Day 6: SCRP, Cook Out, Lindsey Green, Carol Fowler, Vivik Ramaswamy

Day 6. Wow. We have made it far. 4 days left. It feels like we have been in South Carolina for an eternity. I do not mean that in a bad way at all! I have loved everything that we have done and I have soaked up all the information that I can. We have been working hard day to night. School assignments in the hotel after nightly seminars and activities. It has been a whirlwind. There is still a lot to go. Today was a mix of Republican and Democratic activities. We started the day by going to the South Carolina Republican Party Headquarters (SCRP). We met with the Executive Director, Hope Walker Rossi, and Abby, Communications Head, they were both so kind and answered all of our questions. They shared their backgrounds in politics and talked about how their office is unaffiliated with candidates. They do not go to any candidate events (same with the South Carolina Democratic Party-SCDP) They discussed how candidates how to go through their office to get on the ballot. They discussed how SC deserves the first in the nation spot in the sequential calendar for the primary because it has the best track record for picking presidents in the primary.

We then went to the iconic Cook Out! I have never been before (considering I am a vegetarian I do not typically do much fast food anyway) and I was so excited to try their famous milkshake. I got an oreo milkshake and it was definitely a highlight of my day😋

We then went to the SCDP to hear from Lindsey Green who was the Director for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) for the first in the nation primaries. She discussed the program objectives and what they did in South Carolina to increase voter contact and engagement. It was truly inspiring to see the work that the Democrats did throughout GOTV. Carol Fowler also spoke to us who was the former second Vice Chair of the SCDP and the former Chair of the SCDP in 2007. She was the first woman to be the Chair of the SCDP and her husband had also served in this capacity as well. They were the only married couple to do so. She is now a part of the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the DNC. She has been a part of the Democratic Party for so long, and she gave us a wonderful history of the Democratic Party in South Carolina and why this primary is so important. We worked on data analysis for the SCDP afterwards as well.

Then we did a complete 180 this evening. We went to a Vivik Ramaswamy event in which he was being interviewed at Benny's Brews. It was definitely out of my comfort zone to attend, but it was interesting to see a point of view different than mine. Especially to attend an event of such degree different than what I am used to. It was a culture incompatible of what I am used to as well, with extreme rhetoric discussed.

SCRP

Steven, Alexis, and I - SCRP

Cook Out

Alexis and I - Cook Out

Lindsey Green - SCDP

Carol Fowler - SCDP

Alexa and I - Benny's Brew

Dr. JSM - Benny's Brew

Vivik Ramaswamy - Benny's Brew

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Day 2: Democratic Party, Black History Parade, Nikki Haley Bus Stop Tour

Today we went to the Aiken County Democratic Party to learn more about the county demographics, voter concerns, what motivates citizens to vote, what are the goals of the Democratic Party, and to answer any student questions. Theresa and Pete were really patient and answered all our questions, and offered really great insight. We also were in Aiken for the Black History Month Parade. It was a fantastic time, and our peers, Nathan and Steven, even participated in the parade! We then went over to Irmo, South Carolina for Nikki Haley's bus stop tour to listen to her speech. It is a grassroots event that is happening around South Carolina to reach local voters to motivate them to get out and vote. Dr. JSM arranged for us to meet and get a picture with Haley after the event. It was definitely interesting to attend an event and listen to a speaker from the Republican Party as someone who has previously always attended and interned for the Democratic Party. I even got interviewed by a U

Welcome to my blog!

Hello everyone and thank you for checking out my blog! My name is Lana Sleiman and I am a senior at USF Tampa majoring in political science with a minor in French and francophone studies. I am excited to take you along with me as I embark on the Road to the Whitehouse internship in South Carolina! I told myself in freshman year of college that I wanted to participate in an internship or job with a presidential campaign by the time it was the end of my senior year, or right after graduation, since I knew I would be graduating in a general election year. Once I learned about this course and the opportunity that it would grant me to intern for the South Carolina Democratic Party, and get hands-on learning experience in a presidential campaign cycle, I knew I had to apply for this course. It was everything I had wanted since freshman year. I have had other governmental experience such as interning for Florida Democratic Representative Fentrice Driskell of former District 63. I had learned

Day 7: State House tour - Rep Micah Caskey & Rep Mike Neese, last day at the SCDP, & turning SC purple

We started the morning off with our typical morning seminar and breakfast then headed to the State House! I have been to the Florida Capitol several times but I was so excited to visit South Carolina's. It was absolutely beautiful. The main colors of the rooms, walls, and ceilings were teal and a dark rose. The colors complemented each other so well. The furniture was of wood and navy leather. There was a skylight on the second floor that splits into the Senate Chamber and House of Representatives. The history behind the building was fascinating. It was originally built by slaves, construction was halted, and then it was completed in the early 1900s. Representative Micah Caskey (R) of Lexington County and Representative Mike Neese (R) of Lancaster County spoke to us while we visited the House of Representatives. They were laid-back, answered all of our questions, and had some interesting perspectives to provide during their time as Representatives. For example, for Representative

USF Road to the White House 2024 - Lana Sleiman

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