the idea of another Clinton presidency scares me. I'm tired of Bush and Clintons running our country. We had the end of Reagan which was basically a H. W. Bush administration due to Reagan's age. Then H. W. Bush. Then Clinton. Then W. Bush (less than a year left in that disaster. Thank you very much Supreme Court). So you see, this can't continue... imho.

Not much to say now. It's still cold. Tonight, instead of trying to cover this debate as a live blog (plenty are doing that), I'm going to try to capture the essence of what the press go through especially the spin room. I've got a camera but a slow laptop computer, so I'll try to put video up tonight but might wait till tomorrow so I can use a quicker desktop (render times are a bitch!). Not to mention I'll be doing my 9 to 5 as well and that, of course, takes priority.

More later, enjoy the debate.

Labels: Barack Obama, Bush, Clinton, debate, Democrat, Democratic debate, South Carolina

As I indicated a few days ago, I'm working the SC Democratic Debate with SCETV and will be doing some blogging along the way...

First things I noticed this morning is how different this is when compared to the first SC debate I covered (here is the first post from that debate). For one thing the world will be watching as this is the last debate in SC before the Democratic Primary this coming Saturday. Another is the weather. It's nice here. Sunny, beautiful clear blue sky. And near freezing.

The candidates should be used to this considering Iowa and New Hampshire's weather this time of the year, but I'm sure they were hoping for some warmer weather as a break. Well they aren't going to get it. It's cold here. Standing water is frozen. Coats are mandatory.

So far I've only picked up our credentials and visited the debate hall. This event is being held in the Myrtle Beach tourist-trap known as Broadway on the Beach. Along 17 near where Planet Hollywood is. The press room is across the street in the Phillips Seafood restaurant. The security here is already much more intense. And the ground troops for the three candidates (especially Clinton and Edwards) are out in force putting up signs, et cetera. (BTW- What is it with the signs? Does anyone know anyone who votes on account of a yard sign?).

Myrtle Beach has a sand sculpture outside of the Palace Theater (the debate hall) that's pretty interesting (I'll have some specs on that soon). A lot of work to put in to it... at least it's not going to rain... But the faces (of Sens. Clyburn (D-SC) and the candidates Clinton, Obama and Edwards) are incredibly goofy. Especially John Edwards... I tried to capture this in the video but the sculpture was surrounded by near freezing puddles of water, the sun was in an awful place and I'm going totally hand-held. My apologies in advance but have a look.

here's a photo for now... Video soon, I hope. Video below.

More later....

Labels: Clinton, Clyburn, debate, Democrat, Democratic debate, Edwards, Obama, South Carolina

Well Mike Huckabee may be a very spiritual guy and a potential Republican presidential candidate but he has at least two other contenders in his party with a legitimate bead on the nomination as well and maybe more in the coming weeks. This includes South Carolina.

For the most part the religious right loves him. There are many reasons for this including the Baptist Minister card and the Ayatollah-esque proclamation to amend the Constitution to fit his impressions of what "God's standards". These points indicate that he'll do well in SC Saturday. To be sure, someone, on his behalf, started push-polling SC voters and criticizing Huck's rivals.

One would hope citizens in SC have learned to see through such tactics (which SC law prohibits, by the way). Or perhaps people will consider that these tactics are illegal and hold that against the Huck-ster. I'm not holding my breath.

But none of this really matters. SC is Huck territory, according to Huck:

"South Carolina's a great place for me. I mean, I know how to eat grits and speak the language. We even know how to talk about eating fried squirrel and stuff like that, so we're on the same wavelength." [start @ 1:40]

What? People brag about eating fried squirrel?

He continues:

"When I was in college, we used to take a popcorn popper, because that was the only thing they would let us use in the dorm, and we would fry squirrels in a popcorn popper in the dorm room." [start @ 1:55]

...

I'm the only guy that's just getting hammered from some of these special interest groups. And I think that'll turn for me and against some of these folks, because it's pretty obvious... There's just an anxiety that exists in the Washington power circles about our candidacy. ... Truck drivers know why they're voting for Mike Huckabee ... and that's why I'm convinced we're going to win." [start @ 3:25]

Watch the full clip here:



There you have it. If SC is a state full of squirrel-eating truck drivers then it's a lock for Huck.

I don't know who looks worse here, Huckabee or South Carolina?

(h/t Raw Story)

Labels: 2008, Mike Huckabee, president, South Carolina

I'm a bit late on this but here are some pics I snapped while filming the recent visit by Senator and presidential candidate-hopeful Barack Obama to the College of Charleston (full video at the Bully Pulpit website).

If you're interested, here are some photos from the July Democratic debate and the Citadel in Charleston: Pre-debate, Part I, Part II and Part III.

On that note. There is a good possibility that I'll be at the next Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach a week from now. Stay tuned...

Labels: 2008, Barack Obama, debate, Democrat, president forum, South Carolina

I get letters, I write letters back. Here's a snippet of todays:

Dear Congressman Henry Brown, Jr.

I've just received and read your defense of shock-jock Rush Limbaugh -- a man with "strong ideological leanings" -- regarding his labeling of anti-war soldiers as "phony."

Your defense of the pundit is weak and, frankly, embarrassing (at least for your supporters). You claim Rush was speaking of Jesse MacBeth and not any number of soldiers who would question the policies of your party, our president and people who share "strong ideological leanings" such as your own. Well, that's what Fox News 'reported' (possibly stretching the meaning of that word past the max). When Rush first used the name Jesse MacBeth on the 26 September 2007 show, it was nearly 2 minutes after he used the phrase "phony soldiers." In several calls in subsequent minutes and days he continued to use his new attack rhetoric numerous times. For example, in a 28 September 2007 broadcast, Rush expanded his group of "phony soldiers" to include Vietnam veteran, and your colleague, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) and Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp (who is currently serving in Iraq). These men are both anti-war and, therefore, to Rush and many sharing "strong ideological leanings" they are "phony soldiers". Finally, If Rush was talking about this one soldier -- Jesse MacBeth -- he would have been quoted as calling him a phony soldier since he is but a single man.

I don't accept your response nor do I appreciate your defense of a man such as Rush Limbaugh. He is no better than the folks at Move On who questioned the political intentions of a military general in a similarly inflammatory way. I'm embarrassed that you stooped to this level to protect such a man.

...

Labels: Henry Brown, politics, Rush Limbaugh, South Carolina