Republican presidential candidates weren’t the only ones receiving a lot of media coverage during the recent South Carolina primary. The College of Charleston also took center stage during the weeks leading up to the contest.
From political science professors writing op/eds in major publications to students voicing their opinions on cable news programs, George Street turned into Main Street for the national media covering the Republican presidential primary. Here’s a sampling of the coverage:
The New York Times
Donald Trump Fires Back at Sharp Rebuke by Pope Francis
“Gibbs Knotts, a political scientist at the College of Charleston, said Mr. Trump has had ‘remarkably strong support’ among evangelical voters in South Carolina, a group that made up about 65 percent of Republican presidential primary voters there in 2012.”
CNN
CNN sets up for a focus group in the McAlister suite in the TD Arena.
Breaking down the political geography of Nevada and South Carolina
“South Carolina divides into the evangelically- heavy upstate region, the more diverse Midlands, and the Low Country near the ocean that includes Charleston. Our guide to that state is College of Charleston Political Science Professor Gibbs Knotts.”
Ex-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford endorses Ted Cruz
“‘We need another fighter in Washington, in the Oval Office,’ former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, a surprise guest, said at the College of Charleston.”
Watch students react to election’s most notable moments
“One event can be seen in many different ways — especially when it comes to politics. CNN put this theory to the test during a visit to the College of Charleston in South Carolina.”
USA TODAY
Millennials get involved in presidential campaigns as interns, volunteers and leaders
“Some students, like Kaitlyn Bush (no relation to Jeb Bush), a senior at College of Charleston, are working in person with the candidates’ campaigns as interns. Bush interns in Jeb Bush’s campaign office in Charleston for 10 to 15 hours per week.”
Fox News
Political science professor Gibbs Knotts on Fox News.
Can George W. Bush Revive Jeb’s Campaign in South Carolina?
“Gibbs Knotts, the political science chairman at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, says the battle on the debate stage is a preview of the Bush tag team appearance which is already creating intrigue in the media.”
NPR
How South Carolina’s Primaries Became ‘First In The South’
“From the ‘white primaries’ to ‘dirty tricks,’ South Carolina politics have a long and complicated history. Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with historian Vernon Burton and political scientist Gibbs Knotts about how those politics have shaped the state’s presidential primaries into one of the most influential contests in the country.”
Boston Herald
South Carolina calling
“The Republican electorate and leading Republicans have really prided themselves on being a bellwether on the Republican side,’ said Gibbs Knotts, chair of the political science department at the College of Charleston.”
Christian Science Monitor
How much is Nikki Haley endorsement of Marco Rubio worth?
Professor Jordan Ragusa writes: “It was leaked this afternoon that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will endorse Sen. Marco Rubio for president Wednesday evening. Questions about Governor Haley’s endorsement have persisted for months. Until Wednesday, the only reliable information was that she would not be endorsing Donald Trump.”
Associated Press
Rep. Mark Sanford endorses Cruz during rally in Charleston
“During a campaign stop at the College of Charleston’s Sotille Theatre, Sanford took the stage to put his support behind the Cruz campaign.”
Vice
Portraits of South Carolina Primary Voters
“Looking through the gate at Randolph Hall on George St., one of the oldest buildings at the College of Charleston, built in 1829. At this time, the path was lined with signs for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.”
Charleston Post and Courier
How Donald Trump won the South Carolina Republican primary
“He is a businessman from New York City, not from the South,” said College of Charleston political science professor Gibbs Knotts. “He’s brash and kind of crude, and not very genteel and not very hospitable and all the things we think as being part of Southern culture.”
Political science professor Kendra Stewart on CBS News.
The national impact of S.C.’s vote
Gibbs Knotts and Jordan Ragusa write: “The major storyline from the South Carolina GOP primary was the dominance of Donald Trump, but an equally important story was Marco Rubio’s second-place finish.”
Nikki Haley and Marco Rubio: The GOP’s future?
“But College of Charleston Professor Gibbs Knotts said the regionally unbalanced approach is not unprecedented. It worked in 1992 for Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee.”
Barbara Bush could have been Jeb Bush’s ‘most powerful weapon’
“From the beginning I would have had Barbara Bush in South Carolina,” said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart. “She, I think, could be his most powerful weapon. But I don’t know if it can have much of an impact at this point.”
In an era of polarity, S.C.’s millennial voters find common ground on social, economic issues
“It’s one of the age groups that sort of votes, historically, at the lowest turnout rates. So I think that is a challenge for that group,’ said Gibbs Knotts, chairman of the political science department at the College of Charleston.”
