McCain beats Huckabee in South Carolina showdown

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- John McCain defeated Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina Republican primary on Saturday, giving the Arizona senator a boost as the wide-open nomination fight heads to Florida.

McCain's victory adds to his win in New Hampshire last week and reverses the outcome of 2000, when he lost a bitter primary fight to George W. Bush. It also meant another stunning comeback for McCain, who had to lay off staff and scale back campaign operations last summer because of poor fundraising.

"It took us a while," McCain said, entering the alumni center at The Citadel to the theme from the movie, Rocky. "But what's eight years among friends?"

The senator acknowledged South Carolina's historic role in the GOP nomination, noting that the state primary winner has gone on to become the party's standard bearer since 1980. McCain's supporters cheered enthusiastically, chanting "Mac is Back" and "U-S-A," as their candidate vowed to win the Florida primary on Jan. 29.

The GOP race, however, is far from clear, as Mitt Romney easily won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday. The former Massachusetts governor has three wins, including Michigan and the little-noticed Wyoming caucuses. Huckabee took the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest of the year.

Amy Walter, editor in chief of The Hotline, a political newsletter, said McCain and Romney should be considered the GOP front-runners — for now.

"I don't think anybody believes it's over," she said.

Huckabee congratulated McCain by telephone for running a "civil and a good and decent campaign" and vowed to press forward.

"We didn't lose tonight," Huckabee told his supporters in Columbia. The "game ended a little early for us. ...The path to the White House is not ending tonight."

Democrats, meanwhile, hold their party's primary in South Carolina on Jan. 26. The Nevada caucuses on Saturday appeared to produce a split decision. Hillary Rodham Clinton won the vote count among those who participated in the caucuses, but Barack Obama claimed a slight advantage in national convention delegates on the strength of his showing in rural areas.

Florida and beyond

Pat Caddell, a former Democratic pollster and now an analyst on Fox News Channel, said in an interview that Romney's lead among GOP delegates is "meaningless" because California and New York are among the states that will hold primaries on Feb. 5.

"What matters is who has command of the race, if anyone," Caddell said. "With McCain winning here, the question is who stops him in Florida."

Romney said his wins on Saturday give him momentum. "Two of the battleground states have come out strongly for our campaign," he told supporters in Florida before the South Carolina results were known. He was referring to Michigan and Nevada, which are sought-after prizes for both parties in the general election. Romney trailed in South Carolina, despite heavy spending on TV here to introduce himself to voters.

Shortly before 8 p.m. ET, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson took to the stage in Columbia to thank his supporters and did not give an indication of his campaign's future. He had said that South Carolina would be his last stand. "It's never been about me," said Thompson, who was criticized for taking months last year to decide to run. "It's been about our country and the future of our country and our party's role in that future."

Thompson, an actor best known for his role on TV's Law & Order, credited his supporters for helping the GOP take a look "in the mirror to decide where it's going."

Texas Rep. Ron Paul was near the bottom of pre-primary state polls. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani did not campaign recently in South Carolina and focused on Florida. The Associated Press reported that California Rep. Duncan Hunter was ready to end his presidential bid after a poor showing in South Carolina.

Giuliani, in an interview from Florida with CNN before South Carolina polls closed, defended his strategy of waiting for the Florida contest. "We've set the agenda here," Giuliani said. "We've talked about a lot of the concerns of Florida."

Weather and voting problems marred turnout in South Carolina, which was pounded by rains on the state's eastern side throughout the day. Snow also fell in the western part of the state.

Horry County, which includes the resort town of Myrtle Beach, reported that as many as 90% of its electronic voting machines did not work in the morning. State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said all machines were available shortly after 5 p.m., though "some voters cast paper ballots" in 15 to 20 precincts in the county. McCain did well in that part of the state in 2000, and his campaign lost a bid to keep the polls open there past the 7 p.m. statewide closing time.

What voters said

McCain did best among voters who said a candidate's personal qualities were more important than his stand on issues, according to interviews with voters as they were leaving polling places conducted by the Associated Press and television networks.

As he did in New Hampshire, McCain won among independents, who could vote in South Carolina's open primary. McCain beat Huckabee, 42% to 25% among independents, according to the AP and network surveys.

Although McCain spent much time during this campaign trying to appeal to South Carolina's conservatives, Huckabee had a 35%-26% edge over McCain among those voters. McCain beat Huckabee by more than 2-to-1 among moderates, who were a quarter of the vote, according to the exit interviews.

A former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war, McCain touted his military background in South Carolina, which is home to more than 400,000 veterans. At campaign stops throughout the state, McCain discussed his early support for a temporary boost in U.S. troop levels in Iraq and vowed he would win the war as president.

McCain won half the votes of people who said the war was their top issue, according to the AP and TV network interviews.

Robert Beckett, 77, a retired business executive in Orangeburg, said he voted for McCain because of the senator's military background. "I think he's got the experience. I like his approach," Beckett said. "He's dedicated to the country."

Copeland Veronee, 92, of Cayce, who described himself as the oldest active jazz percussionist in the country, said "as a fellow veteran I ought to help" McCain. Veronee served in the Army in the Pacific theater during World War II.

In 2000, McCain had to fight negative campaigning that questioned his military record, mental state and family. This year, McCain formed a "truth squad" and fought back when questions arose about his voting record or positions. He also sent out a campaign mailer that included a picture of his wife, Cindy, holding their daughter, Bridget, whom they adopted from Bangladesh.

Values voters

Huckabee sought to replicate his Iowa win by relying on existing coalitions of social conservatives, including pastors, home-school advocates, gun rights supportesrs and backers of a national retail sales tax. More than half the GOP electorate in South Carolina are white evangelicals, according to the Pew Center for Religion & Public life.

The former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher won more than 40% of voters who considered themselves born again or evangelical voters, compared with McCain's 25%. McCain did better with secular voters, winning 40% compared with 21% for Romney.

Brett Handegan, 39, a food and beverage manager at a Charleston hotel, said he voted for Huckabee because of what he called "family values" and border issues. He said he didn't believe Romney was consistent in his positions and thinks McCain, who was first elected to the Senate in 1986, has been in Washington too long.

Regarding Huckabee, Handegan said, "it's not so much because he's a Christian, though I am one too. It's more about family values in general."

Road to White House

Huckabee also reached out to people living paycheck to paycheck, arguing that the GOP had not done enough for them. The former governor cited throughout the campaign his executive experience while suggesting McCain was a Washington insider.

Diane Weeks, 54, a banker in Orangeburg, cast her ballot for Huckabee. "He stands for a lot of the things I stand for," she said. "I feel that he will remember the everyday person, the middle-class person."

Thompson needed more voters like Pat Moseley, a retired nurse in Orangeburg. Moseley, 69, said she voted for Thompson after watching him campaign this week. "He was very laid back — he seemed very knowledgeable. He answered the questions immediately, didn't dilly-dally around."

Contributing: Jill Lawrence in Las Vegas; Chuck Raasch, Gannett News Service, in Columbia, S.C.