Hometown fair-haired boy Lindsey Graham was AWOL.
Jeff Duncan, the popular and conservative representative from South Carolina’s Third Congressional District, held his fifth annual Faith and Freedom Barbecue Monday night. The Anderson Civic Center was packed with 1,800 to 1,900 Republicans who came to hear leading GOP presidential contenders Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Scott Walker.[…]
The candidates spoke in Walker-Carson-Cruz order. Before the speeches, I talked to a lot of people with a broad mix of loyalties. There were plenty of Cruz fans — he definitely won the sign competition after his volunteers put up dozens of posters along the road leading to the building. But there were Carson fans, too, and some for Walker, plus supporters of some candidates who weren’t there, like Carly Fiorina. More than anything, there were people who said they haven’t decided, although if they had to make a short list, the night’s speakers would probably be on it.[…]
Cruz spoke last and opened on a particularly gracious and well-received note. “Wasn’t it tremendous to hear from Scott Walker and Ben Carson — two incredible conservative leaders,” Cruz said. It was a smart thing to do, and a crowd that was already with Cruz became even more so. Cruz went through his agenda — repeal every word of Obamacare, “rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” secure the border, end sanctuary cities, move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and more. He threw in several jokes and a bit of piety — “No man who doesn’t begin every day on his knees is fit to stand in the Oval Office” — but most of all delivered an almost martial address that brought the crowd to its feet.