[RipSawyer]

So far the winner of the GOP primary in my state, South Carolina, has ALWAYS gone on to win the Republican nomination. Unfortunately, last time around, the winner was McCain.

[Vigilanteman]

You're right. And you can also make a long list of people who won in the pissant states of New Hampshire and Iowa and went on to lose the nomination. The Huckster, Pat Buchanan and George Bush I (against Reagan) come immediately to mind. And that's just off the top of my head.

Both states are attention whores and atypical of the average voter. New Hampshire is famous for economic conservatives who p*ss on social conservatives. Iowa is famous for social conservatives who love pork and economic populism a/k/a redistribution. Both are repugnant to real conservatives who should believe fervently in both economic and social conservatism, sort of like they do in South Carolina.