Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar. All for Mark Sanford stand up and holler.

A third of the room rose to honor the Republican governor.

A gathering of Democrats?

No.

A banquet hall chock-full of GOP activists.

The April 9 event was the S.C. Republican Party’s 38th annual Silver Elephant Dinner, the premiere fund-raiser of the year to honor grass-roots members across South Carolina.

Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, as he is prone to do at GOP events, took it upon himself to be the head cheerleader at the gala that attracted well over 1,000 party activists.

Eckstrom tried to seize the moment. He didn’t actually use the old high school cheer that began this column, but the CPA had his own way of trying to stir up the crowd.

He preached the gospel according to Mark Sanford, praising the governor for his innovative attempts at solving festering problems across the state.

Eckstrom acknowledged some Republicans were not happy with the governor. But he said it was incumbent upon all of them to put differences aside and to unite behind Sanford and support his re-election.

Eckstrom then asked all those who liked what the governor was doing in Columbia and who would labor in the vineyards to assure his re-election to stand up.

This was not the time to be opposing the governor or otherwise making life miserable for him. A third of the audience rose to its feet.

Many guests, who paid $175 each to attend the dinner, started looking around at each other wondering what they should do.

It was an awkward moment.

“I sat down,” protested state Rep. Skipper Perry Jr., R-Aiken, who had some choice “unprintable” words for Eckstrom.

Cecil Frank “Windy” Windham Sr., state GOP executive committeeman from Clarendon County, said there was some confusion as to what Eckstrom was asking of the audience.

Windham said it was clear to him the comptroller general wanted guests to stand who support Sanford’s “approach” to problem-solving.

Republican legislators were not happy campers. They didn’t enjoy being put on the spot especially at a public event like this. House Speaker David Wilkins said it was a “highly unusual move” by Eckstrom. He stood up, however.

Edwin Foulkes Jr., chairman of the Greenville County GOP, dismissed the awkward moment as much ado about nothing.

“I thought Eckstrom was just expressing his personal opinion,” he said. “No big deal.”

Maybe so, but it’s not the first time a Republican audience has responded coolly toward Sanford when prodded by a speaker.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, addressing a GOP fund-raiser in Spartanburg in February, heaped praise galore on Sanford and told South Carolinians how fortunate they were to have a leader of Sanford’s talent.

The GOP faithful sat on their hands.

Sanford’s office insists Eckstrom acted on his own.

Responding to the cool response of party activists toward the governor, spokesman Will Folks said, “There are always going to be a couple of folks who focus on the personal side of things.”

This was not Sanford’s crowd. His support comes from the non-institutional voters who live outside Columbia. This was an inside-the-beltway crowd, made up of legislators, staff and other insiders.

“The governor’s power lies in the bully pulpit, “ Folks says.

Sounds like it’s time to use it.