More than 1,000 South Carolina Republican Party activists jammed the ballroom of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Saturday night to cheer every mention of President Bush and to listen to partisan speeches.

The occasion was the state GOP’s annual Silver Elephant Dinner, the party’s chief fund-raiser of the year, with admission at $175 per person. The purpose of the event is to honor grass-roots political activists, said Luke Byars, the state GOP’s executive director.

The event raised more than $200,000 for the state GOP.

The keynote speaker was U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who gained national notoriety for defeating U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, the GOP’s No. 1 target in last year’s elections.

The gathering came as a new poll showed the president’s approval rating sinking to a new low. His job approval rating is 44 percent, with 54 percent disapproving, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. Bush’s approval rating was 49 percent in January.

Thune blamed the drop on the debate over Social Security reform, an issue Bush has been willing to take on.

“I give the president credit for being willing to spend capital on addressing problems. He could have put it on autopilot in his second term and coast. But he realizes we have an opportunity here to address something long term like Social Security. It’s in our interest to deal with it now rather than later,” Thune said.

The president’s popularity is going to bounce back and forth, Thune said.

State Republican Chairman Katon Dawson maintained that Bush is still strong in South Carolina, as witnessed by the banquet turnout. He said the party had to turn people away because the fund-raiser had already received requests filling the ballroom to capacity and the fire marshal would not allow any more people.

The first Silver Elephant dinner was held in 1967. The featured speaker then was Ronald Reagan.

Gov. Mark Sanford and U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint also addressed the gala Saturday.

Reach Bandy at (803) 771-8648 or lbandy@thestate.com.