Are the stages set?(EDITORIALS)

0 Comments | Washington Times, The, January, 2008

Byline: THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Ever since Ronald Reagan won the South Carolina primary in 1980, no Republican has won his party's nomination without winning the Palmetto State primary.

On Saturday, with 33 percent of the vote, a euphoric John McCain won a come-from-behind victory, beating Mike Huckabee (30 percent), Fred Thompson (16 percent), Mitt Romney (15 percent) and erstwhile national front-runner Rudy "Single Digits" Giuliani (2 percent). A month earlier, according to an average of four South Carolina polls compiled by RealClearPolitics, Mr. McCain was trailing Messrs. Huckabee (25.8 percent), Romney (19.3 percent) and Thompson (13.5 percent). If South Carolina was the make-or-break state for Mr. Thompson, then his campaign is broken beyond...