South Carolina primary: Scramble ahead of Saturday vote
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The four surviving combatants in the 2012 Republican presidential field were crisscrossing South Carolina on Friday in the final hours before a critical primary that could either end the race or raise dramatic new questions about Mitt Romney’s hold on the nomination.
After a tumultuous Thursday that saw Rick Perry leave the race, Newt Gingrich faced with new allegations about his personal life and an evening debate that was more like a backyard brawl, the candidates tried to close the sale in a state where Gingrich seems to be surging.
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Gingrich’s fast rise here in South Carolina has left the political class very nearly assuming at this point that he’ll win the state, and the latest polling from Clemson will only help cement that expectation:
Among poll respondents who had chosen or were leaning toward a candidate, this third Palmetto Poll showed Gingrich (32 percent) leading the field over Mitt Romney (26 percent), up slightly from a month ago. Ron Paul came in third (11 percent), about even with his December poll rating. Rick Santorum remained in fourth place (9 percent), despite a significant jump over his ranking last month.
After choosing a candidate, respondents gave a wide variety of answers as to what they liked most about the person they selected, but the two most popular appeared to be: “he has honesty and integrity” and “his overall political ideology” — meaning conservative principles.
“Much has been made of the ‘electability’ issue of the candidates, but in our poll the response: ‘He has the best chance of beating President Barack Obama,’” was the fourth choice of voters, after “‘He has better ideas for strengthening the economy,’” said Clemson political scientist Bruce Ransom.
The ultimate winner on Saturday “is likely to be the next president of the United States,” South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint predicted on “CBS This Morning.” DeMint hasn’t endorsed a candidate, mirroring many other residents of the Palmetto State who seem to be wavering about the right horse to back.
Republican Party Chairman Reince Preibus said on CNN on Friday that “a little bit of drama” was good for his party — and Thursday’s developments offered drama galore that added a new air of uncertainty to Saturday’s voting.
The key question here is how much — if at all — Gingrich will be hurt by his second wife’s accusations to ABC News that he asked for an “open marriage” prior to their divorce.
The former House speaker came out blazing in Thursday’s CNN debate, verbally trashing moderator John King for leading off his questioning with the topic and flatly denying Marianne Gingrich’s charge.
And his third wife, Callista, was prominently featured in an event Friday at The Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital. Callista Gingrich read her book, “Sweet Land of Liberty,” to a group of children as her husband looked on.
It remains an unanswered question, however, how new details about Newt Gingrich’s personal life will play in a conservative southern state that has a large evangelical population.
Romney and Rick Santorum, while staying away from the “open marriage” controversy specifically, forcefully raised questions about Gingrich’s leadership qualities and his ability to translate his many innovative ideas into a coherent, disciplined plan for governing.
Romney, appearing on Fox News, called Gingrich “a feisty competitor” but argued the former House speaker was not the candidate most likely to defeat President Barack Obama in the fall.
In a conference call with reporters, a group of Romney surrogates accused Gingrich of a lack of fiscal discipline during his years in power in the House. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called Gingrich “the granddaddy of earmarks.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71730.html#ixzz1k289msN3
