Republicans Whistling 'Dixie'

South Carolina's Republicans go to the polls tomorrow, and the tunes being sung by the Republican presidential hopefuls have shifted to "Dixie."

Abortion is a much larger issue in South Carolina than it was in New Hampshire or Michigan or Iowa. So is gun control. So is pornography. So is gay marriage.

So is the Confederate flag on the Statehouse dome.

Former Baptist minister Mike Huckabee plays up his faith more than his experience as a governor. Fred Thompson, from nearby Tennessee, has been much more vocal in South Carolina than he has been elsewhere lately.

Domestic issues are important in South Carolina. Foreign policy still matters, though, as John McCain told listeners in Aiken, S.C., Thursday. "I will get bin Laden if I have to follow him to the gates of hell," the Aiken Standard quoted McCain as saying.

Things seem to be moving in favor of McCain, who appears to have swept the newspaper endorsements in South Carolina -- and appears to be on the verge of a victory in tomorrow's primary.

The Charleston Post and Courier endorsed McCain, saying, "Eight years ago we urged voters in South Carolina's Republican presidential primary to support John McCain. His record since then has left us even more convinced that the Arizona senator should be the 2008 Republican presidential nominee."

The Columbia State also gave its endorsement to McCain, telling its readers, "John McCain has shown more clearly than anyone on the American political scene today that he loves his country and would never mislead or dishonor it."

The Greenville News added its voice to the chorus supporting McCain. The News said, "No issue is more important than this nation's security, and no Republican on Saturday's ballot is better qualified to offer steady, tested, reassuring leadership."

Likewise, the Rock Hill Herald expressed its preference for McCain. "If McCain is his party's nominee," the Herald says, "he would have the ability to attract not only conservatives but also moderates and independents. As president, we are confident he would be willing to cross the aisle to work with Democrats to get things accomplished."

The Greenwood Index Journal hasn't endorsed anyone, but offers a worthwhile reminder to citizens who are considering not voting in either tomorrow's Republican primary or the Democratic primary on Jan. 26. "Some voters sometimes get a little lazy. They know they should vote but convince themselves that so many other people will be voting that one vote won’t make a difference. Too many times, though, history proves that elections have been won or lost because of one, two, or three votes."

An editorial in the Hilton Head Island Packet urges "simple steps" to take before going to the polls -- steps everyone should take to make sure they're registered and eligible to vote, whether they live in South Carolina or not.

What are the polls saying on the eve of the primary?

The Columbia State reports that McCain and Huckabee are running "neck and neck" for the lead, with McCain at 27% and Huckabee at 25% in the latest McClatchy-MSNBC poll. Mitt Romney is battling Thompson for third place -- Romney receives 15% and Thompson receives 13%.

The poll reports that the electorate is "volatile," with nearly one in 10 voters saying they were undecided and one-third of those expressing a preference saying they could change their minds before they vote.

American Research Group says McCain enjoys a much larger lead over Huckabee, 33% to 23%. Romney is third, it reports, with 20%, and Thompson is fourth with 13%.