I lived there 30 something yrs before moving to ATL, and the reasons are many, but to sum it up, it IS backwards.  This is coming from a conservative/libertarian white gal.
Not "backwards" so much in the way of dislike of minorities, but backwards in the sense of a state that, while it claims to be the "rebellious south", it gives kudos to any politician that wants to tell us how to live our personal lives.
I remember some self appointed religious kooks trying to hijack the city council board in Greenville, SC one year in efforts to tell them who they could allow to play the BiLO center!
The idea that these idiots who don't like Rob Zombie don't have to attend his concerts, never crossed their minds. While the roads had potholes the sizes of car in them, we had politicians worried about the legalization of tattoing shops. I can't tell you how many times I've called the police on wife abusing assholes just to have the police do NOTHING, 5 times or more, even when evidence was apparent. The legislature was going to ban body piercing, but realized ear piercing would be banned as well, so dropped it. That's the only reason it remained legal. The lottery also faced the ire of religious morons, but alas was finally instituted as well. Something that never passed but was brought to the plate was a bill that would require DNA from anyone accused of a crime. ANY CRIME. Accused, I said...not convicted. and the crime could be shoplifting or jaywalking. Your DNA would have been placed in a database forever and God knows what it would be used for.
Back in the early 90's, a hospital in Charleston was drug testing pregnant women on welfare unbeknowest to them, for the sheer purpose of incarcerating them. Women were dragged off the birthing tables bleeding, handcuffed and taken to jail. If you all doubt me, look up Furgeson VS City of Charleston.
Basically...in SC, if you beat your wife, it's a "private matter" but if you want a tattoo, a nipple piercing or want to gamble it's EVERYONE's business. and never mind those huge potholes in the road, the gov't job is to control your BODY!   Aside from all this,  the "small minds" moniker fits, you know, people afraid to leave their front porch because something might "git 'em".What on earth would they do if they actually had to face the rest of the big world out there? Men would rarely date me because I (gasp) actually had my own thoughts and ideas and wanted to do something that didn't involve picking up his dirty socks the rest of my life.  
I am sorry...but I had to agree..SC IS backwards. I know it has moved forward in some aspects, but generally...it's as I described.
Remember...SC was the last to join the Union. That should tell ya something. LOL