Reactions ranged from surprise to sorrow about the passing of Thurmond, to many a larger-than-life figure that had seemingly always been there and always would be. His influence goes all the way back to the classroom for Jeffrey Porter of Florence who recalled an instructor's zeal for the late senator. "I studied about him in the eighth grade -- I had a teacher that would talk about him for hours," he said. "It's a shame he's gone. He's done so much for South Carolina. If I could live to 100 and do what he's done, it would be a great thing." Jamie Hopkins of Sumter said Thurmond's longevity had the advantage of making an enduring impression on South Carolina and its people for years to come. "He's a legend -- anybody in that seat is going to have a hard time matching him," she said. James Brown of Dillon said one of the things he most admired about Thur mond was his willingness and ability to look out for the "working man. "If you had a problem, you could call him and his office would call you back. We liked Strom -- he was for the working class people." John Garrison of Florence also voiced similar sentiments about Thurmond's strong bond to the state's citizenry. "He or his staff would make sure that your problem would get taken care of," he said. "I've called other politicians and you wouldn't even get an answer back. Not him. He was a fine senator." Garrison's wife, Ina, recalled a chance meeting with Thurmond many years ago. "I met him once at a barbecue about 30 years ago," she said. "He was a great man who'll go down in history. I wouldn't have run against him because he was hard to beat." Still, Garrison gave a vote of confidence for Thurmond's successor, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. "I think a lot of Lindsey -- I think he'll make a good senator," he said. "He's trying to follow in his footsteps." But those footprints have traced an impressive path during Thurmond's seven decades of political service -- a tough act to follow, said Ron Lewis of Florence. "He's done a little bit of everything -- from being an attorney to running for President," he said, adding that it's difficult to single out any one of Thurmond's accomplishments. "I don't know how you could pick any thing out -- it's a very broad spectrum that he's covered. He was always there when you needed him and leaves a footprint that's going to be hard for somebody else to follow."
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