SC’s Jim Clyburn warms up for convention speech at delegate breakfast

Democratic delegates from South Carolina got a preview of one of this week’s convention speakers when U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn spoke during breakfast Tuesday.

Clyburn advised the delegates to lead with empathy for the plight of others, playing on the convention theme — “Stronger Together.”

“It behooves us all to treat every incident that we encounter as if that would be you. ... And so when people come to you with a problem, treat it as if it’s your own problem. Treat people with dignity and respect,” Clyburn said until his words were overwhelmed by applause. “I believe that’s the difference in our party and the others.”

Clyburn, who represents South Carolina’s 6th District in Congress, is slated to speak to the convention Thursday night.

During his remarks Tuesday, Clyburn said America is already great, but it can be greater.

“Americans are good people, but we can be better. Our party is a strong party, but we can be stronger. And it seems to me that what we have to do, with every passing day, is work to make this party stronger, make our people better and make this country greater,” he said. “That is what we ought to be about.”

Sanders delegates welcome apologies for DNC emails

Apologies kept coming Tuesday as the Democratic National Convention sought to recover from the fallout of leaked emails showing party leaders favored Hillary Clinton and worked behind the scenes against the Bernie Sanders campaign.

State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, the DNC's Southern Regional Caucus chair, expressed her regrets Tuesday to delegations from South Carolina and Louisiana for actions she described as inappropriate. "There's no excuse for it."

Sanders delegates from South Carolina greeted her apology with applause and shouts of "Thank you!"

Cobb-Hunter then said family members should love each other even though all families suffer from some degree of dysfunction. The same is true for Democrats, she said.

Dan Hazard, a Sanders delegate from South Carolina's 4th District, appreciated the apology.

“For me, that was a good step to take toward building party unity, so I feel there’s at least a desire to reach out to us and in a real way make us feel that we are important," Hazard said, adding he will continue pushing the party to embrace the ideals that Sanders advocated.

Deborah Adams, a Sanders delegate from South Carolina's 7th District, said she thinks most Sanders supporters eventually will come around and back Clinton, despite their emotional attachment to Sanders.

“We’re passionate. We’ve invested a lot in it, and we have a lot of people that are first-time participants in the political process," Adams said. "To make that switch really quick is hard, and it’s hard for a lot of people."

South Carolina sent 53 delegates to Philadelphia, including 14 supporting Sanders.

Delegates: Time for Sanders to hit the trail for Clinton

Not all of Bernie Sanders’ supporters are on board with his call to support Hillary Clinton, but some S.C. delegates to the Democratic National Convention say the Vermont senator is primed perfectly to be one of her chief campaigners.

Sanders has received thunderous support from many young voters around the country, drawing thousands to campaign rallies. It’s that ability to energize voters, state Sen. Marlon Kimpson said, that will bring necessary vigor to Clinton’s campaign.

“It’s pretty clear: Sanders needs to have a prominent role in the campaign,” Kimpson, a Charleston Democrat, said after Sanders’ convention speech Monday. “He can add tremendous value by firing up the troops and articulating the bread-and-butter issues that are passionately held by an important segment of the Democratic Party.”

There still appears to be much healing left to be done after a hard-fought primary season that, for months, pitted Clinton and Sanders against each other.Former state Rep. Boyd Brown, a S.C. delegate for Clinton, said the presumptive nominee’s campaign would be well-served if Sanders delivered his message to the working-class voters with whom Trump has made such great inroads.

“His role should be, going forward, the top surrogate across the Rust Belt and anywhere else where Americans who have been left behind feel like Donald Trump is the answer to their prayers,” he said.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 5:48 PM.