By Lisa Anderson
COLUMBIA, S.C.--An hour after the polls closed, the race between Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee continued to tighten as more votes were counted and more information came in about what the voters were thinking.
The latest exit polls from the Associated Press showed that among moderates, who represented about a quarter of the vote, McCain was beating Huckabee two-to-one. The majority of the South Carolina electorate was conservative but Huckabee had only a narrow lead over McCain among them.
McCain, 71, led easily among older voters; those 65 years old or older made up about a quarter of the vote in a state heavy with retirees.
As expected, Huckabee, a Baptist minister, led among evangelical and conservative Christian voters, attracting about 40 percent of them, but that was not as high as he had drawn in Iowa, where 60 percent of them voted for him.
McCain, who is not a favorite among evangelicals, nonetheless got about a quarter of their vote. He also aced Huckabee among non-evangelicals and infrequent churchgoers.
While at least a third of GOP voters said it was very important that a candidate share their religious beliefs—and Huckabee took nearly half of them—almost as many said they weren’t much concerned with a candidate’s faith and McCain did best with them, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
In terms of issues, seven in 10 voters opposed legalized abortion. Huckabee won only among those who oppose abortion in any situation. McCain ran even with him among those w3ho said abortion should be mostly illegal and ran far ahead among those who thought abortion should be always or mostly legal.
A quarter of voters said the right experience was the quality they looked for most in a candidate and McCain got 60 percent of that vote.
Huckabee took 40 percent of the votes of those who considered a candidate who shared their values their most important criterion.
McCain had nearly a 10-point advantage among veterans, who represented about a quarter of the total vote.
Huckabee and McCain drew equal support among the 40 percent of voters who named the economy as their number one issue. Huckabee edged out McCain with those who are most concerned about immigration and McCain took half
• 
• 
• 
Comments
I'd be surprised if Huckabee won the primary's. His brand of government is a disturbing blend of socialism and Christian Reconstructionism (a movement that he is a member of. Look it up - scary stuff when combined with our government) that would send us completely down the tubes. His FairTax proposal is the worst idea I've ever heard, as is his idea of rewriting the Constitution so that it reflects God's laws.
Posted by: Rachel | January 19, 2008 9:03 PM
I'd be surprised if Huckabee won the primary's. His brand of government is a disturbing blend of socialism and Christian Reconstructionism (a movement that he is a member of. Look it up - scary stuff when combined with our government) that would send us completely down the tubes. His FairTax proposal is the worst idea I've ever heard, as is his idea of rewriting the Constitution so that it reflects God's laws.
Posted by: Rachel | January 19, 2008 9:03 PM
Amen sister. Thank God Huckabee is DONE!
He GONE!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | January 19, 2008 9:39 PM
Flip-Floppers Show Open-Mindedness
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
I once read that President John F. Kennedy was conducting a press conference and discussing his position on an issue. When he was finished, a reporter pointed out that the president's stance appeared to be the exact opposite of his previously stated position on the matter, to which Kennedy replied, "Yes, I've changed my mind."
In today's political climate, many would have slammed Kennedy for being a "flip-flopper."
It seems reasonable to believe that political leaders of any stripe better serve their constituents when they allow changing circumstances, more information, and better insights to move them toward positions contrary to ones they may have previously espoused. Do we really want elected officials who never change their minds, rigidly ignoring new circumstances and more realistic options? Or are we wiser to prefer individuals who are willing to learn, adapt, and adjust?
Personally, I admire any person mature enough to reconsider a matter with serious reflection and then adopt a different course of action. The presidential candidates need to quit clubbing each other with "flip-flopper" accusations. Some of us find flexibility to be quite a valuable character trait.
Ellison VA
Posted by: afisher | January 21, 2008 9:17 AM