Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) -- To hear some tell it, the 2008 South Carolina primary clash between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was a few steps away from a full-blown race riot.
"It was unbelievable down
here in 2007 and 2008," said Bridget Tripp, a Democratic organizer from
Lexington who supported Obama in that year's primary. "Bill Clinton was
going through downtown Columbia calling Barack Obama a racist."
It never got that bad, of
course. But in the run up to the contest and in its aftermath, the
Clinton campaign scrambled to explain away comments that rankled the
black community: Hillary Clinton seeming to downplay Martin Luther King
Jr.'s role in passing the Civil Rights Act, Bill Clinton's biting
characterization of Obama's campaign as "the biggest fairy tale I've
ever seen," and a range of remarks from Clinton allies that seemed to
belittle Obama's achievements.
Bill Clinton's remarks in
particular went over so poorly that South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn,
then the state's highest-ranking African-American in Congress, went on
national television and told the former president to "chill." The
morning after Obama's crushing 28-point victory, Bill Clinton waved it
off in glib terms, comparing Obama to Jesse Jackson, just another black
candidate with black support.
The loss was a stinging
defeat for the Clintons, a Southern power couple who viewed their
long-standing friendships in the African-American community as crucial
bulwark against any Democratic foe.
Who would win if election was tomorrow?
Sen. Graham slammed for praising Hillary
Hillary attack a GOP façade?
But African-American
voters were suddenly flocking to Obama in the wake of his Iowa caucus
victory, a win that made the prospect of electing the nation's first
black president suddenly seem real. Black voters made up more than half
of the South Carolina primary electorate, and Obama won almost 80% of
them.
The Democratic primary
fight went on for months, but Obama banked a decisive delegate lead and
Clinton never recovered from the loss.
Clinton supporters have fresh bounce in their step
Six years on, as Clinton considers a second presidential bid, the battle scars here have largely healed over.
"I love Hillary
Clinton," said Clyburn. "She has made a tremendous contribution to the
political order in this country. I have three daughters, and two of my
three grandchildren are girls. So I am very partial to women who run for
office."
Clinton supporters in South Carolina who were slump-shouldered in the wake of her loss now have a fresh bounce in their steps.
"I have to be a little
careful, but at this point, if she announces, it's going to be her
nomination," said Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic
National Committee during the Clinton White House years.
Leading African-American
legislators who backed Obama are all-but-endorsing Clinton, even though
she has not even said if she plans to run. And several of Obama's
well-regarded field marshals from 2008 have been toiling in the state
since last fall on behalf of "Ready For Hillary," an independent group
that is trying to build steam for a potential Clinton bid.
"Without a doubt, there
is a definitely a warming to her," said Anton Gunn, a hulking former
college football lineman who was Obama's political director in 2008 and
later served in his administration.
"When she made the
decision to be secretary of state, and did an admirable job, being
completely loyal to the goals and objectives that the president laid
out, she made a lot of supporters. She was soldier and a part of the
team just like we were."
Like all of the early
caucus primary states that will help determine the Democratic nominee in
2016, South Carolina is no sure bet for Clinton if she decides to run.
Polls show her with a wide lead over hypothetical opponents, but surveys
also suggest the base of her party is drifting leftward, away from the
centrism that defines Clintonian politics. A fresh set of issues or
another dynamic candidate might emerge before the primary votes of early
2016.
But every Democrat here agrees: South Carolina is once again Clinton's to lose.
Other than Vice
President Joe Biden, the scarcity of heavyweight opponents on the
horizon is striking, especially compared to 2006, when a passel of big
name Democrats were making regular trips here to campaign for midterm
candidates and consult with potential supporters.
Emergence of another African-American candidate could hurt Clinton
"She just dominates the whole Democratic Party presidential process," Fowler said.
What might damage
Clinton, a range of South Carolina Democrats said, would be the sudden
emergence of another African-American candidate in a primary where the
percentage of black voters could be as high as 60%.
"Unless there is another
Barack Obama out there, I don't see the same thing happening again,"
said Darrell Jackson, a pastor and longtime state senator who was one of
Clinton's leading surrogates in the state in 2008.
For Tripp, now working
Ready For Hillary, the prospect of making history by helping elect the
country's first woman president has a unique appeal. "There will never
be another first black president," she said.
Former South Carolina
Gov. Jim Hodges, a chairman of Obama's campaign in 2008, pointed to "a
clear hunger among Democrats here for a women to be the nominee."
"She is well
positioned," Hodges said of Clinton. "There is no obvious alternative in
the Democratic Party. I just don't see anyone emerging right now who
would cause her problems if she runs."
Hodges mused that a
challenger on her progressive flank could give Clinton a headache, even
in South Carolina. The Democratic ranks have become more liberal over
the years, he said, with Southern conservatives leaving the party and a
continuing influx of out-of-staters, known locally as "come-heres," who
aren't beholden to Southern orthodoxy.
If the political terrain
here has shifted since 2008, it should not come as a surprise to
Clinton: Both Jackson and Hodges said they've had recent conversations
with Bill Clinton, though neither would divulge the content of their
discussions. "The former president and I stay in contact," is all
Jackson would say.
Ready for Hillary rally fundraiser felt like Obama campaign reunion
The budding alliance
between Obama and Clinton forces here -- at least the one Clinton
supporters wanted to project -- was on display last week inside a
converted loft space in Columbia, a few blocks from the Congaree River.
After similar efforts in Iowa and New Hampshire, Ready For Hillary was
hosting its debut fundraiser in South Carolina, collecting small
donations (price of entry: $20.16) and e-mail addresses from the 80 or
so Democrats who showed up on a balmy Thursday evening.
A bold blue "I'm Ready
For Hillary" banner adorned the wall, and organizers handed out
pro-Hillary buttons, but the session had the distinct feel of an Obama
campaign reunion. State legislators, field operatives, and steering
committee members from Obama's campaign showed up and said nice things
about Clinton. Free food, and free media attention, seemed to be part of
the attraction.
Senate candidate Rick
Wade, a senior Obama adviser in the state, worked the room in a crisp
blue suit, greeting friends like state Rep. Bakari Sellers, a young
Obama backer in 2008 and today a lieutenant governor candidate who was
booked as the fundraiser's headline speaker.
"It's hard to say you
would endorse somebody who isn't running yet," Sellers said when asked
if he would back Clinton in 2016. "I support the former first lady. It's
early. But I do support these efforts."
Across the way, former
Obama aide Jonathan Metcalf, one of Ready For Hillary's lead organizers,
shared an embrace with Kay Koonce, a state Democratic party official
and vocal Clinton backer. They were surrounded by Democrats of all
races, nibbling on chicken tenders and cheese balls.
"We were at war," Metcalf said. "But here we are together. That's pretty powerful."
Obama strategists used
the Palmetto State in 2008 as an incubator for their now-legendary
voter-registration-and-turnout machinery, an operation masterminded by
Jeremy Bird, then the campaign's young South Carolina field director.
After twice helping
elect Obama to the White House, Bird is now a senior adviser to Ready
For Hillary. One of Bird's former deputies, Greenville native Quentin
James, is also on the Ready For Hillary payroll as the group's Black
Americans Director; he put together the pro-Clinton fundraiser.
Thorny issues confront Ready for Hillary
Metcalf boasted that
Ready For Hillary staffers are applying Obama's vaunted outreach tactics
to generate grassroots enthusiasm for Clinton.
"We have been organizing
since October," Metcalf said. "Top activists in the state are already
sewn up. That's the story. This isn't even a fraction of the army we've
already built. It's been a lot of persuasion, a lot of travel, trying to
connect with people on what's important to them and relating that back
to supporting Hillary Clinton ... I've only got one person who worked
for Barack that would not help me with Hillary."
The gushing enthusiasm
masked some of the thornier issues that have confronted Ready For
Hillary on its quest to lay groundwork for a Clinton presidential bid
and co-opt some of the Obama magic.
Though the group has the
de facto support of Clinton-world as it tries to build the framework
for a national campaign, it is barred under federal election law from
coordinating with the former secretary of state because she is not a
declared candidate for federal office.
"We don't have a
candidate and we don't have a campaign, so we can't answer all your
questions," Metcalf informed the audience. "But we would like Secretary
Clinton to know in uncertain terms that she has grassroots support in
South Carolina."
'Putting the car before the horse'
The task of channeling
Obama's unique grassroots excitement into support for Clinton, a
completely different politician who does not stir Democratic passions in
the same way Obama does, is a complicated enterprise. At the conclusion
of Ready For Hillary's Columbia fundraiser, a chant of "Fired Up! Ready
To Go!" -- the famous Obama incantation from 2008 -- petered out after
just two rounds.
In an interview, Clyburn
was critical of Ready For Hillary, saying that any effort to gin up
excitement for 2016 before the 2014 midterm elections is "putting the
cart before the horse." He said Democratic energies in South Carolina
should be focused squarely on helping their gubernatorial candidate,
Vincent Sheheen, unseat Gov. Nikki Haley in November.
"The over-emphasis and
the time and energy spent on presidential politics at this juncture are
misplaced," Clyburn said. "You don't deal with a structure from the top
down in politics. In building any structure you have to build from the
bottom up. I just wish that all of these people who spend all their time
on presidential politics in 2016 would spend half that time on the
governor's race in 2014, and putting structure in place. I just think
this is misplaced priorities."
Other Democrats were even more disparaging.
"Is Hillary ready for
Hillary? That's the question," said former South Carolina Democratic
Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian, who said he plans to support Vice
President Biden if he runs. "Is it a political organization or a fan
club for a boy band? I just don't understand the idea that somehow
you've got to encourage her to run. Either people want to run and have a
coherent message about why they should be president, or not. She has
been around the block. She knows that if she wants to run, she can get
in and get the money."
'I think it's a cult'
"I think it's a cult,
not a political movement," Harpootlian added. "Ready for Hillary
compared to who? The field still has to develop."
Ready For Hillary
supporters were at pains to say pleasant things about Clinton's
potential opponents -- and to note that they were planning to use their
organizational muscle to assist midterm candidates.
"We want to use energy
and excitement here to remind people, especially young people, that we
have some important campaigns in 2014," said Koonce. "This is great
training. We want to work hard for Democrats in 2014 and use that for
Hillary in 2016."
Biden's name also mentioned in 2016 discussions
Despite her overwhelming
advantages, Clinton's name is hardly the only one that surfaces in
early discussions about the 2016 primary. Biden is the most common one.
"I'm more of a 'Ready
for Biden' kinda guy," said Tyler Jones, a Democratic operative in
Charleston, when asked if he was attending the pro-Clinton fundraiser
last week.
Unlike Obama, who has
not set foot in the state since the night of his primary victory here
six years ago, the vice president has returned to South Carolina over
and over again -- for official White House business, political spadework
and personal time.
Biden, who would be
making his third presidential bid if he runs in 2016, impressed party
activists here last year as the headline speaker at the Democratic
Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. He later attended a fish fry hosted by
Clyburn.
Supporters of Biden are
not shy about pointing out his deep ties to the state: His yearly
vacations on Kiawah Island, his impressive 2003 eulogy for the late Sen.
Strom Thurmond, and his friendships with brand-name Democrats including
former Sen. Fritz Hollings and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley. Biden has
also kept in close touch with a handful of key state legislators,
welcoming them with open arms during trips to Washington.
"Biden's had a long
history in the state of South Carolina," said Trip King, a longtime
Biden confidante who lives in Columbia. "He is fond of the state, has
spent a lot of time down here over the years, and has developed a lot of
lifelong friendships. If Biden were to run, he would be extremely
well-received in South Carolina."
Another Democrat who has
tried to make inroads here is Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who
addressed a Democratic policy conference last spring in Charleston,
where his daughter attends college. During his visit, O'Malley convened
getting-to-know-you meetings with party power brokers and activists,
some of whom received O'Malley family Christmas cards last December.
Contested primary wouldn't be a bad thing for the party
"I'd be surprised if he
didn't run and didn't announce earlier than others," Hodges said of
O'Malley. "He is clearly interested and he needs to test his messages
and appeal beyond Maryland."
In interviews,
Democratic activists and elected officials in the state also expressed
curiosity about New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Virginia Sen. Tim
Kaine and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Two organizers at the Ready For
Hillary event said they wanted to learn more about New York Gov. "Mario"
Cuomo, mixing up Andrew's name for that of his famous father.
Even as they try to
project an air of invincibility and lure Clinton into the race, some of
her supporters admit that a contested primary would be a good thing for
the party -- and for the candidate.
"If she walks into the
nomination without being challenged, without having the opportunity to
exercise her campaign techniques and expertise, it might be tough in a
general election," Fowler said. "Every major league team goes through
spring training. A little spring training wouldn't be bad."
Harpootlian was characteristically more blunt.
"It's insanity to think
that a primary is a bad thing," he said. "It would make her better. If
she cant get through a primary, how will she get through a general
election when the Koch brothers are spending $8 billion?"
