The Democratic Party has a real gem right within its midst. It would do Democrats well to pay attention. That gem is Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who, as majority whip, is the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. Clyburn is also a retired educator. He has been using his prodigious skills at perception of the American electorate. When Democrats listen to Clyburn, they tend to win. Some call Clyburn a kingmaker. I prefer to think of him as the Voter Whisperer.
Clyburn almost single-handedly changed the trajectory of the 2020 presidential election after he endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary in February 2020. Following that endorsement and Biden’s win in the South Carolina primary, the former vice president surged past Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and eventually won the Democratic nomination.
Earlier this year, Clyburn rallied behind another centrist Democrat, Troy Carter, in a special election for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District. Clyburn’s endorsement helped Carter defeat the more liberal, progressive state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson. Carter won with 55.2% of the vote.
