COLUMBIA, S.C. - “It’s exciting and unpredictable. It reminds me of watching the SuperBowl!”
That’s how Peter Burian, Ambassador to the U.S. from the Slovak Republic, described his day of watching voters go to the polls in South Carolina during its internationally-watched Republican presidential primary.
Burian was one of those with HUMAN EVENTS along for the ride with Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who on Saturday took several of us for a trek to polling places throughout his five-county congressional district.
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With hours to go before the polls closed, numerous primary voters from Springdale Elementary (where Wilson and his wife RoxAnne voted shortly after polls opened at 7:00 AM) to North Augusta Precinct #27 (just a half-mile from the Georgia border) spoke to us about their choice for Republican presidential nominee.
Simply put, their choices were divided. David Amerman of North Augusta, for example, told us he voted for Mitt Romney because he felt that “Romney is able to look at the economic situation and will do something about it. He’s done it in the past.” Dentist Wade Dominick of Chapin agreed, but added: “I like ol’ Newt, but I don’t think he can beat Obama. That’s the most important thing.”
But for all the Amermans and Dominicks, there were also voters such as Willie Wynn of Elvira, a onetime singer with the Oak Ridge Boys Band and now retired. He voted for Gingrich because, in his words, “he’s the only one of the candidates who can out-debate Obama. And Obama’s strong suit is his ability to talk.”
For all the Gingrich and Romney enthusiasts we met on the road, HUMAN EVENTS also talked to quite a few such as Steve Amick, a retired Richland County government employee who explained at length why he was genuinely undecided before going in to vote. Amick told us, “I haven’t voted yet because I genuinely don’t know who has the best chance to beat Obama. That’s my main concern.” The genuinely undecided Amick added he was going to read over literature he had collected on all of the candidates once more and make a decision.
“I will definitely vote,” he assured us.
One thing that can be said about the South Carolina primary is that its outcome is uncertain and its results Saturday night will definitely be worth watching.
