This article sheds some light on why so many Republicans fear that Bostic is not the right flavor of conservative for Lowcountry voters: he’s a self-described creationist. http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/03/30/2443446/endorsement-game-is-on-in-final.html
Democrats will have a field day with Bostic’s views if he wins the primary, even more so than with the “vulnerable” Sanford, and I could see Bostic losing the general even if he manages to keep his mouth shut for the next few weeks. Voters in Hilton Head and Charleston are not like those in Spartanburg.
I wish that Paul Thurmond had run in the special. While Sanford’s views are perfect for the district—he’s a social conservative and comfortable speaking in religious terms, but they don’t define him, and he’s as solid an economic conservative as they come—his Appalachian Trail incident and press conference makes him susceptible to negative ads. With Paul Thurmond as the GOP nominee, Democrats probably would have given the race no more than perfunctory attention.
I imagine if Sanford loses the special, State Sen. Thurmond would be a likely candidate in 2014.