Official SC Republican Primary Results Thread

[cp]

Ok, will someone say WHO'S dropping out?

Secondly, there seems to be a trend in the primaries where the initial results reflect, largely, the final ones. But if these numbers continue we may see a Huckabee victory in spite of the early McCain strength. Is there any geographic/demographic data to confirm this? If so/not, when will  we know?

[cp]

oh...Thompson takes 3rd....for once hes in the top 3...THOMENTUM!!!111

Lamest -Mentum ever, lol.

Best. Insult. Ever.

Well done!

[cp]

Ok, based on what I'm seeing even a victory isn't good for McCain here.

It's clear what's happening is McCain has learned, after 8 years, how to correct every mistake he made in 2000. He's managed to turn out the suburban voters around the big cities and split the evangelicals to the point where their influence is too diluted to matter. It's a brilliant strategy . . .

But he's going to lose the nomination. Winning with these tactics won't get him into a winning position in the next set of states. Regardless of the predictions, Giuliani can make a decent showing in Florida and after that the rank and file of the Republican Party is going to be voting, most of whom are dead set against McCain. He can't pull off the same kind of micro-targeting in the rest of the country the way he did in SC for the simple reason that he hasn't spent 8 years figuring out how.

I still think the gap will close before the night is out and McCain won't get to give a victory speech till morn'. Regardless, he didn't make enough of a showing to scare the Huckabee and Romney supporters into line. He'll be finished after 20 mins on Superduper Tuesday.

[cp]

Hmm, it's a sad and disheartening reality, but you're probably right. This kind of lead doesn't disappear unless Aaron Sorkin is tabulating the ballots. McCain's win here, worst of all, probably exorcises the demons of 2000, meaning he can campaign without the chip on his shoulder of being 'the guy who lost to Bush in 2000'.

He might win Florida, but that's as much in the air as it ever was. Beyond that isn't anyone's game, though I somehow think that Huckabee and Romney might have enough in them to derail the momentum later on. God willing.

[cp]

Ok, either I'm really bad at math or the CNN people are getting a bit loopy. McCain's lead on Huckabee INCREASED from when it was 35/30 . .. now it's 33/30? This makes no sense. Maybe some of McCain's delegates are getting raptured or something.

[cp]

apparently I'm very bad at math, then

[cp]

While I agree seeing conservatives getting pwned is good for everyone, I still don't think McCain's got this one like he wants it.

The race is probably his, but the momentum is Huckabee's. He's made more strides in SC than McCain has and with the next set of states being what they are (places where McCain isn't going to do well) it's not likely the bounce that McCain might get from SC will matter much. The nomination is probably still going to be a Romney/Huckabee thing, but McCain has cards left to play. We'll have to wait and see.

[cp]

What will happen to the disaffected Thompson voters in Florida and elsewhere? Who will they go to?

[cp]

So wait, are we saying that a Thompson drop out would benefit McCain? I would think that people who wanted a dessicated conservative would go for Romney first (not for the dessicated part, just the conservatism).

[cp]

It's worth noting that every Republican nominee since Ford has been someone who won either the Iowa or the New Hampshire elections. That does put McCain in the running, but it also means his one opponent is Huckabee - which frankly poses more of a challenge than does Romney.