The SC Prospective

Crossposted to Wiretap Magazine

Pastor Ron Flowers of the Providence Baptist Church on Daniel's Island in South Carolina's low country is an unapologetic progressive. But he had a hard time picking his candidate this time around.

"Republicans don't know who to pick, democrats want to vote for all three. Its a great place to be," he said over lunch after Sunday Services.

Don's wife Anita and daughter Alison are Hillary Clinton supporters, but nearly 18 year old daughter Savannah is all Obama.

"I like what he says about health care," she said. "I like that he voted against the war. And that he'd be the first African American president - I like that he talks about change."

While Don was going back and forth between Clinton and Obama he said the deciding factor was the last debate and the weeks former president Bill Clinton spent in the few weeks leading up to E-day talkin' smack. Don said that it was disappointing given all of the awful things that were said about him in the 1990's you'd think he'd rise above the fray. But instead Don said he realized the Clintons would do anything it took to win. He just couldn't support that and joined Savannah in supporting Obama.

"I didn't expect him to win," Flowers said. "You gotta know, Obama won big in a state that just took their Confederate flag down from the state house 8 years ago. This is incredible and encouraging on so many levels"

I've talked to over 50 people this week about South Carolina and now Florida and Georgia. All have mentioned that debate and Bill Clinton's mean spirited comments with disappointment. One even went so far as to mention that she thought Bill Clinton was the major reason South Carolina wasn't a closer primary on Saturday.

Savannah was having lunch at the same place we were but only by coincidence. Her three friends had a range of opinions and ideology and they all supported a different candidate.

Thomas is the token Huckabee supporter - he likes Huck's personality but he loves his economic policy.

"I'm moderate on social issues," he says. "I like how he took the deficits in Arkansas and turned them around into a huge surplus."

I asked him if he was sure he's not a democrat. "No," he said laughing. I asked him if he was sure. "I think abortion is an abomination..." he said. I told him about my pro-life democratic friends and told him he needed to come out of the closet as a democrat. He shook his head and laughed.

Ben is a solid Edwards fan. His whole family is for Edwards, and not just kinda for Edwards they are about as hardcore as you get. Anita was telling me earlier about Ben's mom Vickie who was talking about an Edwards/Obama ticket.

"That'd be like... intense..." Ben said. "I like his health care ideas. He's done really well in the debates."

Thomas made a joke about Edwards' hair and Ben made sure to mention he did think Edwards had nice hair.

Emily is too young to vote but at 15 Don says she's one of the smartest in the crew.

"Well, I was a Thompson person but now he's out, so I'm thinking about Huckabee..." Thomas chimed in quickly, "Really!?" Health care is a major issue for her, as is the economy and education.

Each of these students is the embodiment of what Cate Edwards said to me Saturday night at the rally. All are not just engaged but they are well connected and informed on all of the issues and as a result were opinionated.

Don has preached a series of sermons called Faith at the Ballot Box that concluded this Sunday with a conversation about the war. Quoting my personal favorite scripture Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers." Each- health care, the environment, immigration and the war - looked at issues from a faith based perspective. Despite his involvement in getting his parishioners to focus on the issues Don says most people are already engaged. Their family always discusses the issues - but even the friends of the girls are plugged in.

I knew this was going to be a different election when I was at an Obama rally and a woman comes up on stage and says 'We're going to give away free t-shirts.' Well kids love free t-shirts. So she says, 'text your name to this number and the first three get a shirt.' So for the price of a few shirts the campaign gets three thousand cell phone numbers and names right there."

"But look at what they've got!" Don laughed. "People here don't like McCain, Romney is a Mormon and too many people here were taught in their churches growing up that it was a cult. Its not right, but its the way things are. No one knows who Huckabee is, really. Giuliani is a pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-gun guy from New York? He doesn't have a chance. And Ron Paul? He's like everybody's crazy uncle! You can have him in the back telling stories but you don't wan him in the driver's seat."

That night the 11 o'clock news out of Charleston interviewed Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) who says this kind of enthusiasm is going to present an amazing general election for his party.