Tim Scott says this nice, single Black Republican can make history

Sep. 7—RYE — Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, is putting to the test the question of whether America is ready to elect a sunny, optimistic, single, Black Republican as its next president.

Scott, 57, began a two-day swing through the first-in-the-nation primary state Thursday night by starring at the 'No BS BBQ' series, hosted by former U.S. Sen. and Trump administration Ambassador Scott Brown and his wife, Gail Huff Brown, in Rye.

Organizers said Scott drew the biggest crowd to date with 350 in attendance munching on hot dogs, nachos and watermelon; GOP hopeful Chris Christie and Democratic candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. get their turn at separate events next week.

Clearly, Scott has the answer for the "Black" question as the only Black senator in the U.S. Senate and the only Black politician ever elected to both houses of Congress.

"I am so lucky to live in a nation where the color of my skin does not determine the quality of my life," Scott said while tackling the full range of other questions from the budget deficit and support for Israel to parental rights, abortion and immigration.

"I have been the victim of discrimination and racism and I have been the benefactor of a member of every single community coming to my rescue."

Scott said he wasn't surprised Barack Obama, the only Black president, warned voters last June to be "rightly skeptical" about Scott because he ignores the reality of systemic racism that still exists in pockets of American society.

"The leaders of the left have weaponized race and class in order to hold onto their power," Scott said.

"The people who have lost the most in blue sections of the country are poor people and minorities. What works is free markets and capitalism. There is not Black poverty or White poverty; there's poverty. There are not Black kids issues or White kid issues; there are kids issues."

In New Hampshire, it was Republican primary voters in 2018 who made Eddie Edwards, the state's current assistant safety commissioner, the first Black candidate of either party to win a nomination for Congress in the First Congressional District.

Manchester Democrat Chris Pappas defeated Edwards in that general election.

Scott confronts the 'he's nice' comment

While Scott's campaign has made strides, he's faced other questions, with the latest claim of some that he's "too nice" to become president in a negative, highly polarized political climate.

"That's cute. I grew up in tough neighborhoods, some of my friends were locked up, buried; being tough is easy but the question is that enough, is being tough enough," Scott said during an interview.

"We have lost seven of the last eight popular votes for president. I believe having a positive and optimistic message is the way to not only win this primary but win this election.

"How tough was it having to be raised in a single mother's home as she struggled mightily to raise kids with a little bit more than minimum wage?"

Another question has been Scott's marital status and whether he is capable of becoming after James Buchanan only the second, lifelong bachelor in American history elected to the Oval Office.

Scott has said he has a girlfriend, the same response 2016 Democratic candidate and Black New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker gave when he faced similar questions.

Scott accused rival campaigns of promoting the talk that has been the source of several columns in media outlets.

"Some of my opponents plant stories to raise conversations to detract from our rise in the polls," Scott said. "Voters in poll after poll have said they don't care but my opponents plant more stories and the media covers it. That's okay; we push on."

State Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, has not picked a side in the 2024 primary.

"I'm down to three right now; Tim Scott, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. They all have tremendous records and stories to tell and we're lucky to have a hard choice to make," Gannon said.

Brown served with Scott in the Senate.

"When you ask him a question, he is going to tell you straight up, he epitomizes No B.S," Brown said.

While Sununu sweats, Scott quips it's 'low humidity'With the thermometer cresting over 90 degrees, Gov. Chris Sununu had a dish with Scott at Lago's Ice Cream Shop in town.

"The humidity is kind of low here, by the way" compared to his home South Carolina, Scott joked to Sununu.

Sununu shrugged while tugging at his sports jacket, "I feel like I am swimming right now."

The exiting, four-term governor Sununu praised Scott's campaign style.

"He's holding these 'ask me anything events' all over the state; this is how you run to win in New Hampshire," Sununu said.

Greg Moore, state director of the fiscally conservative Americans for Prosperity, said Scott may need to identify issues that he's strongly in dispute with his rivals over in order to have a breakthrough moment.

"Tim Scott has this incredible, inspiring profile; he needs to pick some issues to differentiate himself from the rest of the field," Moore said.

There's one other strategy Scott could be banking on, Moore said.

"You know this race is going to get very negative near the end. Will Tim Scott sit back and hope that voters spot this articulate, positive person making his case and decide to come his way?" Moore asked rhetorically.

klandrigan@unionleader.com