Forum should put Winthrop in spotlight
The bad news for thousands of South Carolinians hoping to get tickets to Winthrop University’s Democratic forum probably is good news for the university.
The Nov. 6 forum for Democratic presidential candidates is being billed as one of the biggest events in Rock Hill in a long time. It will feature former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Maretin O’Malley, and will be telecast nationwide by MSNBC, NBC’s cable affiliate.
Most of those who hoped to watch the forum, moderated by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, were in for a big disappointment Friday when they went online to try to get a ticket. First of all, the event had been moved from the 6,000-seat Winthrop Coliseum to Byrnes Auditorium, which holds only about 3,500.
The few thousand seats offered to the public – free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis – were snapped up online in five minutes after they became available. A number of tickets had been reserved for Democratic elected officials and officials with the South Carolina Democratic Party, which is organizing the forum. Production crews and cameras also will eat up some of the available space.
Thankfully, the university was given 200 tickets to pass out to professors, staff members and students. And others might get lucky and grab a ticket by signing up on the waiting list.
Ultimately, though, the best seat might be in your own home. Viewers can get a close-up view of the proceedings by watching the broadcast on TV.
We understand why both the event’s producers and Winthrop officials would favor holding the forum in Byrnes Auditorium. The acoustics are better there, and the Byrnes offers a more intimate and inviting setting than the huge coliseum.
Byrnes also is on the main campus while the coliseum is more than a mile away at Winthrop Lake. Holding the forum on campus will give MSNBC a better opportunity to highlight the school’s classic buildings and all-American collegiate appearance.
And that will be good advertising for Winthrop. The school is seeking ways to increase its visibility and attract more students, and this will be a great opportunity to show a potential audience of millions what Winthrop has to offer.
As York County Democratic Party Chair Amy Hayes noted, Winthrop and Rock Hill “will be the center of the political universe for a day.”
And, as with all the political events held at Winthrop, the forum will be a good chance for students to learn about the candidates and where they stand on the issues, and to get involved in the political process. This is a chance to see what a presidential campaign looks like at close range.
South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary won’t be held until February but, as in most years, it could be a crucial battlefront for candidates in both parties. Maybe Winthrop will be fortunate enough to get a twofer and play host to a Republican presidential candidates’ forum sometime in the near future.
This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Forum should put Winthrop in spotlight."