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A Three-Way GOP Battle in South Carolina

HUME: In South Carolina, home of the first southern presidential primary, the quest for the Republican presidential nomination appears to be coming down to a three-way battle. Chief political correspondent Carl Cameron reports that Mitt Romney, already ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire, is putting on a surprisingly effective come from behind challenge for the top spot in South Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was almost unthinkable months ago that Mitt Romney, a Mormon from Massachusetts, had a chance in South Carolina, the buckle of the Bible Belt. But with a relentless focus on family values, he has now become a serious contender here.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These people are doing God's work. There's no question about it, in my mind.

CAMERON: Romney visited a Greenville adoption agency to promote alternatives to abortion and emphasize family values. He is the only major Republican candidate who has not been divorced, though he insists he is not making that an issue.

ROMNEY: I'm not going to be pointing any fingers about the personal lives of my rivals. I am instead going to talk about the need in our society to encourage pro-family principles and values.

CAMERON: He has also had to talk about his Mormon faith. The event was literally across the street from Bob Jones University, a influential school for Christian conservatives, many of whom consider Mormonism a cult. But Romney has been endorsed by the University's president, Bob Jones III, and many other cultural conservatives, include just yesterday Paul Weyrich, who founded the Moral Majority with Jerry Falwell decades ago. Romney says it's not about denomination.

ROMNEY: People in South Carolina, like across America, are not going to select their candidate based on what church they go to. But they are going to care very deeply about what values they have.

CAMERON: There is the values focus again. His emphasis has clearly paid dividends. Romney has climbed in the polls from an average in single digits back in August, to a three-way tie with Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson, who have both dropped a bit. Thompson today unveiled his first TV ad. And though he seldom attends church, he is the first this year to mention the almighty in paid advertisements.

FRED THOMPSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We must remember that our rights come from God and not from government.

CAMERON: Romney's ads focus on, among other things -- you guessed it -- family values, even featuring his wife.

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: Mitt says there's no work more important than what goes on within the four walls of the American home.

CAMERON: But lest he come across as all sweetness and light, he is still hammering his rivals by name when it comes to immigration.

ROMNEY: Mayor Giuliani, of course, welcomed illegal immigrants to his city, said they would be protected there. That sanctuary status, I think, is a big mistake. Romney was attacked by Fred Thompson, who was in South Carolina, and accused Romney of trying to buy the election.

THOMPSON: The governor of Massachusetts apparently has spent 20 million dollars of his own personal fortune, and apparently a good chunk of that in South Carolina. All I got to say is, governor, you can't buy South Carolina. You can't even rent South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMERON: And the Romney campaign has responded to that tonight, saying, quote, support from voters is earned through hard work and new ideas. Unfortunately for Fred Thompson, he has never shown much passion for either. A shot from the Romney campaign at what critics say is Fred Thompson's laziness.

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Related Topics: election 2008 | south carolina |

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