The S.C. Republicans who managed George Bush’s successful bare-knuckles primary campaign here five years ago appear to be moving toward U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia for 2008.

More than anyone else, Allen is viewed as the likely “conservative alternative” to the more moderate U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

“George Allen has made more inroads into the conservative community than anyone,” says consultant Heath Thompson of Columbia, manager of Bush’s 2000 state primary campaign.

“Allen is a pretty strong conservative across the board. He has charisma and might well be the candidate to offer as an alternative to McCain. He’s the one to watch, that’s for sure.”

Early polls show McCain the favorite of state GOP voters followed by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Allen barely registers.

But surveys this far out generally are meaningless. They are chiefly a function of name identification.

“McCain will ride a name ID crest for a while,” Thompson says. “But a conservative alternative will emerge and give folks a good opportunity to stand behind someone else.”

The vicious 2000 Republican primary fight between McCain and Bush is still fresh in the minds of many South Carolinians. Today, when McCain swears allegiance to President Bush, no one believes a word.

McCain has a base of support in South Carolina made up of independents, Democrats, moderate Republicans and veterans.

But a sizable number of voters with long memories are itching for a fight. They’re primarily conservatives who remember McCain’s attacks on the Christian right and Bush — still a popular political figure in South Carolina.

They consider McCain the Republican apostate, the maverick-in-chief, the anti-Bush.

“That’s something McCain is going to have to contend with,” says Thompson.

The wounds of 2000 have been slow to heal.

One of McCain’s goals will be to reach out to some of the folks who still have a bad taste in their mouth from the 2000 campaign.

McCain says all is forgiven and forgotten.

“I had two choices: look back in anger or move on. Americans do not like sore losers,” he says. “And I’m not going to be one. ... I have no lingering resentments. I hold no grudges.”

Would McCain have a problem returning to South Carolina to campaign?

“I love this state,” he says. “One of the great privileges of my life was getting to know the diversity and magnificence of South Carolina.”

McCain has celebrity status, as witnessed by his South Carolina book-signing tour two weeks ago. He was mobbed by well-wishers.

“He may belong to the wrong party, but he’s right,” says Harold Geddings, a 27-year-old Democrat from Spartanburg.

In recent years, South Carolina — with traditional primary early birds Iowa and New Hampshire — has helped define and even settle the battle for the GOP’s nomination.

The Palmetto State looms over other Republican contests as the gateway to the next round of primaries. Momentum from South Carolina is critical in deciding who carries those contests.

In modern times, no candidate has secured the GOP presidential nomination without first winning the S.C. primary.

McCain says he’ll make a decision after the 2006 election.

Working in his favor, much to the chagrin of McCain-bashers, are early national polls showing the Arizona senator as the only Republican beating Democrat Hillary Clinton for president in 2008.