Phillips’ first journey to the state since launching his longshot presidential marketing campaign simply three weeks in the past — and his frosty welcome right here — underscored the uphill climb dealing with the Minnesota Democrat throughout the nation, however particularly in Biden’s political protected haven of South Carolina. He selected the Blue Jamboree, an annual showcase of nationwide and Charleston-area Democrats, to make his first pitch to greater than 200 voters on this key early voting state.
“It’s a longshot. This is Biden country,” stated Bre Spaulding, a South Carolina-based political guide, referring to Phillips’ marketing campaign. “But we also understand the process, and that’s the good part about being true to our democracy is people have the right to make their case.”
Phillips’ speech featured a number of tense and awkward moments, like when he in contrast the present political problem dealing with Biden to that of Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in 2016. A Biden volunteer shook her head aggressively in disagreement.
But there was additionally a delicate however palpable shift within the room by the top of his remarks. He by no means obtained the thunderous applause garnered by Biden surrogates — South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn and Steve Benjamin, White House director of public engagement and former Columbia mayor — however the crowd was engaged as he talked in regards to the one factor uniting each Biden and Phillips supporters within the room: The want to beat Trump.
“Is it hard for an insurgent taking on the entire establishment and institutions to introduce him or herself in a state like this, with a person of such extraordinary influence as a person like Jim Clyburn? Of course it’s hard,” Phillips stated in an interview with POLITICO Saturday night. “But it was so much better than I ever imagined.”
Walking off the stage, Phillips hugged Clyburn, his Democratic Caucus colleague, and a crowd gathered exterior the theater doorways, lining as much as ask the Minnesotan questions and to snap group pictures. Even some Biden voters who had been cautious of the outsider acknowledged that they had been glad he got here — Phillips stated he measures his success at these occasions not by the clapping, however by the quantity of people that speak to him afterwards.
Some Phillips’ supporters wore his blue marketing campaign t-shirts or hats, whereas just a few folks stated they confirmed up as a result of they obtained a mysterious digital invite despatched to their telephones on Saturday. The invite stated in the event that they stayed for the whole thing — noting that they might be requested to put on marketing campaign apparel and take part in pictures — they’d get a $50 giftcard. Phillips stated he’d by no means seen the invite, and his marketing campaign workers stated it wasn’t from his crew after inner inquiries.
One voter, Karen Hutchinson, spent a number of minutes speaking to Phillips afterwards and posed for a photograph with him. Hutchinson was a Biden voter in 2020, and stated she had by no means heard Phillips’ identify earlier than however got here as a result of she obtained the flier.
“But I think I’m going to vote for him,” Hutchinson stated, talking about her monetary issues. She stated that even when she has more money to spare, she typically has to assist her son and his household.
“He’s speaking for the next generation, these young people,” she stated.
Phillips spent his Saturday morning on randomly chosen calls with small-dollar donors, after which moved to an extended listing of calls with native South Carolina officers. He stated he’s planning to rent extra workers within the state after the journey.
“Some had said that the president’s support is a mile wide but it’s only an inch deep. And what I’m discovering is it’s only a half-mile wide and a half-inch deep,” Phillips stated.
For Biden’s half, there’s a way amongst some South Carolina Democratic leaders that his marketing campaign is apprehensive about planting a flag too firmly within the state, afraid of showing as if it’s taking Phillips’ marketing campaign significantly. Clyburn was a protected selection to talk on behalf of Biden: A sufficiently big identify that nobody may complain that the Biden marketing campaign wasn’t properly represented, and one whose presence wouldn’t make it seem as in the event that they had been reacting to Phillips. Benjamin was added to the schedule last-minute on Saturday.
Democratic Party leaders have expressed frustration for months that the Biden marketing campaign has not been extra engaged within the state, regardless that it’s an off-year election cycle. There was a hope amongst some that the Biden marketing campaign and nationwide celebration would have invested extra time and power into the state, notably with its first-in-the-nation standing. Democrats additionally need to chip away on the Republican maintain on state and native workplaces.
While Phillips’ may even see a gap, it wasn’t apparent from the room. Clyburn, a Biden marketing campaign co-chair, touted the president’s successes, and obtained booming applause when he talked in regards to the Biden doubters in 2020: “Well I didn’t listen then, and I’m not listening now.”
Hours after the occasion, Phillips tried to have his personal second with the South Carolina political large, posting an image of his embrace with Clyburn.
“What a great evening at the Charleston Blue Jam,” Phillips stated in a put up on X. “A cool welcome, a VERY warm send-off, and a great moment with my colleague and lion of Congress, @RepJamesClyburn.”
Lauren Egan contributed to this report.
