South Carolina showdown: Make or break for Republican contenders?

The Associated Press

Nowhere to go but up?

Featured Topic | Posted 26 weeks 1 day ago

South Carolina showdown: Make or break for Republican contenders?

Fact: Every eventual Republican presidential nominee since 1980 has won the South Carolina primary. So it's little wonder that the GOP candidates have been campaigning hard -- and slinging mud -- in the Palmetto State. The race is close, with John McCain and Mike Huckabee in a statistical dead heat in the polls. But Fred Thompson is lurking. The outcome of today's primary could mean a winnowing of candidates. Or it could vault a struggling candidate into the top of the field.

Ben likes: The anti-soundbite candidate

Rick Moran/The American Thinker

There is a heft to Fred Thompson, a seriousness of purpose that none of the other candidates can match. It is most pronounced during the debates where Thompson's answers to questions are more subtle and nuanced than those of his rivals. His sometimes laconic style zings his opponents with brutal accuracy. Often, the candidate will answer a question by stating "Yep" or "Nope" and pause a few seconds to gather his thoughts. What follows is almost always coherent and is informed by years of experience in
government.

If all of this is true, why is Fred Thompson fighting for his political life this Saturday in the South Carolina primary?

Joel likes: Romney ignores South Carolina

Jonathan Stein/Mother Jones

The former Massachusetts governor has little appeal in South Carolina, according to the polls. He is leaving the state to Mike Huckabee (who presumably has a strong evangelical base there), John McCain (who South Carolina voters still remember from 2000), and Fred Thompson (who needs a good showing to keep his campaign afloat). That means Romney can devote time and money to Nevada in a way that others can't. In a primary where only 30,000 to 40,000 Republicans are expected to show up (New Hampshire saw just under half a million), it doesn't take much effort to make a dent.