McCain Defeats Huckabee, Wins S.C. Primary

Economy A Top Issue In Exit Polls; Jan. 29 Fla. Primary Is Next

(CBS/AP)  John McCain won the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday, narrowly defeating Mike Huckabee in the state that dealt a huge blow to his presidential hopes in 2000.

"It just took us awhile, that's all," McCain said in an interview with the Associated Press. "Eight years is not a long time." (Watch McCain Video)

With almost all precincts reporting, McCain had 33 percent of the vote to Huckabee's 30 percent. The win gives McCain a boost headed into the Jan. 29 primary in Florida, where polls indicate a tight race.

Asked if he was now the front-runner for the GOP nomination, McCain demurred.

"I don't know," he said, "we like to run from behind."

Still, he expressed optimism going forward.

"I'm very confident that we'll win in Florida," he said. "We showed that the first-in-the-South primary is a very important victory, and it gives us a very important progress that we can carry right through Florida and February 5th," he said.

---

Complete South Carolina Returns

---

Huckabee insisted he could compete in Florida and the states beyond, including 21 that will hold Republican nominating contests on Feb. 5.

"This is not an event. It is a process, and the process is far, far from over," he said as about 400 supporters cheered. (Watch Huckabee video)

The closely contested state was crucial for Huckabee, who needed to prove his victory in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses was no fluke.

A former Baptist minister, Huckabee had hoped grass-roots support from born-again Christians would help him outflank McCain's superior campaign finances and organization of McCain, winner of the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.

Fred Thompson, at 16 percent, and Mitt Romney, at 15 percent, were in a tight race for a distant third place. Rudy Giuliani, once the national front-runner, had only 2 percent of the vote, half of that won by Ron Paul.

Republican voters headed to polls across South Carolina on Saturday with two forecasts in mind: their history of correctly tapping the eventual GOP nominee, and a more immediate prediction of snow that threatened to dampen turnout, especially in conservative northern communities.

But their top concern when it came to casting their ballot appeared to be the economy, according to CBS News early exit polling. It was cited by 40 percent of voters as their top concern, followed by illegal immigration at 26 percent.

Huckabee, who polls showed deadlocked with McCain for the lead headed into Saturday's vote, has emphasized economic issues, along with aggressively courting evangelical voters, who were estimated to make up nearly 60 percent of Saturday's turnout. Huckabee won 40 percent of their vote, compared to 27 percent for McCain.

But McCain held a big edge on the question of who was more likely to beat the Democratic nominee in November, with 42 percent choosing him over Huckabee, who only 22 percent said he would be the best general election candidate.

The exit polling indicates about one-third of voters made up their minds in the past three days, and that independent voters comprised about 19 percent of the electorate, down significantly from 2000, when independents made up 30 percent of the turnout. However, 39 percent of them backed McCain, compared to 22 percent for Huckabee. Among registered Republicans, the two were split evenly.

"John McCain avenged his 2000 loss in South Carolina and scored in an important symbolic state for Republicans," said CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs. "No Republican has won their party's nomination without winning the South Carolina primary. But Florida and Super Tuesday are on the horizon and nothing is sure in this topsy-turvy contest."

In Florida, McCain, Romney and Huckabee will all be seeking to add to their win totals, and Giuliani will be seeking his first win. The former New York mayor has largely eschewed early, small states in the hope that winning Florida will allow him to win other large states that vote on Feb. 5.

"We're waiting for you," Giuliani said, addressing his GOP rivals at a Florida campaign stop. "We're waiting for you with a campaign we've been working on for I think almost a year."

Saturday's result was a disappointment for Thompson, who had invested large amounts of time and money in South Carolina in an effort to turn around his campaign. Once seen as someone who could rally the party's conservative base, he has failed to perform well in early contests.

"Our country needs strong leadership, needs our party to step up, assume the battle of leadership again," Thompson said to his South Carolina supporters before results were released. "But we need to remember that we need to deserve to lead and that's what all this about is deserving to lead." (Watch Thompson video)

[prinzowhales]

The machines in South Carolina are even more hackable than the ones in New Hampshire where a corrupt election has been followed by a re-count revealing even more irregularities.

The big question for South Carolinians is, "Who will your masters select as the winner in THEIR State of South Carolina?

[jimbo554]

Not only were voting machines not working, polls ran out of paper ballots -- this in the strongly McCain parts of the state (Myrtle Beach). Local reports are saying many voters turned away.

But as if nature would have her say, snow in the upstate (think "Bob Jones University") will keep some Huckabee voters home. It''s true that in SC, snow has a profound affect. Based on grocery store stampedes, apparently everybody stays inside and drinks milk and eats bread.

[skyk-2009]

As a South Carolinian who voted today, I have the highest confidence that the votes will be tallied correctly, and there will be no irregularities. Also, I hope that the comment made by John McCain, in reference to the confederate flag, will be his demise. I personally hope that the conservative citizens of this state will once and for all bury the presidential future of John McCain in the soil of the Palmetto State!!




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ban-one1 at 05:27 PM : Jan 19, 2008
+ report abuse

Wow! I could almost hear the sounds of Dixie playing in the back ground and a bunch of gapped toothed MORONS riding around on horse back in their Hood''s and Sheet''s. I say the Skin Head site online the other day. If you want to see the flag YOU love so much, the traitors flag, go to that site.

[pakaal]

ban-one1: "You may be asking yourself why I do not like McCain. Here is the simple answer. In 2000, he came down here and told the people of S.C. that the flag should be a state matter, and now he wants it to be a federal matter."

Yes we''ve all been asking ourselves that. Thankfully you''ve answered the question of whether or not fringe elements in South Carolina are annoyed at McCain dissing the flag of the defeated Confederacy.

[cmp271]

We need to go back to the lever machines for voting. The computerized ones are too easy to corrupt.

This whole race seems bizarre. No party has a decent candidate. Edwards is the only Dem worth voting for. The GOP has a few good ones and all three major players are viable. McCain would be the best choice. We need someone with military experience.

[greatdrivew]

Wow, the GOP''s in sad shape. Gomer Huckapyle v. John "Neo-Napoleon" McCain? LOL

Where''s Rudy? LOL

[spires01]

I see Paul has faded away once again....LOLF!!!

[ioweign]

We need someone with military experience.

Posted by cmp271 at 07:19 PM : Jan 19, 2008


Why ?

Bush had little and didn''t listen.

I want a president with ears and a brain !

[samthetvcat]

When I look at Fred Thompson, I don''t wonder what''s going to happen to the Republican race, I wonder what''s going to happen to Law and Order - like is he going to come back? lol

I guess he never quite caught on . . .

[pakaal]

Mike Huckabee....

"As governor, he also promoted the faith-based programs of a reconstructionist minister named Bill Gothard -- and even boasted that he had gone through Gothard''s "basic program" himself. More reputable evangelicals consider Gothard to be a cultish fringe character, but he has built an enormous empire, which depends on funding from local and state governments to bring his authoritarian version of the Gospel to prisoners, police officers and welfare recipients, among others. He experienced a moment of unwelcome notoriety recently, when the Denver Post revealed that Matthew Murray, the 24-year-old gunman who killed four people at two Christian centers in Colorado in December, had been subjected as a teenager to Gothard''s superstrict "home-schooling" programs."

Never heard of Bill Gothard? Me neither until about 2 minutes ago. Scary sh*t. "Gothard operates what appears to be a paramilitary-like training school for teenagers on a 2,200-acre former college campus in Big Sandy, Texas, as part of his ALERT program (Air Land Emergency Resource Team"

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/gothard/general.htm

And I thought Giuliani''s ties to the mob were bad!

[mctooold]

McCain is a scum bag! Meet the real McTooOld on Wikipedia. He CHEATED on his first wife with his current trophy ice princess wife! Some morals, huh?

He brags about things that he can, as a man, not make a personal choice. He has never been in the position to have to consider an unplanned pregnancy. It''s easy, again as a man, to say what he''d do IF he had to make a choice, if he were a woman.

He DID have to make a choice on the moral issue of marriage. He chose to not honor his vows and he admitted to committing adultry several times.

How can true conservatives back him? Besides, will he live long enough to see a term?

He also has a great business background in the Keating Five!

[ontheleft]

It''s amusing to watch the repuglicans trying to figure out which candidate will best carry on Bush''s great ''legacy''.

[cfin5]

McCain and Huckabee the front runners......Hmmmm, don''t sound like South Carolinas preachers been doing their job down there for a LONG time. These two are the worst ones running for the republican nod, but hey, what really matters is how they talk in church a few times every four years instead of how their voting record walks in public office for the WHOLE FOUR YEARS. You believers down there better wake up. The only thing left that we have in government that stands between YOU and the GUILLOTINE is that founding fathers work of art called "The Constitution of the United States" and the "Bill of Rights". Your modern day bibles with a copy write (not owned by GOD) will not help you. When you put flip''floppers and phony constitutional oath breakers in office like this,......YOU ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK!.....And I don''t mean firewood either.

[cbville72]

It''''s amusing to watch the repuglicans trying to figure out which candidate will best carry on Bush''''s great ''''legacy''''.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ontheleft at 08:39 PM : Jan 19, 2008

I guess its almost as exciting as the Democrats each calling the other candidates a racist in one way or another...and then spending all their energy trying to not be "labelled" a racist. Edwards is a joke and will be a non factor in 2 weeks. He already is but it will be official very soon.
Are the Democrats really stupid enough to nominate Hillary Clinton.
Jesus they deserve it.

[taotxzen]

News to CBS:

Democrats
Jan 19th Delegate Count:
Obama
38
Clinton
36

Republicans
Jan 19th Delegate Count:
Romney
66
Huckabee
21
McCain
19

Who knows how this will display...

[cs4466]

And to those folks who say Hillary is SOOOOO polarizing and nobody will vote for her because of that, well; let''s look at the "polarizing" elements of the other candidates! ..........


Obama: Black (as much as I like him, tell me that isn''t polarizing; go ahead, tell me) ..........
McCain: Pro war (everyone''s so pro-war these days, you know, all the polls say so)..........
Edwards: Um. well I guess he isn''t terribly polarizing. Some republicans apparently think expensive haircuts should disqualify you from candidacy for president, but most normal people don''t think that...........
Romney: Rich mormon (right or wrong, mormonism is VERY polarizing)..........
Huckabee: Evangelist that wants to put "god in our constitution". No, that''s not polarizing at all! *rolls eyes*..........
Guliani: Pro abortion, pro gay New Yorker on a republican ticket...........
Thompson: Not really a serious contender. Having a wife 120 years younger than you is probably a little polarizing in some circles though...........
Ron Paul: Ron who?..........So, lets see. I''ll vote for HILLARY! Yes, sir, I will.

[j-whitman]

cbville72,,, This is about McCain & Huckabee

McCain - The Bush people are allready swift boating calling him "The Hanoi Songbird"

Huckajesus - Who wants to change our Constution into the laws of a Living God

[j-whitman]

cbville72,,, This is about McCain & Huckabee

McCain - The Bush people are allready swift boating calling him "The Hanoi Songbird"

Huckajesus - Who wants to change our Constution into the laws of a Living God

[smirk5]

Looks like Amnesty is winning out in the GOP.

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by McTooOld at 08:21 PM :

You''re right, McCain''s wife is HOT! She looks like a dancer.
1. What happened to his other wife?
2. Did he have children with the first wife?

I am always curious how the religious conservs love to divorce, have lesbonese children, etc., etc. just like regular folk.
Anyway, bottom line McCain is just TOO DAMM OLD to run any country.
I don''t care how well they try to light his face and not show his OLD skin around his neck.
The news services are doing a great disservice by not talking about how his AGE is affecting him as they try to hide McCain''s terrible habits and ways.
It is true, you CAN''T teach an OLD DOG new trick, and he is as old as they come.

[sharncedar]

taotxzen points out that the real leaders in earned delagates right now are Romney and Obama. Nice facts, dude, I know that we get no facts from CBS. They are selling the piece of dirty filth "Hillary" facelift liar "Clinton" and also McCain, and they don''t even respect us enough to pretend about facts anymore.

We are told that McCain and "Filth" are winning race after race when they are trailing in delegate counts. The MSM doesn''t even pretend to try to report the news anymore, do they, well hopefully they will get their''s sooner rather than later, this is a disservice to our nation.

Just report the campaign, CBS, rather than try to force your evil candidates on us.

[samthetvcat]

Wow, I feel like this win is so huge for McCain because it shows that Evangelicals knew their voting bloc was at stake and they didn''t rally around Huckabee to push him over the top. It''s almost like they''re letting other Evangelicals know that after taking a closer look, there were other things at stake . . .

With Thompson out, I''m not even sure all his support''ll go to Huckabee . . .

[usayesterday]

So I wonder which Dem and GOP candidates/nominees would prompt Michael Bloomberg to announce his independent candidacy?

I know Hillary would on the Dem side... but which GOP candidate would make Bloomberg just say, "Those *********?! Damm, this is going to be EASY!"

Bloomberg 2008

[samthetvcat]

"I know Hillary would on the Dem side... but which GOP candidate would make Bloomberg just say, "Those *********?! Damm, this is going to be EASY!"

Bloomberg 2008"
Posted by USAyesterday

For me it would have to be Huckabee - his bigotry is just a total dealbreaker for me. But all the other front-runners I''d be fine with - McCain, Romney, (Rudy) . . .

[usayesterday]

For me it would have to be Huckabee - his bigotry is just a total dealbreaker for me. But all the other front-runners I''''d be fine with - McCain, Romney, (Rudy) . . .

Posted by SamTheTVCat at 10:04 PM : Jan 19, 2008
............

Yes, that could be true.

It would have to be someone very polarizing from the GOP side, because we know how polarizing Hillary is, (at least, those who are not brainwashed by her).

[samthetvcat]

WOW how old is McCain''s mom? She looks FANTASTIC!

[usayesterday]

Sam,

Romney is also polarizing for those who cannot get over his kind of religion. (though never been a problem for me). But nevertheless, the religious fundamentalists who get hung up on which "brand" of Christianity one subscribes to, are a huge voting block...

...like it or not.

[samthetvcat]

"Sam,

Romney is also polarizing for those who cannot get over his kind of religion. (though never been a problem for me). But nevertheless, the religious fundamentalists who get hung up on which "brand" of Christianity one subscribes to, are a huge voting block...

...like it or not. "
Posted by USAyesterday

Yeah, I agree. It''s also his personality too - he''s extremely abrasive which a lot of ppl take issue with . . .

[enoughya]

McCain has proven way too subservient to Bush, and is being being pushed forward way too much by the establishment elites. He used to be straight-talker, but he sold his soul to the devil and now pushes a facist agenda, just like Bush. I would never vote for someone who sells their soul for votes, like McCain (and I was going to vote for McCain in 2000). Time reveals true character.

[mctooold]

The media have their faves and they are not fair and balanced at all! They don''t show Romney any love for his wins!

McCain is a scum bag! Meet the real McTooOld on Wikipedia. He CHEATED on his first wife with his current trophy ice princess wife! Some morals, huh?
He brags about things that he can, as a man, not make a personal choice. He has never been in the position to have to consider an unplanned pregnancy. It''''s easy, again as a man, to say what he''''d do IF he had to make a choice, if he were a woman.

He DID have to make a choice on the moral issue of marriage. He chose to not honor his vows and he admitted to committing adultry several times.

How can true conservatives back him? Besides, will he live long enough to see a term? His mother looks better than he does.

He believes in giving illegals amnesty, so you better get to learnin'' your espaniol!

He also has a great business background in the Keating Five!

[Ruidu]

To clarify what happened in South Carolina tonight, Fred Thompson split the ticket, as Ross Perot split the ticket on H Bush in South Carolina. Huckabee supporters must start today answering the established media%u2019s attack on Mike Huckabee and expose the records of McCain, Romney, and Thompson.

[sgtrds]

In his first move as the newly elected president John McCain appointed his mother as the nations first secretary of changing his diaper and putting him down for his nap. He said she did such a good job of it when he was a baby and now that senility is setting in he''s sure she''s up for the task again. Additional duties for her will be preparing his afternoon fruit cup, fetching his evening cocoa and making sure his walker is nice and shiny.

[tylenol6]

I guess the people who voted for Juan McCain want to
keep the war going. McCain is also PRO-AMNESTY. Wake
up people. Stop letting the media propaganda telling you
how to vote. McCain is the biggest WAR PIG!!!!!!!!!!!

[sgtrds]

It''''s amusing to watch the repuglicans trying to figure out which candidate will best carry on Bush''''s great ''''legacy''''.

Posted by ontheleft at 08:39 PM : Jan 19, 2008


They''re all fighting for the "honor" of getting their as*s handed to them by the Democrats in November.

[jerr11]

McCain is a scum bag! Meet the real McTooOld on Wikipedia. He CHEATED on his first wife with his current trophy ice princess wife! Some morals, huh?

Posted by McTooOld at 10:35 PM : Jan 19, 2008


Give the guy a break!

What''s wrong with trophy wives? It''s essential if you want to be a Republican and win in the South!

It tells those southern rednecks that you''re one of them.

They know a thing or two about morals and adultery down there. That''s why they need the bible and the Lord so bad in the South.

They just love to keep sinning and repenting and sinning and repenting.

LOL

[Ruidu]

To clarify what happened in South Carolina tonight, Fred Thompson split the ticket, as Ross Perot split the ticket on H Bush in South Carolina. Huckabee supporters must start today answering the established media%u2019s attack on Mike Huckabee and expose the records of McCain, Romney, and Thompson.

[ontheleft]

Senility triumphed over insanity.

[usayesterday]

For those who like Romney for his corporate experience, just keep in mind one thing...

...the kind of businesses he headed (investment banking), is the exact kind of companies who love to "encourage" their investment businesses to offshore and outsource their work for bargain basement labor prices.

Thus, it is the "Romney''s" of America that have helped to destroy our economy through the rapid liquidation of quality paying jobs in America FOR AMERICANS.

[sharncedar]

While I agree that Romney made all his money through the type of shallow-thinking, anti-American private equity investment, the guys who make profits not by a better product or better management but just by attacking the workers or their benefits and cutting employees, there is some hope that given the presidency he might learn on the job.

Of course, you can''t approach a nation with these selfish business tactics - what can you do, offshore your citizenship to a cheaper country? Layoff your citizens? Get some other government to pick up the pension payments on your old people?

But the hope is he will at least grow into the job, after trying to offshore government services, or privatize evne more of the government to ruthless and corrupt private business, he will see the deaths and horror created by his policies, and change. What else can we hope for? We know with hillary we will get the devil, she did it before with NAFTA and the corporate revolution of late 20th century over which the hag rode like America''s executioner. We can''t even hope with Hillary. We know her too well. and hope is all we have left, they''ve taken all our money.

[jerr11]

Low Class Standard Reptilian Strategy.

Posted by beecuster at 12:29 AM : Jan 20, 2008


Otherwise known as the "Rove/Bush/Cheney Strategy."

Rove, Bush and Cheney wrote the book on Low Class Reptilian Strategy.

It''s the one proud Bush legacy that is sure to endure in the GOP long after he''s gone.

[usayesterday]

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:48 AM : Jan 20, 2008
.............

In this coming recession, we don''t need a "learn-as-you-go" president. Some of us have seen this recession coming for years...

...outsource/offshore all the quality paying jobs and what''s left? Retail/service jobs? All the while, housing and costs of living skyrocket many times more than the average income levels of the majority of Americans!

There were no fundamentals for the "irrational exuberance" of the housing market. Investors/flippers were major players in driving the housing costs sky high, while middle America found their affordability go out the window... thus causing them to find "creative" financing and take yet another job or two just to afford the unbelievable mortgage payment.

Prior to the offshoring/outsourcing trend, Americans... (who were mostly college graduates) could look forward to getting into the job market relatively quickly after graduating. Then look forward to promotions and better prospects as they gained seniority in their jobs.

(continued above)

[usayesterday]

(continued from below)

But with all of the outsourcing/offshoring, many white-collar working Americans had little hope for moving up the "ladder" but also, they found that even taking a small step backwards also disappeared as even those jobs went away (mostly) after 2001, 2002.

So the coming recession can (and has) been blamed mostly on the "housing bubble"... but realistically, the fundamentals of quality paying jobs FOR AMERICANS have dried up years before the big housing bubble burst. And without those fundamentals, there will be little hope for a recovery to the level we have been used to. This "recession" may be a permanent correction in economics for America. Housing and other costs of living will have to come down to the level of incomes (service industry level) that many Americans are forced to live with now.

One solution I have:

American based corporations should pay taxes on EVERY head that does work for them, either employed or outsourced. That way, the incentive to bring in H1b visa workers or offshoring to India/China/wherever.. will no longer be the big labor cost saver that many businesses take advantage of today.

America cannot sustain a stable economy and a strong middle class if our politicians continue to "Stay the course" in this war on job security!

[ih2005]

Economic dislocations are THE problem with an INCOME tax system that is highly manipulable - subject to influence by lobbyists and continual revision by politicians, taxes business resources and payroll whose costs can NOT be extracted from export prices and results in higher domestic "price tags" for consumers.

Clearly, the answer is in front of us - the FAIRTAX ( http://snipr.com/irsgone ); that''s right, the same plan ardently advocated by Gov. Huckabee ( http://snipr.com/fthuckabeeonirs ) and demagogued by people like Bruce Bartlett ( http://snipr.com/foulbb ).

The research ( http://snipr.com/fairtaxslate ) makes a compelling case for EVERYONE to get involved in voicing their support for the FairTax Act of 2007 (HR 25 / S 1025).

[moxford0]

Quick Draw McCain wins in South Carolina and Ron Paul beats Quick Draw McCain in Nevada. Ron Paul wants to end Bush''s war and Quick Draw wants to continue it. It just shows that Nevada is a state of high moral values and good sense whereas South Carolina voters have neither values or sense;or did the South Carolina voters get choked on chewing tobacco and pull the wrong lever?

[smirk5]

After all the crying about illegal immigration, the knuckledragging party is probably going to nominate amnesty boy.

[usayesterday]

Biggest problem with "fair tax":

The AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) that defines your federal tax rate, varies greatly depending on the types of tax write-offs you take. The "Fair Tax/Flat Tax" advocates suggest numbers such as 15% to 20% depending on which flat/fair tax advocate you talk to. Many middle class wage earners, after tax write-offs, can have a AGI tax rate below 15% in many cases, especially those who own a home and/or work as independent contractors.

All the "Fair Tax/Flat Tax" system would do is to greatly decrease the tax rate (ie. give a big tax cut) to the higher income earners all the way to the top.

[usayesterday]

BEST TAX CUT IN THE WORLD:

Revert all taxes back to the levels prior to 2002.

And give a 200% tax write off for every dollar donated to non-profit charities which help American people. And make it unlimited. So if a wealthy wage earner making $10 million a year wants to eliminate his federal income tax... all he/she does is donate half of his total annual income! ($5 million)

Imagine how many more people would donate to charities that help other people! There would literally come a time where welfare and other government assistance programs would rarely be needed. (And that would be the tax savings to offset the tax cut).

[winghunter]

What will the RINO''s do when the Libs roll out their full records?? Crawl away and hide I imagine;

Candidate Research - Know Who You''re Voting For ( The Easy Way ) http://tinyurl.com/2sowta

[piercetheval]

I still ain''t seen nobody from the Repug. Camp that has a chance of defeating Hillary. It''s would be almost sad to watch their gleeful lil'' election night parties knowing how little chance they''ve got come Nov. Oh well, and the band played on as the Titanic was sinking.

[piercetheval]

New from Andhowsyourbush Inc. McCain N.A. Half the accountability and all of the same great hate you love so much. McCain N.A. [non accountable] from the makers of Bush and Bush Lite. Hate''s Great! More Killing! Andhowsyourbush Inc.