Campaign watch: The Republican field thins out

(The Patriot Post) - For the Republicans, Mitt Romney and John McCain each walked away with victories last week, winning Nevada and South Carolina, respectively. Romney was able to pull 50-percent support in Nevada, where Mormons provided a boost for him. For McCain, victory in the state that symbolized the bitter end of his 2000 White House run was further vindication of his renewed candidacy. Still, McCain secured fewer votes in South Carolina this year than when he lost eight years ago—not the direction he wants to be going. The official delegate count shows Romney in the lead with 72 to McCain’s 38. Both candidates appear to have the edge on Rudy Giuliani in Florida, where the former New York City mayor has placed all his chips. A loss there could doom the Giuliani campaign. Then again, only registered Republicans can vote in the Florida primary, taking away McCain’s base. Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee is looking more and more like a one-hit wonder.

Fred Thompson called it quits this week after his dismal third-place finish in South Carolina, a state he desperately needed to win. Many conservatives, including those in our humble shop, thought that Thompson was a good fit for the conservative coalition, but his popularity peaked even before he officially announced his candidacy, and his poor finishes in the early states suggest that he waited too long to get into the race.

Another fine conservative, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), also bowed out this week after taking a beating in the Nevada and South Carolina contests. Hunter fielded more questions from the media about the viability of his candidacy than about the issues he championed, which resulted in low national recognition, little money and a string of poor finishes.