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WorldView

South Carolina Primary: High Voter Turnout Could Swing Primary in McCain's Favor; Candidates Hope to Gain Momentum in South Carolina

Aired February 19, 2000 - 6:03 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: For John McCain, the high voter turnout could swing the primary in his favor. McCain, today, called for a "full investigation," after several voting precincts were closed.

CNN's Jonathan Karl has more from South Carolina on McCain's quest for victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's all over in South Carolina, but the counting and the last-minute voting. GOP leaders here are saying this primary will smash the state record for voter turnout. Strong turnout helps McCain win in New Hampshire, but Bush supporters say their candidate will benefit from heavy Republican voting here. Still, McCain started the day out upbeat.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I feel great. I think we're going to have a record turnout.

KARL: This morning, McCain was looking for good signs in the weather forecast.

MCCAIN: It's going to be clear. That will be very helpful.

KARL: In a last-ditch effort to get supporters to the polls, McCain started the day at a VFW meeting Greenville.

MCCAIN: Go on a mission. It may be the last one, maybe the last big one, and call all your friends, call 10 friends, call 20 friends, make sure that everybody we know is out there voting.

KARL: McCain has counted on veterans for votes and for help building his organization in South Carolina.

Before heading to Charleston to watch the results, McCain said he was concerned about news that 21 polling locations in Greenville County had been closed.

MCCAIN: It's just disappointing that anyone, anywhere in South Carolina is deprived of the ability to vote, and that's just not fair, and it's not in keeping with the Voting Rights Act.

KARL: Most of the more than 1,400 polling places statewide were open, but Republican leaders here say 21 locations had to be closed because they did not have the personnel to keep them open.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARL: Sometime after polls close in less than a hour, McCain will be out here to talk to his South Carolina supporters. And win or lose here in South Carolina, McCain supporters are saying things look very good for them in the states that follow, because in just three days, the votes will be taken in Arizona and in Michigan, two states where recently McCain has been up in the polls.

Reporting live from North Charleston, South Carolina, this is Jonathan Karl.

HALL: Well, no matter who wins today's primary, all three of the presidential hopefuls had better hit the ground running, because Michigan and Arizona hold their GOP primaries on Tuesday. Bush and McCain will campaign in Michigan tomorrow, where the race is a tight one. Democrats and independents are allowed to vote, which could help McCain. In his home state of Arizona, McCain has about a 20-point lead in the polls. Only Republicans may vote in that primary.

Well, political analysts say South Carolina is a must-win state for George Bush if he wants to remain the GOP front-runner. Does Bush have enough support to beat McCain?

Joining us from Columbia, South Carolina for a little insight is Judy Keen, a political correspondent for "USA Today."

Well, Judy, this is a day that both camps have been waiting for, for a few weeks at least.

What's the mood?

JUDY KEEN, "USA TODAY": I've been traveling with the Bush campaign for a couple of weeks now, and I can tell you that today, they're certainly feeling good about the way they hear things are going here in South Carolina.

HALL: OK, and George W. Bush has focused, some say, his campaign on reinforcing his Republican base while McCain is using more of a Reagan inclusive strategy. Which one do you think is going to work?

KEEN: The officials of the Bush campaign have been saying that they are hearing that there's a huge turnout in the core Republican precincts across South Carolina, which they suggest is certainly good news for them.

HALL: Judy, the candidate's strategy coming out of South Carolina could take a couple different scenarios, especially since one man is only going to win. If, for instance, the polls, which said that George Bush would have a heavy lead, actually come to pass, how is it going to fare for McCain if he wins by a little or if he wins by a lot?

KEEN: I think that makes Michigan all the more important for both candidates, regardless of the outcome here, because the voting in Michigan occurs so quickly after South Carolina's results are known; that's going to be really important.

The Bush campaign told me this afternoon that they believe that they are narrowing the lead that Senator McCain had had in Michigan. If Governor Bush should pull this out and win, they certainly think that that might be enough to propel them ahead of Senator McCain in Michigan.

HALL: And what do you think the strategy by each candidate is going to be specifically after today?

KEEN: Governor Bush and Senator McCain both have just, you know, 72 hours to work in Michigan. So for each of them, the momentum coming out of South Carolina is critical. If Governor Bush should win here, he can say that he's proven he can be the Republican nominee and end some of the concerns about the viability of his candidacy. The same is true for Senator McCain, should he win. I think all eyes will be on Michigan on Tuesday.

HALL: Judy Keen, we know that you will have a keen eye watching yourself.

KEEN: Thank you.

HALL: Thank you for joining us.

KEEN: You're welcome.

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