Dems showing signs of surge in Lowcountry

[Alamom]

http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/6606043p-5883665c.html


Dems showing signs of surge in Lowcountry
Published Tue, Jul 31, 2007


By JEREMY HSIEH

South Carolina has been considered a Republican stronghold for decades, but local Democratic party leaders say the red tide is ebbing.
The visit from Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on Saturday raised thousands of dollars for the Beaufort County Democratic Party and revealed a vigor seldom seen in the county from the state's minority party.

An estimated 800 to 1,000 people turned out to hear Clinton speak, some showing up five hours early to save a seat in the 500-person capacity auditorium at the Performing Arts Center of the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Saturday's crowd outstripped the attendance of county campaign stops by the two Republican presidential candidates that have visited. In February, Arizona Sen. John McCain drew more than 650 people to Sun City Hilton Head, though attendance was limited to Sun City residents and their guests. On July 6, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani drew a crowd of more than 300 at the Bluffton Oyster Co.

Jacey Gordon, director of the new public relations and marketing branch of the county Democratic Party, said the success of Clinton's event was an extension of the party's new strategy of high visibility.

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Meanwhile, donations still are rolling into the party's coffers through the mail. Saturday's event was free and open to the public, though some 300 people reserved seats with sponsorships that started at $50 -- about $15,000 worth. Dore said the official total isn't available yet but noted donations were coming from people that didn't attend.

Before Clinton arrived Saturday, party officials took advantage of the captive audience with a series of speakers with a common theme: Republicans, don't take South Carolina for granted.

[rpannier]

1. "...extension of the party's new strategy of high visibility."

A strategy put forth by Howard Dean and mocked by carville