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CHARLESTON, S.C. - (AP) -- South Carolina Republicans established their presidential primary more than three decades ago as way to raise the state's national political profile. They wildly succeeded. Ever since 1980, when Ronald Reagan won, every candidate who has won the GOP primary in this Southern state of fewer than 5 million has gone on to claim the Republican presidential nomination.

It's 0930 EST and there's nothing in the sidebar that looks like a live thread for the SC primary . . .

Gallup chief: Romney support 'collapsing'

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has now surged ahead of Mitt Romney in the final Rasmussen Reports survey of the South Carolina Republican Primary race with the vote just two days away. The latest telephone survey of Likely GOP Primary Voters in the state finds Gingrich with 33% support to Romney’s 31%. Two days ago, before the last debate, it was Romney by 14 percentage points. Texas Congressman Ron Paul now runs third with 15% of the vote, followed by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum at 11%. Paul's support is steady while Santorum's support has dropped five points since Monday....

Waiting on Perry to take podium any moment! He will endorse Newt!

Republican 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich held a town hall meeting four days before the South Carolina primary. He talked about winning South Carolina's primary and sealing the nomination.

Frank Lunz was on the FOX Post Debate Analysis last night after South Carolina Debate. He made the statement that in 16 years of following Debates, that was the first time he'd ever seen a candidate get a Standing Ovation. Newt did not just get a Standing "O" from his supporters but, by-and-large from the entire crowd when he defended his comment about Barack Obama being the "Food Stamp President" and his stance on young Blacks needing a work ethic rather than government assistance. Newt didn't just "knock it out of the park" once last night. He "knocked it out...

Sorry Juan. Race card denied. Juan Williams got booed and then pummeled by Newt Gingrich tonight. Newt Gingrich pummeled Juan Williams tonight after the FOX contributor accused the former Speaker of using the food stamp issue to attack minorities. This was awesome.

As the South Carolina primary nears, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has mounted a hard-nosed campaign to try to best front-runner Mitt Romney. In faceoffs in Iowa and New Hampshire, Gingrich finished in the back of the pack and is doing what he can to ensure Saturday's primary won't be his third poor showing, CNN reported. During the weekend, two conservative politicians in South Carolina -- U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Tim Scott -- predicted that if Romney wins the state's primary, he will have effectively locked down the GOP nomination. The former House speaker has prepared every...

Good bye Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum-- May their campaigns RIP Palin, Daniels, Christie and Ryan opted out early in the game Earlier this year, the big Republican names took themselves out of the running: (1) Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor and 2008 McCain running mate who had more charisma and less gravitas than was good for her, (2) Mitch Daniels, America’s and Indiana’s governor, with solid Midwestern values and pro-growth credentials, but perhaps a wife with a few too many skeletons in the closet, (3) Chris Christie, America’s up and coming Governor, with a...

The latest Insider Advantage / Newsmax poll of likely South Carolina voters, taken on Sunday, shows Mitt Romney opening up a commanding 11-point lead… and that was before Jon Huntsman dropped out of the race and endorsed Romney. Hell, Huntsman’s still a point ahead of Rick Perry in this poll. Mitt Romney - 32 Newt Gingrich - 21 Ron Paul - 14 Rick Santorum – 13 Jon Huntsman – 6 Rick Perry – 5 Strangely, according to the poll breakdown, Newt Gingrich scored exactly zero among the youngest cohort of voters, ages 18-29. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were tied...

South Carolina: Just Say No to Obamney The Palmetto State is known as a bastion for American conservatism. If that reputation is well-deserved, then South Carolinians will do their civic duty and reject Mitt Romney – the candidate that repudiates everything conservatism is supposed to stand for – in their crucial primary on January 21st. Since the dawn of the contemporary primary process, no Republican presidential candidate has won the nomination without winning the South Carolina primary. Given the changes to this year’s process like the emergence of SuperPacs, delegates being proportionally allocated as opposed to winner-take-all, and the more...

Fellow Patriots: The presidential primary in South Carolina has intensified and my name is being tossed around a lot. I have complimented several of our candidates when they spoke out on conservative issues, but the media has suggested that I favor one over the others. I'm writing today to make sure you know exactly where I stand. I do not have a favorite in this race and I will not endorse a candidate. I've gotten to know each of the candidates over the past year and they are all far superior to Obama. My view reflects what I've heard from...

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01/15/2012 Santorum’s Path Out Of The Pack. Jennifer Rubin. Rick Santorum got a huge lift Saturday when a gathering of 150 prominent religious conservatives in Brenham, Texas, designated him as their consensus choice. It is noteworthy that Gary Bauer, among the most prominent of the social conservatives, had endorsed Santorum and was in attendance at the meeting. Coming a week before the South Carolina primary and just as Newt Gingrich has drawn the ire of conservatives for his anti-Bain attacks, the vote may have come in the nick of time. (One wonders what would have happened if the religious leaders...

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. –Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry should drop out of the race before South Carolina’s Saturday primary, prominent conservative author Eric Metaxas said at a Sunday prayer breakfast. Mr. Metaxas said he was optimistic some of the candidates competing for the state’s conservative voters would take themselves out of contention to allow South Carolinians to coalesce around an alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. “It’s more likely that some of these wonderful men that are running will hear God’s voice and get out of the race before Saturday for the good of this country,”...

Columbia, South Carolina (REUTERS) - The state that fired the first shot in the Civil War is once again battling the government in a racially charged conflict that is drawing heated rhetoric from Republican presidential candidates. South Carolina is in a standoff with Democratic President Barack Obama's administration over a new state law that would require residents to produce a photo ID before they could vote. Federal officials say it could disproportionately keep black voters away from the polls. Republican candidates are waving the banner of states' rights as they tout their small-government credentials.

**CLICK Picture** [12:57]Republican presidential candidate Texas Governor Rick Perry (2nd L) arrives for the Huckabee Forum 2, a televised event, in Charleston, South Carolina, January 14, 2012. MRC: Best showing yet for Gov Rick Perry in the Huckabee Formun GOP debate.

Developing... (Fortunately for Newt, 99 per cent of the audience will be watching Tebow vs. Brady anyway)