Primary Day and Meeting Marjorie Taylor Greene!- Day Nine

 Today's the day, it's primary day! This is what it has all led up to. Even though I am an intern for the Democratic Party, I had a jam-packed schedule. I first went to Lizard's Thicket, a local diner in Columbia, I went there with my class to see "Fox and Friends" broadcasting there, talking to South Carolinians about who they voted for and what are their biggest issues, Sean Hannity even showed up and a few of my classmates got a picture with him! 

After breakfast, we went to the Columbia Saturday Market. As someone who loves Farmers' markets, I appreciated Columbia's market. I enjoyed seeing all the food and business vendors, I even bought a few items from a few vendors. It was fun. 

We then went to a polling station to see people voting and we saw a few media outlets talking about the South Carolina primary, one was MSNBC. I found it interesting to see how media broadcasts work behind the scenes. 

Then something big happened... we saw people waving "Trump 2024" signs and boosting visibility, one of my classmates went to see who it was and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Yes, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. I was shocked, I did not believe that I was next to a well-known politician. She was very kind and respectful, I even got a picture with her!

State House Tour and the College of Charleston- Day Seven and Eight

 Hello from Columbia! Today I toured the South Carolina State House. I found it very interesting to see the history behind the State House since it is ancient. It was fascinating to walk through a place so ancient. 

After the tour, we talked to Representative Micah Caskey of Lexington. I found it interesting to see his views on the South Carolina House of Representatives and his personal views. I really enjoyed talking to him.

Day Eight was great! We drove almost two hours to Charleston. The two hours were worth it! Charleston is very charming. We went to the College of Charleston to talk to Gibbs Knotts and Jordan Ragusa, the authors of the book "First in the South." I appreciated them talking to us about South Carolina and the history of the South Carolina primary. 

After that lecture, we attended a Nikki Haley rally in Mount Pleasant, close to Charleston. This was the second rally of hers that I attended. I liked the rally, it was similar to the first one I attended. I enjoyed that it had the USS Yorktown and Fort Sumter in the background. It made for a very picturesque view! 

Governor's Mansion and Carol Fowler- Day Five and Day Six

 Day Five was interesting. I first listened to Scott Huffman, a Professor at Winthrop University. I really appreciated his lecture, as he mentioned his work regarding polls and how they work. I liked how he talked about framing and word choice, and how they can change people's answers and opinions about a certain subject. I later went to the Governor's Mansion. I found it very beautiful and was in awe of the design and architecture. 

Day Six was a fun day. I first went to the South Carolina Republican Party's headquarters. I found it interesting to see how the Republicans have different delegate rules compared to the Democrats. They then talked about the history of their party and how they grew as a party. I then went back to the SCDP and talked to Carol Fowler. Fowler was the first female chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party. Her husband was also the DNC chair during the 90s. Fowler explained the history of the primary system, super Tuesday, and the South Carolina primary. 

Nikki Haley Town Hall and Political Journalism-Day Three and Four

 Day Three was interesting. I first went to a Nikki Haley Town Hall with John Roberts (not that John Roberts.) I found it interesting to see how a Town Hall happens behind the scenes. I always watched Town Halls on TV and never saw how it worked. There was even a slip-up with Nikki Haley's mic. Because of that, she had to restart her Town Hall again! After that, I went to the Lexington County Democrats and learned how the County and State Parties work as a whole, their rules, and their County Convention. 

Day Four was a long day. I first met with AP reporter, Meg Kinnard. Kinnard talked about her career in political journalism and how she interacts with different politicians. Interestingly, she mentioned how politicians have a "mask" when they interact with the press in private and public.  

Nikki Haley Rally-Day One and Day Two

 Hello from South Carolina! After an eight-hour bus ride, I am finally in South Carolina. I am TIRED!! I woke up at 5am and did not take a nap. After getting to the hotel, I had dinner, hung out with friends, and went to sleep.

Day Two was amazing. I first went to Aiken County and talked to the Aiken County Democrats about their efforts to get out the vote during the first-in-the-South primary. What I found interesting is that the Aiken County Dems wanted to get a high turnout because they wanted to justify to the DNC that they made the right choice to move South Carolina to the first-in-the-nation primary for the Democrats. After talking to the Aiken County Dems, I went to the Aiken County Black History Month parade. 

The biggest event of the day was the Nikki Haley rally that I went to. That was my first campaign event ever! The turnout was good, especially since it was cold outside. Nikki Haley gave a good stump speech. I enjoyed the event! I even got a picture with her! 

Introduction

 Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! This blog will document my experience on The Road To The White House in 2024. I am very thankful I can have this experience, especially with the First in the South primary in South Carolina! A big reason why I joined The Road To The White House is because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and because I want to see the behind-the-scenes of campaigns, especially a presidential campaign.