Official SC Republican Primary Results Thread

[Flying Dog]

Huckabee needs to be winning counties like Lexington and Spartanberg by strong margins to win and he's not, so far.  I really don't know what they're waiting for - Greenville?

I'm calling it for McCain.

We were all waiting.

[Reluctant Republican]

I wish i had US tv so i could watch along!

clicking refresh every few minutes just isn't as exciting

http://www.cnn.com/

That does not have the live tv feed, but they have a feed from McCain headquarters, so you can watch his speech at least if you want.

[Aizen]

Huckabee is finished. Thank god. Although my partisan hack side would have liked to see McCain lose, my pure hatred for Huckabee and my favorable view on McCain overall doesn't make this a terrible result.

[ukchris82]

cheers

[Frodo]

What is taking them?  It has been a couple of minutes, and still only 22% of the vote is in.

[bullmoose88]

Good news for Huckabee. Charleston is 41% in. It has McCain @ 48%

McCain only won Charleston 50-47 8 years ago, I assume his margin is much larger now

[Person Man]

Now we are going to have to deal with McCain....

Iraq is kinda sunny, though..

[Sam Spade]

Good news for Huckabee. Charleston is 41% in. It has McCain @ 48%

McCain only won Charleston 50-47 8 years ago, I assume his margin is much larger now

About 25 points.  But he's winning Lexington and only a couple of points behind in Spartanburg.  Huck should be winning there.

[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.

[Frodo]

With 26% of the vote in, McCain maintains his 8 point lead. 

[angus]

I wish i had US tv so i could watch along!

clicking refresh every few minutes just isn't as exciting

it's all in the expectations.  Take Fred's speech, for example.  I expected a decent speech by a man I'm not particularly fond of to begin with, and I got it.  I thought, "good for him.  He mentioned God, the second amendment, Ronald Reagan, and the 'rights of the unborn'."  All in one sentence.  As far as I can tell, that's a classic B+ Republican speech.  He didn't give me a raging hard-on, but then only Ron--the other Ron; not Reagan--can do that.  So I can't give him an A.  But it was an honest speech to honest supporters.  Gave 'em a little "thank you" and "this is what it's all about."  Standard stuff.  That's really all he can do at this point.

Others must have expected him to say, "Alright, my fellow rebels, it's time to take up arms against an oppressive, overly centralized government run by fools.  Let's declare our independence from the Yankee bastards and start a confederation of federalists."  So of course they're disappointed in Fred's speech. 

It's all about expectations.

If yours are too great, then you're probably better off without a television.

[Mr. Morden]

someone refresh my memory, just a few months ago didnt the polls indicate rudy was 20%+ in sc?

In August/Sept., yes.  In fact, back then, Giuliani was at at least 15% in IA, NH, MI, *and* NV as well.

[ZamboniDriver]

Thompson in 3rd place.

[Person Man]

27% in 36-28... ARE WE FUGGIN LOVIN' IT YET?

[Aizen]

27% in 36-28... ARE WE IN LOVIN' IT YET?

mccain

lovin' it

...

...

mclovin


ah i got it

[War on Want]

McCain's lead reduced to 6%.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

They are saying that the race is far from over and that a lot of the upstate that may not have been factored into the exit polls are still out. wow, i am nervous as hell. i hate rudy for his strategy.

[Frodo]

Whether waxing or waning, McCain has consistently maintained his lead -why isn't CNN or some other news network calling this race for him already? 

[ZamboniDriver]

Charleston almost done reporting.  Nothing out of Horry yet.  Huckabee up by six in Spartanburg.

[War on Want]

Charleston almost done reporting.  Nothing out of Horry yet.  Huckabee up by six in Spartanburg.

47% are in Spartanburg so if the trend holds, Huckabee's lead there will increase. There isn't anything from Greenville yet either.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

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.

i'd love for you to be right .. i really would. i have been saying this for a while, but it doesnt look like that matters anymore. unless huckabee wins, it appears as if florida will go to mccain and then he runs the table on super tuesday. i believe rudy will finish 4th in florida. he collapses on election days no matter what he is polling. he was getting double digits in NV and got 4% there. even if rudy does poll 2nd or tied for 1st in FL, i imagine he'll finish a distant fourth fighting with paul.

[Flying Dog]

35-30

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

McCain 49,884 35%
 Huckabee 42,379 30%
 Thompson 21,719 15%
 Romney 20,720 14%
 Paul 5,360 4%
 Giuliani 3,023 2%
 Hunter 319 0%

36% reporting

[ZamboniDriver]

Huckabee catching up in Lexington. 

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm calling this for McCain.  We're nearly 40% reporting and he has maintained at least a 5% lead.