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 going through the Minnesota Democrat throughout the nation, however particularly in Biden’s political secure 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. That is Biden nation,” mentioned Bre Spaulding, a South Carolina-based political guide, referring to Phillips’ marketing campaign. “However we additionally perceive the method, and that’s the nice half about being true to our democracy is individuals have the fitting to make their case.”
Phillips’ speech featured a number of tense and awkward moments, like when he in contrast the present political problem going through Biden to that of Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in 2016. A Biden volunteer shook her head aggressively in disagreement.
However there was additionally a delicate however palpable shift within the room by the tip of his remarks. He by no means obtained the thunderous applause garnered by Biden surrogates — South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn and Steve Benjamin, White Home director of public engagement and former Columbia mayor — however the crowd was engaged as he talked concerning the one factor uniting each Biden and Phillips supporters within the room: The need to beat Trump.
“Is it exhausting for an rebel taking up the complete institution and establishments to introduce him or herself in a state like this, with an individual of such extraordinary affect as an individual like Jim Clyburn? In fact it’s exhausting,” Phillips mentioned in an interview with POLITICO Saturday night. “But it surely was so significantly better than I ever imagined.”
Strolling off the stage, Phillips hugged Clyburn, his Democratic Caucus colleague, and a crowd gathered outdoors the theater doorways, lining as much as ask the Minnesotan questions and to snap group images. Even some Biden voters who had been cautious of the outsider acknowledged that they had been glad he got here — Phillips mentioned he measures his success at these occasions not by the clapping, however by the quantity of people that discuss to him afterwards.
Some Phillips’ supporters wore his blue marketing campaign t-shirts or hats, whereas just a few individuals mentioned they confirmed up as a result of they obtained a mysterious digital invite despatched to their telephones on Saturday. The invite mentioned in the event that they stayed for everything — noting that they could be requested to put on marketing campaign apparel and take part in images — they might get a $50 giftcard. Phillips mentioned he’d by no means seen the invite, and his marketing campaign employees mentioned it wasn’t from his group after inside 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 mentioned she had by no means heard Phillips’ identify earlier than however got here as a result of she obtained the flier.
“However I believe I’m going to vote for him,” Hutchinson mentioned, talking about her monetary issues. She mentioned that even when she has more money to spare, she usually has to assist her son and his household.
“He’s talking for the subsequent era, these younger individuals,” she mentioned.
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 mentioned he’s planning to rent extra employees within the state after the journey.
“Some had mentioned that the president’s assist is a mile huge but it surely’s solely an inch deep. And what I’m discovering is it’s solely a half-mile huge and a half-inch deep,” Phillips mentioned.
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, terrified of showing as if it’s taking Phillips’ marketing campaign critically. Clyburn was a secure alternative to talk on behalf of Biden: A large enough identify that nobody might complain that the Biden marketing campaign wasn’t nicely 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 Occasion leaders have expressed frustration for months that the Biden marketing campaign has not been extra engaged within the state, though it’s an off-year election cycle. There was a hope amongst some that the Biden marketing campaign and nationwide get together would have invested extra time and power into the state, significantly with its first-in-the-nation standing. Democrats additionally need to chip away on the Republican maintain on state and native places of work.
Whereas 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 concerning the Biden doubters in 2020: “Nicely I didn’t hear 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 an ideal night on the Charleston Blue Jam,” Phillips mentioned in a submit on X. “A cool welcome, a VERY heat send-off, and an ideal second with my colleague and lion of Congress, @RepJamesClyburn.”
Lauren Egan contributed to this report.