McCain Wins, Thompson Comes in 3rd in S.C.

Arizona Senator John McCain has won the South Carolina Republican Primary, narrowly defeating former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee by roughly 3 percentage points, with 92% of the vote counted.

Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee posted a respectable 3rd place showing, although it was not what the Senator had hoped.

Thompson campaigned hard in South Carolina in the 11 days leading up to today's primary, but apparently it was too little too late for a win. However, Thompson did surge enough to beat Mitt Romney, who came in 4th.

Rounding out the GOP candidates, Rudy Giuliani came in 5th, Ron Paul 6th, and Duncan Hunter 7th.

U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter stated following the S.C. Primary that he would be abandoning his campaign for the White House.

The question remains as to whether or not Fred Thompson will stay in the race. The candidate did not hint one way or another as he gave a vigorous speech before his supporters early in the evening. However, Thompson had put a lot on the line hoping to finish in first place in his home territory in the South.

Supporters of Thompson, including this writer, hope that he stays in the race. He is the ONLY true Reagan conservative in the 2008 Presidential campaign. It would be a devastating loss to lose his voice during this pivotal year in American politics.

But we are aware of political realities and that all-prevalent issue--money. We can only hope that Thompson has enough cash available to at least stay in the race until Super Tuesday.