On Feb. 3, South Carolina will hold its Democratic presidential primary. Sometimes the race for the nomination seems like a new reality TV show, “Who Will Survive the Presidential Primary?” Nine candidates representing nine tribes are on a political island, competing for enough votes to survive and make it to the next round.

The media and political pundits have helped to develop the plot. Some say South Carolinians can determine the next president, since the state’s primary is the first in the South. Others have hyped the role of African-Americans, predicting that their participation will be as high as 40 percent to 50 percent.

The candidates are off and running. Each day, they plot, strategize and build alliances. They eat oysters, chicken bog, grits and scrambled eggs. They even show up at local churches, clapping to down-home gospel music. There is little time for rest or sleep in the race for survival.

This all may sound like a bit much, but it is precisely these old fashioned, grass-roots strategies that still make all the difference in places like South Carolina. Grass-roots activities allow voters to put a face on political rhetoric and provide opportunities for the candidates and voters to meet.

Some political strategists believe these methods are archaic and seek to replace them with technology, the Internet and television. Technology certainly provides more efficient ways to reach more voters faster. But grass-roots activities are more effective at sustaining voters, developing capacity and building political infrastructure.

Watching televised debates, listening to sound bites or reading policy statements on the Web do not have as much impact as shaking a candidate’s hand, hearing a candidate’s voice or looking into a candidate’s eyes. A handshake is a personal greeting that connects the candidate with the voter. The tone and tenor of a candidate’s voice suggest something about the candidate’s passion and conviction. Good eye contact has been equated with truth and honesty.

Given that most candidates can speak intelligibly about issues like job creation, health care, education and foreign policy, what is it that distinguishes one candidate from the others and ultimately transfers into support? It is what I call the Inspiration Quotient, the innate ability of the candidate to inspire people. It’s what voters mean when they say, I feel good about candidate X.

President John F. Kennedy had a very high Inspiration Quotient; so did Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. They successfully articulated a broad vision that inspired people across America.

All of the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination have appealing and unique attributes, but no one has adequately expressed the kind of vision that inspires folks and transfers into widespread support.

There is a large and growing number of African-Americans who are extremely knowledgeable about the candidates and the issues. They are basing their decisions on research, rather than sound bites, political rhetoric or endorsements by political leaders.

This is extremely encouraging. Popular political leaders certainly have their followers, and their endorsements have value. However, it is a fallacy to believe that they can shake all the apples from the voting tree into the bucket of one candidate.

There was a time long ago when my mother would call one of the local African-American leaders to find out for whom she should vote. Today, she reads the newspapers and watches political programs, seeking to understand the issues so that she can make her own decisions.

The bottom line is that the days when the African-American vote was assumed, and the times when black voters all congregated in the camp of one candidate, are ending. This means that candidates must work smarter and harder for their support. Otherwise, candidates can expect to extinguish their torches, pack their gear and return home early.

The reality is that the presidential race is not a show. Nor is it merely about which presidential tribe can survive to the next round. The race is about our survival as individuals, as a people and as a country. In deciding the fate of the candidates, we are also deciding ours.

Mr. Wade was the 2002 Democratic candidate for S.C. secretary of state.