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S.C. makes McCain GOP front-runner

BY TOM BRUNE | tom.brune@newsday.com

10:33 PM EST, January 19, 2008

Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., celebrates with supporters after his South Carolina presidential primary election win at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo / January 19, 2008)

COLUMBIA, S.C. - John McCain assumed the role of the Republican front-runner Saturday, squeaking out a win in a state that derailed his run for president eight years ago and gaining momentum as he heads into what is shaping up as a decisive battle in Florida.

McCain won 33 percent of the vote, edging out Mike Huckabee, who had 30 percent, as the state's most conservative and evangelical voters apparently split among conservative candidates Huckabee, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney.

The first primary in the South, held on an unusually cold, wet and snowy day, began to clarify the muddled GOP field, setting up a key fight in Florida's Jan. 29 primary just nine days from now.

The close race dealt a significant setback to Iowa victor Huckabee, undercutting his quest for president after he could not nail down a badly needed second win.

It also dashed the hopes of Thompson, a neighboring Southerner who failed in his do-or-die last stand by coming in third with 16 percent.

Romney also faltered, but he downplayed a fourth place with 15 percent. He stressed his win in the Nevada caucuses, a little-watched contest also held Saturday: "I got the majority, 53 percent of the total."

But the focus remained on McCain, who continues a comeback that began in New Hampshire and moved ahead yesterday by hitting a marker: the winner of two of the first three major primaries historically has gone on to win the Republican nomination.

"You and are aware that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina primary has been the nominee of our party for the president of the United States," McCain said to chants of "Mac is back."

"We have a ways to go, my friends, and of course there are some tough contests ahead, starting Monday in the state of Florida where we're going to win with your support."

For McCain it was an especially satisfying win, as he came back in the state where his maverick battle for the White House in 2000 crashed in a sound defeat to George W. Bush amid charges of dirty politics.

On Saturday night, Huckabee congratulated Republicans for running a clean campaign here as he acknowledged his loss.

"We got awful close. Unfortunately, close doesn't count for first," he said. "This is not an event. It is a process, and the process is far, far from over. Tomorrow, we wake up to fight the battle yet again, yet again."

Though he vowed to fight on, the loss dimmed his chances considerably. The former Baptist preacher remains a one-state victor, unable to repeat the success among the evangelical and conservative voters here that he had in Iowa.

Expectations were that Thompson might drop out. After weak showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, he staked his campaign on South Carolina, his aides saying he needed a win or a close second to continue. But he gave no indication of his plans.

The race now shifts to Florida, where Saturday McCain's campaign opened its state headquarters in Tampa and Romney flew from Nevada to Jacksonville, Fla., to campaign.

Awaiting them was Rudy Giuliani, who finished at 3 percent in Nevada and, at his lowest of the year, 2 percent in South Carolina -- two more losses in a string of six dismal finishes.

Ron Paul, a libertarian with a staunch following, surpassed Giuliani for a third time.

McCain's victory is bad news for Giuliani, forcing the former mayor to compete with him for many of the same voters.

But Giuliani, who has staked the future of his campaign on Florida, remained upbeat despite a growing chorus of doubts about his unconventional strategy to skip early primaries to focus on delegate-rich bigger states that vote later.

"We've had Florida to ourselves for about 10 days," Giuliani said. "I'm an optimist. We're going to win Florida, and that's going to push us right to the top in winning the nomination."