South Carolina Rep. James (Jim) Clyburn endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary on Wednesday morning. That news is spreading fast, but the explanation he gave for his endorsement in a quickly going viral Twitter video deserves a listen too.
“I want the public to know that I am voting for Joe Biden,” he began at the news conference. “South Carolinians should be voting for Joe Biden, and here’s why. There’s billboards around this county. On those billboards, is my pledge. A lot of people ask me, ‘Why do you do billboards?’ Because my late wife said to me, ‘I don't care how many TV ads you run, I don’t care how many radio ads you run, when you run for office, I want to see billboards.’ That’s why I do billboards.
“One of my colleagues came and said, ‘This is the first time I’ve seen a political billboard with no picture on it. Why isn’t your picture on the billboard?’ Because it ain’t about me,” Clyburn, the House Majority Whip, continued at the North Charleston event. “It’s about the message on that billboard. And the message is simply this: Making the greatness of this country accessible. And affordable. For all. We don’t need to make this country great again; this country is great. That’s not what our challenge is. Our challenge is making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. If it’s health care, is it accessible, is it affordable? Education: Is it accessible, is it affordable? Housing. Energy. Making it accessible and affordable.
“And nobody with whom I’ve ever worked in public life is any more committed to that motto, that pledge that I have to my constituents than Joe Biden. Joe Biden and I used to spend a lot of time doing TV stuff together,” he added. “We got to know each other.”
Clyburn, who is the dean of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, is an influential endorsement for sure. Whether or not Biden is your preferred candidate, however, Clyburn’s point about putting one’s ego aside and focusing on the message is one everyone can use—especially in the primary season.
Here is that video.