Debate site draws diverse groups
Protesters against war, taxes vie for candidates' attention
Mic Smith
Supporters for their favorite Republican presidential hopeful cheer for their individual before the start of the Republican debate at the Koger Center for the Arts in downtown Columbia Tuesday evening.
COLUMBIA — If the Republicans presidential hopefuls were listening, there was plenty to hear around South Carolina's capital Tuesday as groups gathered to protest taxes, rally against the war and call for the Confederate flag to keep flying on Statehouse grounds.
While only 2,000 were able to get a seat in the Koger Center for the Arts for the Republican presidential debate, thousands more lined the streets here and at a nearby venue to get the candidates' attention.
Trey Strock of Park Circle joined roughly 5,000 others in the Carolina Coliseum for the FairTax rally, calling for the nation to adopt a plan to replace federal income and payroll taxes with a national retail sales tax, among a comprehensive proposal package.
"I see every penny I earn that goes out to the government and then you see all the wasteful spending and it's upsetting," said Strock, who hoped the rally would send a message to the candidates to adopt the tax-restructuring plan.
Taxes weren't the only subject voters protested outside the debate hall.
A small group of young men and women flashed signs calling for the end of the war in Iraq; among other efforts, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and the South Carolina Young Democrats used a rolling, 20-foot mobile billboard with the words "Republicans, Mission Accomplished?" and "McCain, Mission Accomplished?" to spread their message.
The protesters were joined by a lively group of supporters for the primary's frontrunners using bullhorns, cowbells and political signs that converted to the city into the center of the political universe, at least for one day.
Jack Harden of North Charleston, a 23-year Navy veteran, said winning the war in Iraq is an issue he demands the next president address, but FairTax's following proves the plan also can't be ignored.
"This is just a representation of the people who couldn't get here," Harden said.
Meanwhile, Jim Hanks, chairman of the South Carolina League of the South, led a group of about a dozen pushing for the presidential candidates to leave such issues as whether to fly the Confederate flag up to the states.
Hanks also took aim at U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for comments McCain made about the flag. A sign read, "Keep the flag, dump McCain."
Hanks said he wanted to take a stand outside the debate to represent the Confederate flag's heritage because of the attention it has drawn in this important primary state.
At least two presidential candidates who couldn't qualify for Tuesday night's stage showed up in Columbia to drum up support. Illinois businessman John Cox greeted people outside the FairTax rally a few hours before the debate. Cox said the poll used to qualify candidates for the debate was unfair. "The trouble is my name wasn't included in the poll," he said.
Nearby, Asheville, N.C., businessman and little-known GOP presidential hopeful Daniel Gilbert also was meeting people. Gilbert said he is an introvert but was compelled to run because Republicans have lost their conservative compass. "I'm just fed up with the Republicans," said Gilbert, who owns Pinetech USA, a Greenville-based electronics firm.
Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.
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