South Carolina Primary is Already Ugly

Ten Republican presidential candidates gather in South Carolina tonight for their second debate this month. The debate will broadcast live on Fox News at 9:00 pm, and will be moderated by Brit Hume, the conservative Fox commentator.

South Carolina was the scene of an ugly primary battle in 2000 between George Bush and John McCain, during which McCain suffered “one of the dirtiest smear campaigns in modern political history.”

Push polls attacked McCain's personal life and exaggerated his role in the Keating savings and loan scandal. Leaflets slammed his wife, Cindy, for her past addiction to painkillers. An e-mail from a Bob Jones University professor accused McCain of fathering children out of wedlock. A mysterious public action committee in favor of the Confederate flag--called "Keep it Flying"--sprang up overnight and slammed McCain in 250,000 leaflets.

Ironically, McCain has hired Terry Nelson, a strategist with his own long history of dirty tricks who said he admired the tactics used against McCain in South Carolina in 2000.

Just in time for the debate tonight, a smear attack on Mitt Romney and his Mormon beliefs. Coincidence?

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported that some unsigned literature attacking Mormonism was being mailed to some households in the state. The literature was described as "an eight-page diatribe," with the title "Mormons in Contemporary American Society: A Politically Dangerous Religion?" It did not mention Romney, who is Mormon, but was seen by politically active South Carolinians as a direct attack on his candidacy, the paper said.

Of course, Mitt Romney has hired Warren Tompkins, Bush's South Carolina chief strategist in 2000--and one of the principal architects of the smear campaign against McCain. Watch out, folks. This could get ugly.

Comments (6) «

gee, if they can get ugly on their own, just think what they'll do to a democrat.

1

Esmeralda on May 15, 2007 at 10:45 AM

These people would eat their own.

2

SandyH on May 15, 2007 at 02:12 PM

This will certainly be interesting.

3

Young on May 15, 2007 at 04:48 PM

Did you see Gonzales' latest meal? McNulty was properly salted and peppered before being cut into little pieces.

4

SandyH on May 15, 2007 at 06:51 PM

I`m convinced that repubs will throw anyone to the slaughter in order to politically survive themselves.I think it is part of their philosophy that we are all part of the jungle and we are all on our own.As far as I can tell that`s the only connectness they experience.I can`t see how they hold it all together.They certainly are the most hypocritical party when you see what they do as opposed to what they say.

5

virgo on May 16, 2007 at 07:53 AM

I`m convinced that repubs will throw anyone to the slaughter in order to politically survive themselves.I think it is part of their philosophy that we are all part of the jungle and we are all on our own.As far as I can tell that`s the only connectness they experience.I can`t see how they hold it all together.They certainly are the most hypocritical party when you see what they do as opposed to what they say.

6

virgo on May 16, 2007 at 07:55 AM

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