Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited with Democratic women’s groups in South Carolina Wednesday afternoon. Clinton sought to connect with southern women and was introduced as a woman with “deep southern roots,” because of her past in Arkansas when President Bill Clinton was governor. Some onlookers noted that Clinton’s speech pattern seemed to mirror her southern companions.
Clinton spoke about getting more Democratic women elected at the local level and touted her lunch at Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles with African American businesswomen before coming to the event. Clinton also took pains to explain that her age would not be an issue for her on the campaign trail.
“I’m aware I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I have one big advantage, I’ve been coloring my hair for years,” Clinton said. “So you’re not going to see me turn white in the White House and you’re also not going to see me quit.”
Clinton did not take questions from the press during the event. But just outside the event, Carly Fiorina met with reporters. Fiorina is also in South Carolina on Wednesday, and gathered with the South Carolina Republican Legislative Caucus earlier Wednesday afternoon.
Fiorina reportedly answered questions about her past appearance at a Clinton Global Initiative event, and appeared perturbed when the press began to treat her as a heckler instead of as a presidential candidate, according to the New York Times.
In an email to reporters before Fiorina’s visit to South Carolina, Fiorina’s deputy campaign manager Sarah Isgur Flores solicited reporters who may be in town for Clinton’s campaign events.
“We know it must be hard covering the Hillary for America But Against Transparency campaign,” she wrote. “Our events tomorrow are all open to the press. And by open press, we mean we’ll actually take questions.”
Clinton did not address Fiorina’s presence in South Carolina on the campaign trail in South Carolina. Clinton lost the South Carolina primary to Barack Obama in 2008.
