CHARLESTON, S.C. — South Carolina’s preeminence in presidential politics is probably a head-scratcher to the rest of the country. The Palmetto State, the first to secede from the Union, will again host the first-in-the-South Republican primary — and this time the first Democratic primary as well.
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Opinion | In presidential politics, South Carolina wins diversity sweepstakes
South Carolina’s first Republican primary — ever — was in 1980. Since then, the state has always picked the person who became the nominee, with one exception: In 2012, Mitt Romney placed second in South Carolina.
Furthermore, the state’s primary acts as an early firewall against weaker candidates so that, theoretically, the party can unify around the strongest one. The 2024 election season will test the state’s status as a kingmaker, as two candidates are homegrown and already familiar to voters here — Sen. Tim Scott and former governor Nikki Haley, who also served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Having cut my reporter’s teeth on that 1980 Republican primary, I confess to feeling a small degree of satisfaction that South Carolina Republicans have this time managed to produce two candidates who are not White men. This comes after decades of Democratic sermonizing on the Zoroastrian wisdom of diversity. Neither Scott nor Haley fits the stereotype expected by the national media when it swoops in looking for the cast from “Duck Dynasty” and “ Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.”
South Carolina, of all places. It’s the locals who keep saying this, by the way. Except for newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy, who plainly hails from another planet (actually Cincinnati), the Republican roster looks more like an Augusta National Golf Club membership meet-and-greet than the long-ago-promised “big tent.” As for the Democratic roster … what?
To their endearing credit, both Haley, 51, and Scott, 57, have the sort of bootstrap success stories that would make Horatio Alger envious. Haley, who has been a candidate since February, is a first-generation American of Sikh Indian descent who grew up in Bamberg, S.C., a town so small it makes Columbia seem like Paris. She got her business chops by working for her parents’ clothing business, including serving as their accountant from the age of 14.
Scott, who announced his candidacy Monday at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, was raised by his single mom. In high school, he was no one’s nominee for most likely to succeed; he flunked four subjects in his freshman year — Spanish, English, world geography and civics.
“Now, for those of you not familiar with civics, civics is the study of politics,” he told the crowd gathered for his announcement on Monday. “I will say this, though. I’ll say this. Hallelujah. Yes, yes, yes. I’ll say this, though. I’ll say this. After 10 years in the Senate, I am not the only one failing civics in the nation’s capital.”
Amen, Senator. At times, he sounded like a Baptist preacher, and not only because he quoted scripture. Scott has acquired the familiar cadence, no doubt thanks to regular church attendance with his mama. He travels home every weekend from D.C. to take his mother to church.
Scott credits his success to his mother and God, telling his audience that his family went from the cotton fields to Congress during his grandfather’s lifetime. His grandfather had to quit school by the third grade to work in the fields, Scott said. He, too, gets credit for Scott’s turnaround. While living with his grandparents, along with his mother and brother, after his parents divorced, Scott listened to his grandfather’s words: “You can be bitter or you can be better, but you can’t be both.”
Scott’s own prod to the audience echoed that advice: “Our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing: Victimhood or victory?” he shouted. The crowd responded in kind: “Victory!”
Scott is unflinching in his faith, which perhaps explains how he maintains a happy disposition as critics refer to him as “Uncle Tim.” He’s used to it, practiced at ignoring those who question his “Blackness” or mock him for saying America isn’t a racist country. Not long ago, I asked his former press secretary Caroline Anderegg how he withstands the pressure.
“The answer’s the same for everything he does,” she said. “Jesus.”
Scott’s joyfulness seems authentic. Funny and self-deprecating, he reminds me of the state’s other senator, Republican Lindsey O. Graham, before Graham traded better for bitter. Maybe the more apt comparison is Ronald Reagan without the Hollywood. No matter the outcome of the election, Scott’s message of optimism and compassion will be good for America.
The same may be said of Haley, who is just as easy to like. Cool as a Carolina cucumber, she’s also tough, shrewd and a quick study, as was obvious during her tenure at the United Nations. She has a talent for assessing a moment, such as when, as governor, she ordered the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the State House grounds following the massacre of nine Black parishioners attending Bible study at Mother Emanuel church here.
Haley might have had no choice, given the circumstances, but she acted swiftly and, in removing a symbol that’s loathed by many (and loved by a few), planted her own flag in the nation’s heart. Ironically, she also deserves some of the credit for Scott’s rise, as it was Haley who tapped him in 2012 to fill Sen. Jim DeMint’s seat when he left to head up the conservative Heritage Foundation. Scott went on to win a special election in 2014 and was elected to full terms in 2016 and 2022. He has earned his place at the table.
This is to say, South Carolina Republicans face a conundrum in deciding whom to support. Both Haley and Scott are well-liked, but neither is viewed as a threat to you-know-who.
If either Scott or Haley should win the South Carolina primary, could he or she become the party’s nominee? Probably not, but stranger things have happened — and the night is young.
A prediction now would be foolhardy, but one probably wouldn’t lose the farm betting on the worst outcome: the Don. Driving home recently through a middle-class neighborhood, I passed a large sign hanging from a roadside fence reading: “Rude and Crude, he’s still my dude. Trump for president.”
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College Football Picks: Expert Predictions For Texas-Texas A&M, South Carolina-Clemson, Kansas State-Iowa St.
Rivalry week is upon us, and all eyes will be on College Station, Texas, as No. 3 Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M for the first time since 2011. This one is even bigger than expected as the winner will move on to play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The Longhorns will likely stay in the College Football Playoff bracket if they lose, but the Aggies almost certainly are in a CFP do-or-die situation.
Kansas State and Iowa State will tee it up in Ames, and South Carolina will head upstate to take on Clemson in games that, very quietly, can still impact the CFP race.
Here are the picks from Outkick writers Trey Wallace and Barrett Sallee, who are tied in straight up and against the spread heading into the biggest weekend of the season. Keep in mind, winners against the spread in the wild card games are worth two points in our completely made-up game.
Trey: 38-14 straight up, 27-25 against the spread (29 points)
Barrett: 38-14 straight up, 27-25 against the spread (29 points)
Texas (-5.5) at Texas A&M
Wallace: Thank goodness this rivalry has returned after 13 years. I don’t know what type of wakeup call Texas A&M needed last week in Auburn, but they got it. Now, the Aggies still control their destiny, but so do the Longhorns, and I expect their offense to cause the opposing defense some problems. I think this one comes down to the fourth quarter, and Texas A&M finds a way to win this game late, something they couldn’t do last week against the Tigers.
Texas and Texas A&M will play for the first time in 13 years on Saturday (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Sallee: Give me the Longhorns to win – and do it by double digits. I don’t care that their quarterback situation is in flux because both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are capable of getting the job done against an Aggies bunch that has to be down in the dumps after last week’s quadruple overtime loss at Auburn. Expect Texas’ defense to have its best performance of the season.
Kansas State at Iowa State (-2.5)
Wallace: Another wild game in the Big 12 awaits, as both teams still fight for a spot in the championship game, thanks to some wild tiebreaker rules. While this feels like a game for Avery Johnson to flourish at quarterback for Kansas State, I think Iowa State’s Rocco Becht could be the one that comes out on top. Even though the Wildcats have only given up more than 20 points just once in the last 5 games, this is the Cyclones day.
Iowa State wins, and covers.
MANHATTAN, KS – NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Avery Johnson #2 of the Kansas State Wildcats runs to the outside against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Sallee: I’m a big Avery Johnson fan, and he will show you why in what will be a win for the Wildcats en route to the Big 12 Championship Game. He’s healthy again, which means that they will unleash a punishing rushing attack against a Cyclones defense that hasn’t fared well stopping the run.
South Carolina at Clemson (-3)
Wallace: This one should be a lot of fun. Both offenses have been playing well, but its the Gamecocks defense that continues to amaze me at times. I would argue that South Carolina is playing some of the best football in the SEC right now/ For Clemson, they are fighting for a spot in the college football playoff as well, which adds so much more fuel to this game. This one comes down to Tocket Sanders running the ball for the Gamecocks, and Clemson QB Cade Klubnik tossing a few interceptions.
I’m going with the Gamecocks to win the game.
Can Dabo Swinney lead the Clemson Tigers to the College Football Playoffs? . (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sallee: The Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams in the country, and still have an outside chance at making the CFP. However, it needs to win and have several dominoes fall around the country. Expect coach Shane Beamer to unleash a monster rushing attack with quarterback LaNorris Sellars and running back Rocket Sanders, and the defensive front to rattle Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Wild Card Games
Notre Dame (-7.5) at USC
Honestly, I have no idea why this is a single-digit spread. I call Notre Dame the “best, most boring team in the country” because the Fighting Irish casually go about their business bludgeoning their opponents until they say “mercy.” That will happen on Saturday against a broken Trojans team that has been a massive disappointment.
Can Alabama QB Jalen Milroe have a bounceback game against Auburn in the Iron Bowl (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
Auburn @ Alabama (-11.5)
The Tigers have the momentum entering this game, but Alabama is still playing for a potential spot in the college football playoff. So, what gives on Saturday afternoon? If Auburn can follow the same defensive plan as Oklahoma, who upset Alabama last week, then maybe they can cause Jalen Milroe to give up the ball a few times. If not, and they let Jalen make plays outside the pocket, it could be a long day for Auburn.
I don’t know if I trust Payton Thorne to win this game for Auburn, but I do trust Jarquez Hunter to run the ball. I think Alabama wins, but the Tigers cover.
Alright, that will do it for this week’s picks. Email your thoughts about the weekend to Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com
South Carolina had its run of 43 straight wins come to an end this past Sunday as Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks suffered a 77-62 loss at UCLA.
Staley said after the loss and ahead of the matchup with Iowa State on Thursday that she thought her team would respond the right way. Needless to say the Gamecocks did against Iowa State, pounding the Cyclones 76-36 on Thanksgiving Day.
“That’s what a team does. This is a resilient group,” Dawn Staley said. “This is a team that obviously hasn’t dealt with a whole lot of losing. It’ll shake you for a moment.
“We’ve got a 24-hour rule. Bask in the glory of a defeat and you handle a defeat. And you handle it with grace, but you handle it with learning lessons. Things were exposed and hopefully we can fill some of those holes and get back to happier times.”
It was certainly a happier time for South Carolina on Thursday. The Gamecocks led Iowa State 19-3 at the end of the first quarter and 35-9 at halftime.
South Carolina went on a 32-0 run at one point in the first half and easily handled an Iowa State team that was ranked No. 15 nationally.
Dawn Staley said ahead of the game that she wanted her team to play better offensively and it did. South Carolina shot 45.3 percent from the floor against Iowa State after connecting on only 36.4 percent of its attempts against UCLA.
“Our offense, just getting better looks and getting better ball movement,” Dawn Staley said of where South Carolina needed to improve. “The ball has been sticking too much to individual players and it’s stagnant.
“We need to get our bigs involved, so we’re going to look to get them involved in positions they can score, whether that’s two feet in the paint or hitting mid-range shots. If you’ve got 3-point range, you can take good, fluid, rhythm 3s.”
South Carolina relied on a balanced scoring attack against Iowa State as senior forward Sania Feagin and freshman forward Joyce Edwards led the way with 13 points each.
The Gamecocks will be back in action on Saturday when they face Purdue in Fort Meyers, Florida. Tip off is set for 11 a.m.
Clemson and South Carolina will renew their annual rivalry on Saturday when the No. 12 Tigers host the No. 15 Gamecocks at high noon in Death Valley.
This will be the 121st all-time meeting between the two schools but with College Football Playoff implications on the line for both teams, this year’s matchup is arguably the biggest to date in the long, storied history of the series.
The Gamecocks (8-3) come in riding high, having won five straight, while the Tigers (9-2) are in the midst of a three-game winning streak.
5 Things to Watch
1. Strength vs. Strength: Football is generally a game of matchups and one of the biggest in this game is Clemson’s much-improved offense against that stout South Carolina defense. Make no mistake, this as good of a defense as the Tigers have seen this season. It’s comparable with Georgia’s and nobody has forgotten how this offense looked that day.
The Gamecocks will bring an elite-level defensive line to town and there are guys on the backend of that defense that will be playing on Sundays. If Clemson has any shot at winning this game, the offense is going to have to be efficient and balanced. Scoring touchdowns is a must. Last year the offense failed to score a touchdown in this game. A bunch of field goals will not cut it on Saturday.
2. Create Turnovers: Whoever wins the turnover battle probably wins this game. The Tigers are +13 in the margin and South Carolina has been prone to turning it over at times. It’s something they’ve gotten a little cleaned up in recent weeks, but they still have lost 11 fumbles this season. They are only +3 in the margin. Clemson being able to create some takeaways, while continuing to protect the football, should prove to be beneficial.
3. Pressure the Quarterback: There are two things the Tigers absolutely can not do. Number one, they can not afford to allow LaNorris Sellers to get comfortable in the pocket. For most of the season, Clemson’s pass rush has not been what most believed it would be, but in the wins over Virginia Tech and Pitt, it’s started to come around. Getting after Sellers is a must. South Carolina has allowed 36 sacks this season, but just four in the past three games, with three of those coming in the win over Wofford.
Second, the Tigers must keep Sellers contained in the pocket. If running lanes are left open, Sellers will find them and next thing you know he has darted for 20 yards or more. He is as good of a running quarterback as Clemson has seen and athletic quarterbacks have been an issue for this defense at times. He is very quick to make something out of nothing. And then when they get hands on him they must bring him down. Sellers is really good at running through contact.
4. Klubnik Time: There is no getting around the fact that Cade Klubnik is drastically improved over what he was at this point last season. There is a night and day difference. Having said that, if Clemson is going to win this game, Klubnik is going to have to bring it. This South Carolina defense is going to bring the heat and it is under those conditions that the junior quarterback has, at times, faltered.
Klubnik is the unquestioned leader on the offensive side of the ball, and it is him that will need to lead the Tigers to victory. Making good decisions and keeping his poise will be key. However, it’s his legs that could prove to be the difference.
5A. Slow Down Running Game: How frustrating has it been watching the Tigers’ run defense this season? Clemson is allowing right at 150 yards per game on the ground. They don’t even rank inside of the Top 50 in rush defense.
Rocket Sanders is averaging right at five yards per carry and is a hard-nosed runner. However, as noted above, it’s Sellers that might be more dangerous. The redshirt freshman has right at 700 rushing yards, so the Gamecocks rely heavily on him making plays with his legs.
If Clemson is going to come away victorious, they need an effort similar to what we saw in the win over Virginia Tech, when the Tigers totally shut down that high-powered ground game of the Hokies. Getting Wade Woodaz back would help tremendously, and it sounds like he’s trending towards playing. Either way. slowing down that ground game and making that offense beat you through the air is crucial.
5B. No Special Teams Miscues: If there was ever a game in which you needed to be sharp on special teams, this is it. No fumbles on kickoffs and none on punt returns. Not to mention, you can’t let the Gamecocks block any field goals. Nolan Hauser has had six field goals blocked this season, all due to the protection breaking down in front of him. Those are huge momentum shifting plays, and Clemson can ill-afford to have any of those this week.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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