Romney may give up on South Carolina

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Mitt Romney is going off the air in South Carolina, at least through next week’s Michigan primary. And he may not contest the Palmetto State at all.

Decisions about where to shift staff are still being made, but after tonight’s Myrtle Beach debate, the former Massachusetts governor almost certainly won’t be back in the state until after Michigan's contest next Tuesday.

The South Carolina primary takes place the following Saturday, meaning Romney would have just a few days to campaign here — if he decides to make an effort at all.

Romney sources believe the state is coming down to a “knife-fight,” as one put it, between former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain, and that one of the two will not survive after the state's primary results are in.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7829.html

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A brilliant management strategy - because we've seen how well not playing in each state has worked for Giuliani and Thompson...

[LeftyMom]

1. Probably a realization that a very religious mostly baptist state isn't voting for a nothern Mormon.

If they've decided it'd be a waste of resources that could be used in states where they're competitive, it makes sense not to put much into South Carolina.

[CottonBear]

4. That's what I think. I'm here in GA. The majority of white SC voters

are conservative protestants (Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian). Many are poor and middle class Chritian whites. There are also a huge number of fiscal conservative white voters: all the rich people in Charelston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Bueafort and other coastal areas; the fox hunting and horse show landed gentry in the upstate and the wealthy mountain home owners in the upstate mountain resort areas.

Non of these groups are likely to vote for a Massachussets Mormon.

[CottonBear]

2. Do you think that Guiliani has a chance to pick up a huge # of delegates in NY and NJ?

Romney may pick up quite a few in Michigan.

On MSNBC this AM, the talk is that the front-running Republicans may end the primary season all tied for delegates (Huckabee, Romney, Guliani and McCain). Thompson and Paul are not thought to have a chance.


I can see Huckabee and McCain being tied in the SC primary.

I think all of this bodes well for our eventual Democratic candidate: The Democrats will be able to unite behind our candidate and the Republicans will split their votes along social, fiscal and security lines.

edit: sp.

[Frances]

3. I think Huckabee will win South Carolina

easily. That's why Romney is backing out of the state. There's no way to counter that huge fundamentalist vote.

[Zynx]

5. Giuliani's problem is that New York and New Jersey are not well represented

in the Republican Party. Together they have 153 delegates compared to 168 for Tennessee, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

[CottonBear]

6. I did not realize that. Thanks for the info.

I'm here in Georgia which is now a totally red state. No one hardly even bothers to campaign here. There are very few TV or radio ads. The Republicans hardly even have to try to get votes.

The bigots and racists, unreconstructed Confederate flag wavers, wealthy fiscal/security conservatives and evangelicals will vote dependably Republican (even if it's against their own best self interests.)

A few front running Democrats will come to Atlanta and some other larger cities. My blue city of Athens will be virtaully ignored. Some of of the Republicans will apperar in Atlanta, the rural areas and the Coastal areas with Governor Goober (Sonny Perdue) and our idiot senators Chambliss and Isakson.

*sigh*

[yardwork]

7. If Romney isn't competitive in SC, he isn't competitive anywhere in the south.

Good.

[grytpype]

8. I think it's bad because I wanted to run against Romney in the general election.

He's probably the weakest of the Repub front-runners in a general election.

I would be really worried about a Clinton - McCain matchup.

I think only Obama has enough star power to beat McCain in the general.