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Article published Dec 10, 2003
Forum will put S.C. in spotlight
AARON
GOULD SHEININ
The State
Syndicated radio host Tom Joyner will
join the Democratic presidential candidates at a political forum Jan. 31 in
Columbia, four days before the S.C. Democratic presidential primary, organizers
said this week.The Center for Community Change of Washington is organizing the
People's Agenda for Economic Justice Summit as a way to mobilize
"under-represented voters," including African-Americans, Latinos and young and
rural voters, said Leila McDowell, communications director for the center.Along
with Joyner, McDowell said, several celebrities who regularly participate in her
organization's events have been invited, including actors Susan Sarandon, Ossie
Davis and Morgan Freeman and film director Spike Lee.Grammy-nominated R&B
artist Will Downing has agreed to participate, McDowell said.Live broadcastThe
grass-roots political and civic group is known for its work on low-income
housing and urban issues. This forum will launch its efforts to mobilize
low-income voters."We're coming together as a force to make sure our vote
matters," said Anton Gunn, director of S.C. Fair Share, one of the local
organizations participating in the forum. The candidates will leave knowing
"this is a voting bloc that must be dealt with."McDowell said Joyner will
moderate the forum, along with a journalist yet to be named.Joyner hosts the
"Tom Joyner Morning Show."The forum will be broadcast live nationwide on cable
television, McDowell said.McDowell said several of the nine presidential
candidates have given tentative confirmation, but she would not name those who
have agreed to attend. South Carolina representatives of Sens. John Edwards and
Joe Lieberman and retired Gen. Wesley Clark said they were aware of the event
butcould not commit to it this far in advance.The event is also two days after
the Jan. 29 presidential debate in Greenville sponsored by the S.C. Democratic
Party. Party chairman Joe Erwin said this week that eight of the nine
candi-dates have said they will participate in the Greenville debate, but would
not say which one is not coming.The one-hour forum is an opportunity for
candidates to speak directly with individual families about issues affecting
them. But the rally and grass-roots efforts have a larger goal of helping
low-income individuals find their voice as voters.If the state's poor mobilized
as voters, McDowell said, they could swing elections. "The margin is very
small," she said. "That percentage could come from low-income voters."South
Carolina is being used as a test case for the center and for efforts to mobilize
the poor, she said. More than 90 organizations in the state serve this
com-munity in some way, but they are not working together as a political power,
and that has to change, she said.After the forum at The Town-ship, 1700 Taylor
St., there will be a rally and then, McDowell said, they hope the candidates and
celebrities will join the activists on buses across the state to knock on doors
and urge people to vote in the primary.It will all help the candidates realize
that this group of voters has its own needs and its own is-sues, Gunn said.The
candidates "talk about what (President) Bush doesn't do," he said. "They haven't
talked to citizens about what they could do."The forum is four days after the
New Hampshire primary. It is possible -- or even likely -- that some of the nine
candidates will have dropped out of the race by Jan. 31. It is also difficult
for the candidates to promise to be in Columbia again Jan. 31 because several
other states are also having primaries Feb. 3.But Erwin, the state party
chairman, said the forum is a good opportunity for voters and the party."Any
time we have events and organizations that are about inspiring people to vote
and get involved in the process, that's good for democracy and certainly good
for this primary," Erwin said.