Recent Biden, Trump trips to SC show state's electoral pull in 2024 presidential election

President Joe Biden's South Carolina sojourn made clear that he wants the 2024 election to focus on the promises he has delivered despite enormous opposition from Republicans.

Biden used his West Columbia pit stop Thursday, July 6, to underscore his administration's ability to pass hulking economic policies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, to incentivize private businesses to invest in clean energy. He announced Thursday that businesses had vowed to invest $500 billion across the U.S. to create hundreds of clean energy jobs.

At the stop at the Flex LTD manufacturing company on his "Investing in America Tour," Biden stressed the importance of homegrown semiconductor chip manufacturing, job growth and broadband access for all.

Flex LTD and Enphase Energy are partnering to make renewable energy batteries and bring 600 jobs to the Midlands. Meanwhile, the Bipartisan Infrastructure law will shower the state with $1.9 billion for roads and bridges, over $500 million for internet access as well as $89 million to improve drinking water infrastructure.

Biden's visit came days after his leading opponent, Donald Trump, drew tens of thousands of supporters in Pickens. Trump gave a preview of what a rematch could look like between the two political rivals.

Where only a few days ago, Trump touted his 2017 tax reform law, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Biden criticized his predecessor's reliance on "trickle-down economics."

Biden-Trump match-up in South Carolina

Recent visits to SC by Biden and Trump made it clear the two candidates are playing to their strengths.

In the 2020 election, according to research by University of South Carolina Professor David Darmofal, Trump's support was strongest in the Upstate and he also won in the Piedmont and the Pee Dee regions. In contrast, Biden won in the Midlands and fought Trump to a draw in the Lowcountry.

Trump defeated Biden, resoundingly, among white evangelical Christians in South Carolina (39 percent of the 2020 electorate), winning by a margin of 85 percent to 13 percent. In contrast, Biden won handily among voters who are not white evangelical Christians (61 percent of the 2020 electorate), winning by a margin of 60 percent to 38 percent, Darmofal told the Greenville News back when Trump visited Florence last year.

Trump also won among conservative voters, winning by a margin of 85 percent to 14 percent, while Biden won among liberal voters (92 percent to 7 percent) and won among moderates (56 percent to 42 percent).

The state's voting patterns were essential in the Democratic National Convention's decision to bump up South Carolina as the site for the First-in-the-Nation primary.

While ruby red states such as South Carolina can seem like a lost cause when it comes to the Democratic Party's successes, Biden's messaging of being a "president for all, and "not just the ones who voted for him" came as a veiled counter to Trump. It signals Democrats are not focused on flipping votes, instead, they wanted to recapture the base that propelled them to victory in the last cycle.

Nevertheless, it was telling when Biden used his S.C. visit to boldly voice his support for unions and contract bargaining negotiations in a state that has boasted its ability to thwart unions and support corporations with Right to Work policies. A small group among the 200 attendees at the event cheered when Biden said negotiations ensured every employee worked jobs that respected their dignity.

Biden wants "Make in America" to bolster economy and revitalize the middle class

When Biden came into the office, he said he inherited the after-effects of the COVID pandemic. There were supply-chain issues, tensions with China and a lagging rate of job creation. On Thursday, Biden said his solutions have been rooted in reclaiming America’s industrial past.

Biden lamented America's infrastructural deficiencies and the loss of technological advancement in spite of America's contributions in semiconductor research.

"How can you have the best economy in the world? And not the best infrastructure?” Biden asked.

To that end, Biden believes the CHIPS and Sciences Act, which seeks to facilitate research to build semiconductors in the U.S., will lessen the reliance on countries such as China. He also said he wanted to encourage “Make in America” initiatives.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., Biden's most powerful ally in the state, said Biden's ultimate goal was to make America an accessible and affordable country for everyone, everywhere. As a representative of rural regions in the state, Clyburn said rural areas have been overlooked by the federal government for too long.

But that had changed under Biden's watch, according to Clyburn.

“That’s what Bidenomics is all about,” he said.

Earlier in June, The Bureau of Labor jobs report showed the U.S. had added 306,000 jobs to the market despite fears of economic slowdown. In response to the jobs report, the White House said it had 13 million jobs since Biden's presidency began.

The next move, Biden said, would be to continue investing millions of dollars to create an environment where high-paying jobs, often outsourced to Mexico and India, could be brought back home.

“The good news is, these jobs don’t need a four-year degree,” he continued, adding that the federal government was working with schools like Midlands Tech to facilitate a career path for SC residents.

Republicans tack onto inflation numbers in rebuttal to Bidenomics

In statements before Biden's visit, Republicans questioned if the so-called "Bidenomics" was working at all.

The SC Freedom Caucus, a hardline, far-right group of lawmakers in the Statehouse, rebuked the Biden administration's "tax and spend playbook" and believed the spending was responsible for the high rates of inflation and looming recession.

Meanwhile, SCGOP Chair Drew McKissick wondered if Biden would had anything to say about "why inflation continued to rise faster than wages, why the border was still being overrun with illegals, or why his Justice Department has two different standards of justice?"

"Maybe his handlers will let him take some real, unscreened questions while he’s here, but I doubt it. And with his lousy job performance, I can’t blame them," McKissick continued in a press statement.

But Biden's defenders signaled an intention to flip the script.

Ahead of Biden's visit, S.C. Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain told reporters that South Carolina's congressional delegation often took credit for infrastructure projects after voting against the very policies that funded them.

Biden took the same aim at Republicans Thursday. He noted that every South Carolina congressional delegate, except for Sen. Lindsey Graham, voted against the CHIPS and Science Act and the bipartisan infrastructure deal.

“Implementing this legislation also has another transformative impact: All those members of Congress who voted against it suddenly realize how great it is. And they’re bragging about it," Biden said. "As my mother would say, ‘God love them.'"

Devyani Chhetri covers SC politics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Biden Bidenomics tour to SC in contrast to Trump visit to Pickens