Clark sets sights on victory in S. Carolina

[unfrigginreal]

BY KEVIN FREKING

Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2003

WASHINGTON — He turned away from Iowa. He trails badly in New Hampshire. If Wesley Clark has any hope of winning the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, he needs a couple of strong showings on Feb. 3, when seven states hold primaries or caucuses.

South Carolina is a prime target.

It is home to more than 400,000 military retirees and is likely more inclined to favor a Southerner than a candidate from another region of the country. So, Clark moved Tuesday to build a foundation there.

The retired general announced a South Carolina campaign team that includes two former executive directors of that state’s Democratic Party, Scott Anderson and Joanie Lawson. They were heading up the campaign of Sen. Bob Graham of Florida before Graham withdrew from the race. "Those are two great picks. Both of them know the party activists throughout the state," said Dick Harpootlian, a former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. "That’s a very savvy move on his part to get those folks involved in the campaign." "For all of Graham’s shortcomings as a candidate, Graham had an excellent staff in South Carolina," added another South Carolina Democratic official, who asked not to be identified.

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