WASHINGTON _ During his first visit to South Carolina last month as an official Democratic candidate for president, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker didn't spend all his time in the cities with the largest media markets.
He didn't make public appearances with South Carolina's best-connected Democratic "gatekeepers" _ Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin or former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler _ who are often called upon to introduce candidates to voters in the "First in the South" 2020 primary state.
Instead, the New Jersey lawmaker held forums at rural high schools and colleges, tailoring a national policy platform to people in the room who were worried about access to hospitals, clean drinking water and reliable broadband internet.
