The Manchester of the South?

From New England to the Carolinas, one thing is constant in the GOP primary race: Ron Paul supporters are everywhere.

Published January 9, 2008 10:16PM (EST)

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- This is, in many, many ways, very clearly not New Hampshire.

Forget about clam chowder -- I just had a pulled-pork platter with a side of green beans for lunch. There's no snow on the ground. In fact, it's 72 degrees outside. The trees are palms, not pines, and no one cares about the Patriots.

But as I drove into town this afternoon, I spotted one reminder that yes, South Carolina, there is a presidential election going on here: the Ron Paul blimp, slowly gliding its way over the heart of the historic city. In Iowa, Paul was staying at my hotel. In New Hampshire, you couldn't go three blocks without passing hordes of his fans chanting about the North American Union. And now, apparently, the Revolution has moved south.

The more things change ...


By Mike Madden

Mike Madden is Salon's Washington correspondent. A complete listing of his articles is here. Follow him on Twitter here.

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2008 Elections Ron Paul