The ONE Vote ‘08, South Carolina, Staff finally had an opportunity to meet with presidential hopeful, Governor Mitt Romney. He came to Columbia, SC, to host an open forum event.
We were not afforded an opportunity to ask a question publicly. However, after the event we were able to catch up with the governor. We thanked him for his kind words towards our Campaign across the country.
He responded, “Ah, yes, the ONE Campaign. Great group.”
We also were able to get a photo with Governor Romney. We told him we look forward to his next visit to South Carolina and that he can expect to see us at his future SC stops.
Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain came to Columbia, South Carolina, on Wednesday. On this day, the SC ONE Vote ‘08 Team also had a very special guest, Agnes Nyamayarwo.
Agnes traveled from Uganda to visit with our team and to make special appearances across the state promoting ONE and also giving great thanks to the people of America for the aid her country has already received.
Agnes is also an HIV/AIDS patient. Her experience living with the deadly virus and her enthusiasm for ONE provided a perfect opportunity for the South Carolina Staff to engage a candidate about our issues. Senator McCain gladly accepted an interview with Agnes.
She thanked him for what he has already accomplished in regards to the United States providing foreign aid to her country. Senator McCain replied, “Thank you for doing what you are doing. You are working with a great organization and you should be proud of what they are doing here”. As the interview ended we thanked the senator. He expressed his gratefulness for our mission and then departed. We look forward to meeting with him again in the near future.
I attended a townhall meeting for Hillary Clinton at Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina on Saturday.
150 Florence residents and a handful of reporters attended the event where Hillary urged residents to use their voices and vote in the 2008 election. After a 20-minute speech, I was luckily selected to ask a question.
I asked: “As you know, there are 1 billion people in the world who live on less than $1 per day. In the 1st year of your administration, what would the relationship between the U.S and the world’s poorest people look like?”
Sen. Clinton responded by thanking me for being a part of the ONE Campaign and explained to the audience what ONE is all about. She then said that she would advocate for education for all the children around the world (particularly girls), expanding everyone’s access to clean water, and more education to prevent the spread of HIV.
After answering one more question, Hillary made her way to me to pose for a picture and thanked me for attending.
Saturday was a successful day for the ONE Campaign in Charleston, South Carolina where the Giuliani held an event at the Double Tree Hotel in the historic downtown district.
Within the 100-person audience, ONE members were present proudly displaying their ONE T-shirts. I was able to personally speak with Mayor Giuliani who stated “This is a great campaign. You are doing great work. Keep it up.” He also readily and eagerly accepted and put on a ONE band.
On October 3rd John McCain visited the College of Charleston as part of the campus’s ‘Bully Pulpit’ series.
After he spoke, students had the opportunity to ask questions. The senator pointed me out to the crowd of 200 or so students, teachers, and guests as I approached the microphone. He praised the ONE Campaign and gave me the opportunity to explain what we are all about, and how ONE is trying to accomplish our goal.
I then asked, ‘If elected president, what would you and your administration do to improve the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) initiative.
Senator McCain said he would do everything possible to increase funding for the plan and make sure that the funding would get into the right hands.
Today was my first day with the ONE Campaign and Senator Biden’s press conference was definitely the highlight. The senator’s press conference took place in the rotunda at the State House. He talked about how most Americans have not decided who they would vote for yet and that he was definitely going to continue his bid for the White House.
He graciously took questions from the audience. After shaking a couple of hands, Mekell and I made our way through the crowd to talk to the senator. He happily took a picture with us wearing his ONE band. Senator Biden told us he had a meeting with Bono next week and how he has always been a supporter of ending debt relief in Africa, eradicating global hunger and his commitment to improving healthcare. Not bad for a first day!
“Several years back, I went to the White House to visit South Carolinian Mike McCurry when he was Bill Clinton’s press secretary. He had a tough job at a tough time. It was at the height — or should I say, the depth — of the Monica Lewinsky madness. Here’s my column from back then.
Friday, he came to see me at my office, so now we’re even. He was in town on behalf of the ONE campaign. He was brought in by Adam Temple — formerly of the John McCain campaign — and Dave Wilson, the group’s Faith Community Director.
On the video, he gives an overview of what the ONE campaign is about.”
September 21st, 2007 at 1:42 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Former Bush/Cheney Financial Strategist, Jack Oliver III, made his presence felt here in South Carolina. On Thursday evening, at the first annual Palmetto Family Council Straw Poll, Mr. Oliver addressed a crowd of over 500 participants on the issues of the ONE Campaign. His words obviously moved the crowd as they later began to approach our booth at the venue. Most people had never even heard of us before, however, before they left we made sure they would remember ONE’s name and know what it stands for.
Today, Friday, Jack Oliver made his way around the City of Columbia participating in interviews to ensure that our message will continue to spread. Mr. Oliver also teamed up with the former Press Secretary of both the State Department and most notably of President Clinton’s White House Mike McCurry while addressing members of the University of South Carolina’s School of Mass Communication and Broadcast Journalism.
There, Mr. Oliver stated that the ONE Issues are “key to our national security” and that our Campaign is equally important because “it gives people the opportunity to reach out and say they are trying to help save people’s lives.”
We very much appreciate the fact that Mr. Oliver took the time to help extend our message throughout our state. His work will
leave a major imprint in our Campaign here in South Carolina.
September 21st, 2007 at 10:08 am | posted by Field
Democratic strategist Mike McCurry spoke to an enthusiastic and inquisitive group of college Democrats from the University of South Carolina and Columbia College at a local pizza place last night. McCurry stressed the importance of action by the United States and its citizens to fight the spread of AIDS and global poverty. He also placed a special emphasis on fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals.
The students asked many good questions, including how they can help with the ONE Campaign. McCurry received a hearty applause and the students thanked him for coming to South Carolina. The guests signed our declaration and many are very eager to volunteer. Several students are already brainstorming about future ONE events for their schools and organizations.
We were also pleased to greet ONE Vote ‘08 SC Ambassador and Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer who saw our sign at the resturant and pleasantly surprised us by stopping in to say hello.
Today, Mike McCurry will headline a University of South Carolina community event with Republican strategist ONE Board Co-Chair, Jack Oliver.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:55 am | posted by Field
This afternoon ONE Vote ‘08 had a unique opportunity to meet with Gov. Huckabee on the campus of the University of South Carolina. On hand for the event were students from the University and several local media outlets including WACH Fox 57 and the student newspaper, ‘The Daily
Gamecock’.
Governor Huckabee gave a speech on his presidential platform and then opened the floor up for Q and A. The moderator for the event was a member of the student senate. He selected only 4 questions from a stack of index cards and our question was selected.
We asked him the following, “With your background as a Baptist Preacher you must highly value moral and personal responsibility. The ONE Campaign is devoted to making America responsible for providing aid to the less fortunate around the world. How will your adminisitration aid in the fight against global poverty?”
His answer was similar to the answer he provided me back in August. He stated that we were “the most unique and well established of all the bi-partisian campaigns and that we are rooted in humanitarianism, not politics.” He stressed that it is our responsibility to act, but “we must be sure that America acts and acts in a manner that we do not forget about our people all the while
ensuring that the less fortunate are truly receiving our aid”.
We thanked him for answering our question and for his support. I also, personally thanked him for his support for USC as we play LSU in Baton Rouge, La. He joked with the crowd saying that one of the scariest places in all the world even after travelling to Iraq is Baton Rouge on a Saturday evening during the fall. But he also said that with Spurrier good things can happen!
The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, volunteers, members and coalition partners.
The content of each post and each comment represent the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ONE Campaign or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any posts expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
On October 3rd John McCain visited the College of Charleston as part of the campus’s ‘Bully Pulpit’ series. 
Senator McCain said he would do everything possible to increase funding for the plan and make sure that the funding would get into the right hands.
Democratic strategist Mike McCurry spoke to an enthusiastic and inquisitive group of college Democrats from the University of South Carolina and Columbia College at a local pizza place last night. McCurry stressed the importance of action by the United States and its citizens to fight the spread of AIDS and global poverty. He also placed a special emphasis on fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals. 
We were also pleased to greet ONE Vote ‘08 SC Ambassador and Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer who saw our sign at the resturant and pleasantly surprised us by stopping in to say hello.
