South Carolina Bucks Republican Establishment

South Carolina traditionally has represented a state of the establishment for Republicans. Insurgent presidential candidates might succeed in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, but their success would end in South Carolina. That’s now changing, Politico reports.

When it comes to presidential candidates this time around, Republican activists are showing interest in Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, and Allen West, who hasn’t even indicated any interest in running for president.

“Americans all over wanted their government to get a handle on spending, to be more fiscally conservative, and South Carolina is following suit,” said former state House Speaker David Wilkins, who helped engineer President George W. Bush’s 2000 victory in the state.

“What happened in South Carolina is not too different from what happened in the rest of country,” Wilkins added.