Palmetto State Polls
As voters in the Palmetto State head to the polls on Saturday morning, I thought it would be interesting to put up a some poll questions, not only for South Carolinians, but for readers generally. Obviously, there’s quite a lot at stake in this small southern state, but given the media focus on the contest, and all the controversies that have surrounded it, size seems not to be an issue. Candidates have been pressing the flesh and volunteers have been working overtime, as the media bombardment of advertising has hit an all-time record, not only in the sheer volume of it, but also in terms of the content. By many accounts, this has been one of the nastiest campaigns people on the ground in South Carolina can remember.
Many will be happy when this day comes and goes, so their phones will stop ringing with robo-calls and their mailboxes will contain anything other than the SuperPAC junk mail that has been flooding the state. Finally, they’ll be able to turn on the television without being bombarded by political ads,and we will know who this state has chosen.
Here are three poll questions for you, and I will reveal the results after the polls close in South Carolina.
Mark America 
I picked Newt but I like Santorum too. Neither could have competed with Sarah. Wish she was running this time.
I agree Michelle – I picked Newt, yet like Santorum. I am still praying and hoping I have the opportunity to work for and vote for Sarah Palin – that she is drafted to clean up the mess the elites of the GOP have made.
Reb
I love Sarah, but she did endorse Newt so that’s the next best thing.
Careful Mary, she didn’t endorse him. She said if she was a voter in South Carolina, she would vote for him, as a matter of keeping the contest alive. Her husband, Todd Palin, has indeed endorsed Gingrich.
Mark, I agree. Sarah didn’t specifically endorse Newt, but then Todd did. Given Newt’s record, it doesn’t speak well for him or, by extension, Sarah. Given the respect I have for Sarah, I was surprised and disappointed that Todd would actually do that. It puts Sarah in a bad position politically, unless she agrees with him. The two announcements together are effectively an endorsement by Sarah. And, even though she can deny she actually endorsed Newt, the media is spinning it that way.
If she didn’t really approve of Newt, why would Todd go out and endorse Newt? I get that spouses don’t necessarily agree on political candidates, but, I don’t recall him providing that disclaimer when he endorsed Newt. Then having Sarah tell SC voters to vote for Newt? Why not tell them to vote for Paul or Santorum, or just vote for someone besides Romney (leave the name out to avoid the apparent endorsement)?
When Sarah campaigned for John McCain for Senate in 2010, I thought it was a bad move for someone who agreed with Tea Party principles and the Constitution to be supporting a progressive establishment RINO. I started having my doubts as to whether she was the constitutional conservative and Tea Party advocate she claimed to be. But, we all dismissed that as a payback for her nomination as McCain’s VP in 2008. Now I am revisiting those doubts.
I am just waiting
Newt and Santorum are both corrupt, big government progressives, much like Romney. There is a cornucopia of evidence that proves this to be true. For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone who has done their homework would support either of them (I think I just answered my own question – they haven’t done their homework).
That leaves me with Ron Paul. To be fair, I like most of what Ron Paul says. His record is above reproach, and he is all about the constitution. Unfortunately, he lacks the speaking ability, quick wit, and charisma that would allow him to land big punches at the debates and catapult him to the top of the heap. It would have been great if there were even one candidate that had the impeccable record of Ron Paul and the savvy speaking ability of Newt. But, regrettably, we have not been given this choice. Calvin Coolidge, responsible in large part for the “Roaring Twenties,” was actually worse at public speaking than Ron Paul, but he stood for the Constitution, and for me, that is more important than having a silver tongue and perfect hair.