Sunday, January 15, 2012

To the Palmetto State

Four years ago this month I had concluded my 2008 New Hampshire Primary and Iowa Caucus coverage, and wrote that the dynamics of the upcoming South Carolina Primary were unfolding in a state that I "knew nothing about."

This year I'm still unsure exactly what the political climate is like down south, but tomorrow I begin six days of coverage based out of Columbia, South Carolina in an effort to get to the bottom of what may be the last state for the anti-Romney squad of GOP candidates to make a stand.

There are a few leads I plan to follow in the coming week:

1) I will be meeting with Young Republican and Young Democrat associations at a number of South Carolina universities to gauge how both parties are courting the 18-25 demographic that so overwhelming supported Barack Obama and helped put him over the top last election. If this is you, please write me and I'll see if I can swing by to chat politics. 

2) I will be visiting certain counties hit particularly hard by the economic downturn to determine how effective the attacks against front runner Mitt Romney's corporate history at Bain play with voters. Are negative ads the way for the Gingrich/Paul/Perry/Santorum/Huntsman pack to stand out to voters, or are more positive messages and an emphasis on personal character the way to draw the contrasts with Romney that will be necessary for any one of those men to gain momentum?


3) As always, my eyes will be peeled and ready to pick out any compelling sights for photo opportunities. I know where to look in Iowa and New Hampshire, but South Carolina is unfamiliar ground for me. Again, drop me a line if you know of a unique spot off the beaten path deserving of some exposure. I will be crisscrossing the state for six consecutive days, and I love detours.


I look forward to sharing my South Carolina experiences and photos here and on Twitter in the run up to Saturday's vote. See you soon!

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