Republicans face off in must-win South Carolina nominations
Nikki Haley, the Indian-American governor of South Carolina, says she wears heels not as a fashion statement, but to be prepared to kick at anytime. Politics in her state is a blood sport.
As Republicans hold their third nominating contest on Saturday in South Carolina, the race has turned predictably ugly with all sides using dietary tricks in the state, as it has done historically.
Donald Trump has never been more aggressive this cycle, trashing the Bush family and threatening to sue Ted Cruz saying his birth in Canada disqualifies him from running for the White House.
Marco Rubio has been hit by a flurry of faked pictures and videos, for which he has claimed the Cruz campaign, which in turn has claimed being fouled by the Rubio campaign.
There is much at stake here for the six Republicans in the field.
Trump is way ahead with 31.8% in the RealClearPolitics average of polls, with Ted Cruz second with 18.4%, Marco Rubio third with 17.8% and Jeb Bush fourth with 10.3%.
A victory for Trump, his second after New Hampshire, will further his claim on the nomination and the party will be forced to start getting used to him as the nominee.
Cruz and Rubio, who are locked in a close contest for the second slot, will be looking for a strong second in South Carolina and begin to start threatening Trump for the top slot.
It’s important for Rubio, the leading establishment candidate, to turn in a strong performance after his dismal finish in New Hampshire. He is currently polling second.
For Bush, it’s a question of survival, with experts saying it will be difficult for him to continue if he finishes outside top four.
Andy Shain, who covers politics for The State, a local news publication, argues that the race turns dirty and ugly in South Carolina because of the stakes at this stage.
Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two nominating contests, is where candidates test their message. And voters wield the scimitar to remove candidates they don’t think are serious.
“The race gets nastier and unfortunately — and at least for my state and its reputation, we seem to be the place where, as the field has drawn down or as the race is getting more intense, we’re the place where it happens,” Shain said.