Dubya Roaring & Soaring

George W. Bush is the Carolina Comeback Kid of Campaign 2000.

The Texas Governor told CBS News' Face The Nation he's "thrilled" with his decisive double-digit win over rival John McCain in South Carolina's GOP presidential primary.

"I fought for the vote. The people of this state were watching carefully to see if I was willing to come in and fight for the vote. I did." said Bush.

Only weeks ago, the shoe was on the other foot in New Hampshire, where McCain's double-digit primary win there shook the Republican race for the White House. Bush said South Carolina shows "that a candidate can get up out of the snows of New Hampshire if they learn the lessons of the past and go out and campaign,"

And the Governor pointed to primary turnout as proof.

"Everybody was saying if there was a low turnout, Bush would benefit. If it was a big turnout, (then) I wouldn't. The truth of the matter is it was a huge turnout. It benefited me because people were excited about my candidacy."

But was that because Bush retooled his campaign in South Carolina - calling himself a "reformer with results", fighting hard against McCain, and courting social conservative votes?

The Governor told Face The Nation that he "did a better job of defining myself...and I'll continue doing it around the country."

Bush added that his win sends a message to his supporters far and wide "that I've got a long-term strategic plan, that I can get knocked down, pick myself back up, and battle for the vote."

He predicted South Carolina's outcome "will energize our troops a lot in Michigan and Arizona and all the other states as well."

By that, Bush means the next two GOP battleground states. On Tuesday, Michigan and McCain's home state of Arizona will hold their Republican presidential primaries.

On NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday, McCain vowed to take the high road, but would not back away from his charge comparing Bush to President Clinton for trustworthiness.

When the Senator was asked if he still believes Bush "twists the truth like Clinton" as he had put it earlier in the campaign, McCain stood his ground and said, "Of course he does."

McCain also accused Bush of running "attack ads" against him in Michigan. Bush said on Sunday that he ran a positive campaign in South Carolina - and that the voters there agreed with him about that.

In Michigan, Governor John Engler is leading the charge for Bush as that state braces for its Tuesday primary. On Face The Nation, Engler sounded as if the primaries were over and the general election campaign is on. He said Bush has "reminded people of why so many of us are enthusiastic about him being our standard bearer against Al Gore."

But what about McCain? Engler said the Senator sounded "bitter" in his South Carolina concession speech. He also preicted McCain will "fall short" in trying to turn out Democrats and independents to vote for him in Michigan's open primary.

Still, Engler said McCain's White House bid isn't over - and it only makes Bush a stronger candidate.

"You don't want to have somebody have it easy. And frankly, we're probably not aided by a (primary) campaign that's easy, because it won't be easy come fall going up against Al Gore, so I think he's done a nice job."

Governor Engler asserted that Bush's controversial visit to Bob Jones University in South Carolina will not haunt him in Michigan or beyond. The school opposes interracial dating and has espoused anti-Catholic views. Engler said Bush rejects such views and his visit to Bob Jones did not endorse them.

"I happen to be Catholic. George Bush is going to be a great friend of the Catholic community." he said.

Engler added Bush is "solidly where he needs to be in the center" in Michigan, both for Tuesday's primary and for November.

And Senator McCain's boosters in South Carolina are licking their wounds from their candidate's drubbing there.

GOP Congressman Lindsey Graham told Face The Nation that the Bush campaign "totally distorted" McCain's 17-year voting record on Capitol Hill.

"They made a conscious effort from day one to go after this guy on whether or not he was legitimately pro-life, whether or not he was a true conservative."

McCain narrowly won every voter group in the primary except "self-styled Christian conservatives," said Graham.

"(Christian Coalition founder) Pat Robertson said before the primary vote that John McCain's candidacy would destroy the Republican Party. He's a respected figure down here. That really did penetrate," explained the Congressman.

Urging McCain to stay positive on the campaign trail, Graham said the Senator ran the right campaign in South Carolina. And he warned that what happened to McCain there won't happen again in Michigan.

"People in the nation need to listen to John. He is appealing to independents and Democrats. He has a good message," said Graham.

"What happened here for 19 days, I don't think can be repeated. If it is, it is going to destroy our party."