Official SC Republican Primary Results Thread

[War on Want]

But isn't this the smallest margin that any candidate has won in SC?

I am pretty sure it is.

[Sam Spade]

Only counties left now:

Sliver of Beaufort 98% (McCain)
Sliver of Richland 97% (McCain)
A portion of Sumter 77% (Huckabee)
Florence (should be fairly strong Huck)
Horry (should be very strong McCain)

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

[War on Want]

Huckabee is winning in Horry County! WTF!?
There were only 1,000 votes cast, but still very odd.

[angus]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

It was.  I don't care if CARLHAYDEN doesn't like him, I still do.  He was gracious and grateful.  He seemed sincere.  And I think it was an inspiring, if not rousing, speech tonight.

[bullmoose88]

Huckabee is winning in Horry County! WTF!?
There were only 1,000 votes cast, but still very odd.

Seems like an error.

[War on Want]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

It was.  I don't care if CARLHAYDEN doesn't like him, I still do.  He was gracious and grateful.  He seemed sincere.  And I think it was an inspiring, if not rousing, speech tonight.

Yeah even as a Democrat I thought it was pretty good. Especially with his part on workers. While I think it is just stupid to vote for the Republicans if you are a worker, if I was a Republican I would be pushing hard for reaching out to workers.

[War on Want]

Huckabee is winning in Horry County! WTF!?
There were only 1,000 votes cast, but still very odd.

Seems like an error.

It says 97% of the precincts are in, so maybe they had uber low turnout.

[Mr. Morden]

Lol.  Craig Crawford on MSNBC compares Thompson to Superman's General Zod???

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

It was.  I don't care if CARLHAYDEN doesn't like him, I still do.  He was gracious and grateful.  He seemed sincere.  And I think it was an inspiring, if not rousing, speech tonight.

Yeah even as a Democrat I thought it was pretty good. Especially with his part on workers. While I think it is just stupid to vote for the Republicans if you are a worker, if I was a Republican I would be pushing hard for reaching out to workers.

He's a great guy - I just don't like some of his politics.  But I WOULD vote for him if he got the nomination.

[Person Man]

What happens next?

[Joe Biden 2020]

What happens next?

Well, we go to Florida, and if McCain wins Florida then its all over.  If Giuliani wins Rudy, we go on to Super Tuesday and then have a cherry-picking of states and then, probably, go on beyond that to Maryland and Virginia on February 12, and possibly all the way to Texas and Ohio on March 4.

[Person Man]

Wrong thread, but where are we in the Dem race?

[angus]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

It was.  I don't care if CARLHAYDEN doesn't like him, I still do.  He was gracious and grateful.  He seemed sincere.  And I think it was an inspiring, if not rousing, speech tonight.

Yeah even as a Democrat I thought it was pretty good. Especially with his part on workers. While I think it is just stupid to vote for the Republicans if you are a worker, if I was a Republican I would be pushing hard for reaching out to workers.

But you have to understand that some workers don't want to answer to union bosses.    In the Iowa legislature, a bill nicknamed "fair share," which would allow non-union employees to be charged union dues if it becomes law, was defeated in the previous legislative term in the state House of Representatives but may be re-introduced sometime this term.  The bill passed last year in the state senate and failed in the house.  The Democrats have a smaller majority in the house, and a shift of 3 votes is enough to defeat the bill.  My state rep, Doris Kelley, recently answered an email message I sent her about it.  She wrote back calling herself a "pro-business Democrat" and says she has no plans to change her opposition vote, fortunately.  But she also said she thinks that they'll re-introduce the bill and that it'll be tougher this time because one of the pro-business Democrats retired and was replaced by a more collectivist Democrat.

I'm not saying I agree with Huckabee on many issues.  I don't agree with him, in fact, or with any Democrats and at least two republicans (Romney and Huckabee) on the solution to our nation's health care crisis, for example.  I think we all agree that the problem is simple:  we pay 16% of our aggregate GDP for healthcare.  But we disagree on the solution.  Huckabee is basically Democrat-lite on this issue (and many others.)  I feel like we need less government not more.  It was government involvement, beginning in the late 50s, that began to drive up the costs, and it's increased government involvement in healthcare that maintains the high cost.  There's no reason a band-aid, which costs you seven cents at Wal-Mart, should cost seven dollars if a physician or a registered nurse puts it on.  The reason:  bureaucracy.  government. 

Well, my only point wasn't that I agree wholeheartedly with Huckabee, only that I think he's one of the more sincere and gracious of the candidates.  I'd consider voting for him if he got the nomination.  I don't think I could say that about all the republicans (or democrats) running just now.

[Reluctant Republican]

Come on McCain, knock this one out of the park.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Come on McCain, knock this one out of the park.

Home Run

[Person Man]

That was a GREAT concession speech by Huckabee.

It was.  I don't care if CARLHAYDEN doesn't like him, I still do.  He was gracious and grateful.  He seemed sincere.  And I think it was an inspiring, if not rousing, speech tonight.

Yeah even as a Democrat I thought it was pretty good. Especially with his part on workers. While I think it is just stupid to vote for the Republicans if you are a worker, if I was a Republican I would be pushing hard for reaching out to workers.

But you have to understand that some workers don't want to answer to union bosses.    In the Iowa legislature, a bill nicknamed "fair share," which would allow non-union employees to be charged union dues if it becomes law, was defeated in the previous legislative term in the state House of Representatives but may be re-introduced sometime this term.  The bill passed last year in the state senate and failed in the house.  The Democrats have a smaller majority in the house, and a shift of 3 votes is enough to defeat the bill.  My state rep, Doris Kelley, recently answered an email message I sent her about it.  She wrote back calling herself a "pro-business Democrat" and says she has no plans to change her opposition vote, fortunately.  But she also said she thinks that they'll re-introduce the bill and that it'll be tougher this time because one of the pro-business Democrats retired and was replaced by a more collectivist Democrat.

I'm not saying I agree with Huckabee on many issues.  I don't agree with him, in fact, or with any Democrats and at least two republicans (Romney and Huckabee) on the solution to our nation's health care crisis, for example.  I think we all agree that the problem is simple:  we pay 16% of our aggregate GDP for healthcare.  But we disagree on the solution.  Huckabee is basically Democrat-lite on this issue (and many others.)  I feel like we need less government not more.  It was government involvement, beginning in the late 50s, that began to drive up the costs, and it's increased government involvement in healthcare that maintains the high cost.  There's no reason a band-aid, which costs you seven cents at Wal-Mart, should cost seven dollars if a physician or a registered nurse puts it on.  The reason:  bureaucracy.  government. 

Well, my only point wasn't that I agree wholeheartedly with Huckabee, only that I think he's one of the more sincere and gracious of the candidates.  I'd consider voting for him if he got the nomination.  I don't think I could say that about all the republicans (or democrats) running just now.

L-IA?

[angus]

Wrong thread, but where are we in the Dem race?

well, as of tonight, the soft delegate count is:

Clinton 38
Obama 36
Edwards 18
(2025 needed to nominate)

And, while we're at it, for republicans it is:

Romney 59
McCain 23
Huckabee 20
Thompson 11
Paul 8
Hunter 1
(1191 needed)

So it's way early.  The market hates uncertainty, as they say.  But I thrive on it.  I like to check the delegate count once in a while to remind myself that in spite of all the media hype, it's really too early for candidates to be dropping out or for folks to start selling off pharmaceutical stocks yet.

Oh, Angry Weasel, I'm waiting for the nominating convention in May to see who they like.  But I'm still hoping for Paul to rack up enough to barter it off for some policy agenda concessions to whichever Republican comes close enough to really need his supporters' support. 

[Person Man]

Wrong thread, but where are we in the Dem race?

well, as of tonight, the soft delegate count is:

Clinton 38
Obama 36
Edwards 18
(2025 needed to nominate)

And, while we're at it, for republicans it is:

Romney 59
McCain 23
Huckabee 20
Thompson 11
Paul 8
Hunter 1
(1191 needed)

So it's way early.  The market hates uncertainty, as they say.  But I thrive on it.  I like to check the delegate count once in a while to remind myself that in spite of all the media hype, it's really too early for candidates to be dropping out or for folks to start selling off pharmaceutical stocks yet.

Oh, Angry Weasel, I'm waiting for the nominating convention in May to see who they like.  But I'm still hoping for Paul to rack up enough to barter it off for some policy agenda concessions to whichever Republican comes close enough to really need his supporters' support.

Anxious?

[angus]

As a person who has voted for third party candidates in the past, I can assure you it feels better to vote for a Democrat or Republican if you can find one you can stomach.  Not that I wouldn't vote for a third party person again, if both parties insist on a Clinton versus McCain race, but I'd just rather not have it come to that.  After all, if it comes to Clinton versus McCain, we know we'll be stuck with one of them for four years no matter which third party loser I like better.  And that's so unsatisfying.

Let's just say I'm still giddy when Ron Paul breaks double digits.  Iowa and Nevada.  Good start.  Delegates will matter this time.  And his supporters know that.

[Joe Biden 2020]

CNN.com has the Republican Delegate Count at:

Romney 72 (0 from SC 18 from NV)
McCain 38 (19 from SC 4 from NV)
Huckabee 29 (5 from SC 2 from NV)
Thompson 8 (0 from SC 2 from NV)
Paul 6 (0 from SC, 4 from NV)
Giuliani 2 (0 from SC, 1 from NV)

For the Democrats:

Hillary Clinton 210 (14 from NV)
Barack Obama 123 (14 from NV)
John Edwards 52
Dennis Kucinich 1
Mike Gravel 0

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Not a bad speech by McCain tonight. He's my second choice, far behind Rudy. I still don't understand how pundits can say Giuliani still has a chance in Florida. He was tied with McCain today and McCain hasn't even begun campaigning there. I expect him to finish fourth. It's over for the GOP.

[Reluctant Republican]

Not a bad speech by McCain tonight. He's my second choice, far behind Rudy. I still don't understand how pundits can say Giuliani still has a chance in Florida. He was tied with McCain today and McCain hasn't even begun campaigning there. I expect him to finish fourth. It's over for the GOP.

You don't believe McCain can win the general?

[J. J.]

Not a bad speech by McCain tonight. He's my second choice, far behind Rudy. I still don't understand how pundits can say Giuliani still has a chance in Florida. He was tied with McCain today and McCain hasn't even begun campaigning there. I expect him to finish fourth. It's over for the GOP.

He could try a blitz, though everything he had, and become viable.

What's the current money situation like for McCain, Romney and Giuliani?

[Lincoln Republican]

After Romney, McCain would by my second choice as the Republican Presidential nominee.

I don't mind Giuliani, in some respects, however, his candidacy is doomed.

The rest of the GOP field is comprised of total lightweights.

And no, the race for the GOP nomination is not over because McCain has won South Carolina.

We will now have to see how Super Tuesday unfolds.

If McCain does become the nominee, he would be well advised to pick Romney for VP, the one most capable of stepping into the Presidency should that become necessary.  At age 72, which is how old McCain would be if he is elected President, McCain is going to need a Vice President of substance, i.e. Romney.

McCain and Romney would just have to set aside the minor differences they have and work to move the nation forward.