Long-shot presidential candidate Dean Phillips was forced to repeatedly ask the audience at the South Carolina Democratic Party’s “First in the Nation” dinner on Saturday evening to pay attention to him as he spoke from the stage.
Phillips took to the podium early in the event and made jokes about how “95 percent” of “the people in this room” would vote for President Joe Biden, which largely fell flat.
“If you want to have the ‘First in the Nation’ primary, you need at least two candidates on the ballot. So I’m happy to be that other guy,” Phillips said cheerfully, to scattered applause.
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As he offered a long life-story recap, Phillips then interrupted himself, apparently upon seeing his audience was distracted. “You know what, everybody? Can I have your attention for just a minute?” he said.
“We are all Democrats. We have a lot of speakers tonight. I know what it’s like when no one is paying attention. I would just ask for about two of your minutes,” he said. The C-Span camera that captured Phillips’ address then cut away to the crowd in the ballroom, who could be seen milling about and rounding the tables, oblivious to the pulpit.
Biden took to the stage a short time later and was met with chants of “Four more years!”
Phillips, a Minnesota congressman, finished 43 percentage points behind Biden in last week’s largely symbolic Democratic New Hampshire primary, despite Biden’s name not appearing on the ballot.
