South Carolina Planning Trip

In August, I traveled to South Carolina for a planning trip.

Given meeting times and schedules, I ended up crisscrossing the state a few times during my visit.  Practice for February!

Here are a few pics from the trip, including  the Trump Campaign's South Carolina HQs, meeting with Governor Ron DeSantis South Carolina State Director (met up on the College of Charleston campus), the South Carolina Democratic Party HQs (with the SCDP Chair, SCDP Executive Director, and DNC member), the South Carolina Republican Party HQs -- and a few pit stops along the way.

with Governor Ron DeSantis' South Carolina State Director (on the College of Charleston campus -- which is his - and also First Lady Casey DeSantis' - alma mater)

the Trump Campaign HQs was large - with plenty of space for volunteer phonebanks and other activities

with the Chair, Executive Director, and DNC member of the South Carolina Democratic Party

South Carolina Republican Party HQs

getting a primer on South Carolina political culture

 

RTHW 2024 Planning and Logistics -- beginning June 2023

The Road to the White House 2024 is a 6 credit course: 3 for the seminar about campaigns and elections and 3 for the presidential campaign internship.

2024 will be the 6th time I have taught this quadrennial course (!)

In previous cycles, we have traveled to New Hampshire for the First in the Nation Primary.

In 2024 - we are heading to South Carolina for the First in the Nation (Democratic Party) and First in the South (Republican Party) primary.

Planning for this Spring semester course begins about June or July the year before.  

By June/July, I need to have the hotel and van reservations made. And by August/September I need to have a planning visit scheduled -- so that I can visit the state campaign headquarters, meet with the staff, make the arrangements for the internships.

When the Fall semester starts, we can hit the ground running -- with flyers advertising the course posted around campus.  

As students are recruited, the application process begins. There is a written application, followed by an interview.  Selected students pay the course fee deposit in November so that by December they can be registered for the Spring semester course.

This class takes months and months of planning on my part, and it also requires the support of our College of Arts and Sciences staff.  College staff help with the budgeting and course fees, the contracts paperwork, and procurement process - as well as issuing permits for students to register for the courses.

We are very grateful for the administrative and staff support that we receive!

The Road to the White House is truly an extraordinary learning opportunity for our students, and worth every minute of the planning process.