DILLON -- Ruby Campbell makes no bones about it: she votes Democrat. Always has, always will.

Ask the lifelong Dillon resident what issues are important to her in Tuesday's S.C. Democratic Primary, and she'll tell you, but they're all related to one person.

"George Bush -- he's tied into all the issues I'm concerned with," said Campbell, who wouldn't tell her age, except to say she's old enough to draw Social Security.

Thursday: Chesterfield and Marlboro Counties Friday:Dillon and Darlington Counties Saturday: Marion and Williamsburg Counties Sunday: Florence County

And though most analysts will say the war in Iraq is not the most important issue in the campaign, it's important to Campbell.

"It makes a difference to me," she said. "My husband served in World War II, and I don't like to see our boys going over there to get killed."

Sitting with her in the Cafe on Main in downtown Dillon on Thursday, Ellen Williams, 56, agreed. She wants to see more emphasis on domestic issues.

"The economy, schools, older citizens," Williams said. "I think we should take better care of children and the elderly, and that's not being done right now."

Neither Williams nor Campbell has decided who they'll vote for Tuesday, but they've narrowed it down to John Edwards or John Kerry, as has Buddy Williams, who was joining the two for lunch.

"I vote independently. I vote for who's going to do the best job," said Williams, 56, "and right now it's between Kerry and Edwards.

All three said Gen. Wes Clark's visit to Dillon High School a few weeks ago did nothing to influence them, even though Clark is the only candidate who has campaigned in Dillon.

About 30 miles away in Hartsville, voter sentiment is similar. What's on the minds of people there are the economy and jobs.

"If I've got a disappointment with Bush, and if the Democrats got my vote, it would be over jobs," said Jim Money, 56.

Money and his friend Bob Kearns, both Sonoco retirees, were having coffee in the Midnight Rooster coffee shop Thursday. Kearns, a registered Republican, and Money, who describes himself as a conservative independent, both said they're paying close attention to the primary.

Kearns, 59, said he won't vote Tuesday, but he does have a favorite among the Democratic candidates.

"The guy I do like, and he's coming out of the pack, is John Kerry," he said. "I could live with that."

One thing that upsets both Kearns and Money is the U.S. trade relationship with China.

"They'll always tell you, whether they're Republican or Democrat, that they're going to address the problem with China," Money said. "But it still hasn't been addressed because of political expedience."

Money points to hundreds of thousands of textile jobs lost in the U.S. when American companies moved their manufacturing operations to China as the biggest issue in the campaign.

"Wal-Mart bought enough textiles from China last year to employ one million people for a year," he said. "That's staggering, but still, no one's addressing the issue."

Neither Kearns nor Money thinks any of the candidates have a shot at beating George Bush in November. But with seven Demo-cratic candidates in the field, and 10 months before November's general election, Kearns said there's no way to predict who will be president next year.

"It's a pretty fragile situation when you think about it," he said. "The economy, terrorism, jobs -- you don't know what's going to happen between now and November."