I’ve always discarded the notion that South Carolina Republicans
are mere “sheeple,” following the lead of the establishment or the
conventional wisdom in order to pick the expected “winner” of the
Republican nomination contest rather than actually choosing the
person they like best. On the other hand, there is something to be
said for South Carolina crowning the establishment choice every
single time. It did so for GHW Bush; it did so for Bob Dole, for GW
Bush (43), and for John McCain. Now, if some polls are to be
believed, there has been some movement toward Romney even though
polls also show South Carolinian Republicans to be, on the whole,
more conservative than Romney and long confirmed in being disposed
not to be very warm to him. Is this movement just another rush to
jump on a bandwagon? If so, why? How does it benefit a primary
voter who is NOT a political activist to be an anonymous rider on
somebody’s bandwagon? I’ve never understood the mentality of
rushing towards a perceived winner just because he is perceived to
be a winner. What good does that do?
I want to think more highly of South Carolina voters than that.
Those voters have a chance this week to reject bandwagonitis and
instead show real independence. Let’s see if they do…. or if,
like sheep to the slaughter, they stumble their way into the Romney
corral.
