The battle for South Carolina
Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:14 AM by Mark Murray
Huckabee and Thompson are spending their day today in the upstate region of South Carolina, which is rich with social conservative/evangelical voters. McCain, meanwhile, is on the coast, where his base of veterans and atypical southern coastal voters are.
Six months ago, if someone had written that Mitt Romney was going to skip South Carolina just two days before the primary, the assumption would have been his campaign was in serious trouble. But considering the muddled nature of this GOP race, going to Nevada to rack up delegates might prove to be the smarter strategy. The New York Times: "For Mr. Romney, Nevada presents a particular opportunity. His faith — he is a Mormon — proved a hindrance in Iowa and promises to be one in this state, which also has a significant number of evangelical voters who have a history of antipathy to Mormonism. Yet his Mormonism is arguably an asset in Nevada, a state Mormons founded, which has a significant population of Mormons and whose voters, of whatever faith, have always seemed comfortable electing Mormons."
It's "Battleground SC" -- that's the headline on the Columbia State's front page.
The Columbia State looks at those undecideds. "A new Clemson University poll released Wednesday shows likely GOP voters are a divided lot. Four candidates are within striking distance of winning the state's primary. Several of those at the grill who have settled on a candidate say they might change their minds. Such indecision was evident in The Clemson Palmetto Poll. Nearly half of those polled say they could flip-flop before Saturday."
Also, prominently featured near the top of the Columbia State's Web site is an anti-McCain ad, created by the American Council for Immigration Reform, a Beltway-based group which has dogged McCain at events here, as the New York Post also notes. The rolling ad shows McCain, leaning in to Sen. Ted Kennedy saying, "Well, we can tell them it's not amnesty…" "Let's have a little straight talk, Senator McCain. Join the Amnesty Truth Express. / and
The Politico’s Martin says, “The national media thinks John McCain is under siege again, and his campaign is only too happy to help reporters file their stories… The truth is, not that many nasty things are going on in 2008, certainly not compared to the bare-knuckled 2000 GOP presidential primary here, and probably not much more so than in your garden-variety campaign for elected office.”
"Huckabee and Fred Thompson are locked in battle for a segment of voters that could determine the outcome of tomorrow's primary: conservative Christians."
The Washington Post: "As the first Southern state prepares to vote, Thompson has conceded that a disappointing finish in Saturday's GOP primary would probably sink his chances. Other candidates have much to gain or lose here, but none more than the man whose candidacy has been one of the campaign's biggest puzzles."
The campaign is now saying they need a "strong showing" in South Carolina? What does that mean? 2nd place? 1st place? It used to be he had to win; clearly they don't think a win is necessary to go on, but can he finish behind the winner by more than 10 points and still keep raising enough money to compete in Florida?
"Huckabee told a rally in Myrtle Beach that 'you don't like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag.' The former governor of Arkansas said that "if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell 'em what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do." McCain, meanwhile, one man upset that the Confederate flag came down at the state capitol, that he is proud of the majority of South Carolinians who wanted it down as well.
Huckabee's stance for the flag (or for the state's right to fly the flag) is being used as a wedge between Huck and McCain. "[A] radio advertisement paid for by an independent group used the flag issue to attack Mr. McCain, of Arizona, and praise Mr. Huckabee. ‘John McCain assaults our values,’ it said. ‘Mike Huckabee understands the value of heritage.’”
