Republican Presidential Candidates Rally Gains Speaker Commitments, Attracts Wider Audience
Republican Presidential Candidates Rally Gains Speaker Commitments, Attracts Wider Audience
– Rally Grows in Importance as All Eyes Focus on South Carolina’s First-in-the-South Republican Primary ElectionAiken, SC, January 15, 2008 – Following last week’s New Hampshire Primary, the campaigns of Republican presidential candidates have increasingly focused on South Carolina, which holds the First-in-the-South Republican Presidential Preference Primary on Saturday, January 19. Increasing importance is being placed on the Presidential Candidates Rally being hosted by the Aiken County Republican Party on January 17 because:
* it will be the “Last Word Before the First-In-The-South Primary,”
* the event is expected to draw thousands of voters from at least three states, and
* it is close to Georgia and Alabama, both states of which have open primaries on February 5 and a higher number of delegates who will be sent to the Republican National Convention.
All of the Republican presidential candidates on the South Carolina primary ballot have been invited to participate. Each candidate will be given 15 minutes to address the crowd. The rally is scheduled to end just 33 hours before South Carolina polls open on Saturday, January 19. Commitments to speak at the rally have been obtained from Hugh Cort and Cap Fendig. A commitment from at least two other Republican presidential candidates is likely.
Media Committee Co-Chairman Vicki Simons spoke about the importance of the Aiken County, SC rally to voters in Georgia and Alabama: “When South Carolina’s primary is over, we anticipate that presidential campaigns will concentrate on Florida and California, completely bypassing Georgia and Alabama. However, candidates need to remember that besides the 24 delegates from South Carolina, Alabama has 48 delegates and Georgia has 72 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention for the purpose of choosing a Republican nominee for President. For this reason, presidential candidates who are serious about winning votes from at least these three states should make every effort to attend our rally.”
Music will play an important role in the rally. The AAA Home-School Band, directed by Barb Rollins, will open with patriotic, Big Band and Dixieland music. LightStream Media is proud to sponsor Archie Jordan and Mike Stewart, who will perform approximately 30 minutes of music. At the rally, Mike Stewart will debut a new song entitled “Carolina Calling Me Home,” which invokes memories of a gentler era in South Carolina. Archie will perform a few of his number one hits and close with an American Tribute, “God Bless America.” William Wallace, who has been a soloist at the Aiken observance of the National Day of Prayer for the past several years, will be singing the Star-Spangled Banner.
This will be the fourth time that Aiken County Republicans have hosted a rally for presidential candidates in the days leading up to the First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Primary. Over 4,000 voters are expected to attend the 2008 rally, surpassing the 3,500 who attended in 2000 when the event was held in the smaller Campus Student Center. This rally is expected to draw a capacity crowd at USCA’s Convocation Center, which opened in 2007.
While the event is free to the public, a parking fee may be collected and a donation to the Aiken County Republican Party is requested. Everyone is welcome!
Who: Aiken County Republican Party
What: Aiken County Republican Party’s Presidential Candidates Rally
Date: Thursday, January 17, 2008
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: USC-Aiken Convocation Center
471 University Parkway
Aiken, SC 29801
Why: This rally will be the “Last Word Before the First-In-The-South Primary” and may be the only opportunity that voters in Alabama and Georgia can hear Republican presidential candidates speak in person near them prior to their primary elections.
For more information contact:
Vicki Simons at 803-652-0923 or
Michael Vasovski at 803-649-4446, 803-649-5727 or 803-295-7464
Email: rally2008@aikengop.com
Aiken County Republican Party Headquarters
127 Greenville Street SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 761
Aiken, SC, 29802
Breaking news about the Aiken County Republican Party’s Presidential Candidates Rally can be found online at the party’s website: http://www.aikengop.com.
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