South Carolina Presidential Primary Watch
posted 3:48 pm Wed December 19, 2007 - Charleston, SC
The Palmetto State has deep roots in this presidential election.
You've seen GOP candidates or their endorsers making their way through the state over and over again, and next month the test of these visits will be revealed.
"It will be closely watched by the rest of the country and it may actually sort the field out, particularly, among the republicans,” said College of Charleston professor Jack Bass.
The republican primary date, January 19, a benchmark for the party's nomination.
"Ever since there was a first presidential primary, the winner of the republican primary in South Carolina has won the republican nomination for president," he said.
He projects the winner will be Mike Huckabee, initially a dark horse, though recently has dominated polls by appealing to Evangelical Christians, a demographic so far hard for one candidate to pin down.With more than half of republicans in South Carolina attending church weekly, religion may play a big role in the GOP primary.
Perhaps more importantly, Bass says for South Carolina voters, it’s all about consistency.
“When Strom Thurmond ran for the senate, I asked a textile worker in South Carolina who he’s going to vote for, he said, Strom Thurmond, I asked why, he said, because he stands up for what he believes in, even when he's wrong," Bass said.
Another form of consistency, John McCain's visits to the state, more than 35 times.
Bass says the large retired military population is a big draw for the former P.O.W.
Come mid January, Bass says the pack will separate for good, with the frontrunners: Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain, and even Mike Huckabee, in the latest CNN poll, leading the pack.
One inconsistency affecting poll numbers is voters’ finicky nature to change their minds.
Top of the poll Wednesday, back to the bottom Thursday, and the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary may change momentum come voting day.
South Carolina voters don't register their party and can vote in either the republican or democratic primaries.
South Carolina election officials want people to know they cannot vote twice and their names will be on the record if you vote the 19th.
State election officials say the primary election results will come in faster this time because they have combined some precinct locations.
All precincts will be open, but the locations may have changed.
Click here for more information.
Latest Comment on South Carolina Presidential Primary Watch
rdixiesunrise61
8:12 pm on 12/19/07
Ron Paul is hardly ever mentioned anywhere. It's the media they have a set mind on who should win and that is all they write about. Ron Paul is the one that this country needs right now.
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