COLUMBIA - It's not quite barnstorming yet, but 2008 White House hopefuls are streaming into the Palmetto State at an unprecedented pace early in the contest.

Even with two years to go before South Carolina's benchmark primary, a virtual who's-who of national political heavyweights has already visited the state to woo local activists for a potential presidential bid. At this point, it's not who's made the trip, it's who hasn't.

"It seems to be all of a sudden this rush to get down here," said Luke Byars, a former executive director of the state Republican Party who is now state director for U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "It gets earlier every (election) cycle."

A total of 14 potential candidates - Republicans and Democrats - have visited 23 times since January 2005, according to a database kept by The Post and Courier. And expect a surge of additional trips in the next few weeks, with eight more presidential visits planned, including two to Charleston.

As with other early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina gets attention because of where it falls on the calendar in 2008. Also from the national perspective, the state is seen as an important bellwether for how the rest of the South will vote. The date for the South Carolina primary has not been set. In 2004, the primary was Feb. 3.

"South Carolina is really the first test where you have a diverse state voting," said Jim Dyke, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee, who recently moved to Charleston. "So even beyond the political calendar of when the primary is in the process ... if you can show well here, you can make a broader case about a wider appeal to the rest of the country."

The 2008 contest is attracting a large amount of attention from potential candidates because it's a wide-open race for both parties. For the first time in more than 50 years, the race features no sitting president or vice president.

This time of the year is popular for visits because of the annual state and county party conventions, which provide ample opportunities for the candidates to increase their name identification and test campaign messages.

At this point, those aspiring for the White House aren't asking for votes.

They are looking for activists who will form the bedrock of their potential campaigns.

Top political consultants are also weighing their options and starting to assemble teams. Dyke, for instance, just signed on with U.S. Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee as a communications consultant.

Frist's three trips to South Carolina in the past 13 months are more than any other candidate. And he'll make his fourth one in early March.

Others are catching up, though. Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has made two and is planning two more in the next two weeks, including an appearance at the Charleston County GOP convention March 2.

Republicans aren't the only ones making the trip. South Carolina is likely to emerge as one of the early Democratic primaries, too. Waring Howe, a Democratic National committeeman from Charleston, said he often gets calls from potential candidates wondering how they can make a mark in the Palmetto State.

"The presidential candidates would like certain key activists to commit as early as possible," so they are focusing on South Carolina, he said. "There's that early bandwagon effect where everyone wants to jump on the winning horse."

Early, independent polling puts U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona atop the GOP candidate list and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in front for the Democrats.

Neither senator has officially thrown his or his hat in the ring, but both still make the trip down from Washington. McCain's made the biggest splash with a November visit to Charleston, his political support base from 2000. He's even appealed to the Bush camp, which handily beat him in that race, with visits to Spartanburg and Greenville Republican fundraising events.

"Particularly on the Republican side, South Carolina is key," said Richard Quinn, a GOP political consultant who ran McCain's campaign in 2000. "I don't think a presidential hopeful can expect to be nominated without winning South Carolina."

The early visits are key to victory in 2008, Byars said.

"One key ingredient to then-Gov. Bush's win (in 2000) is that he had a solid grassroots organization developed well before the primary," he said.

The historical importance of the state's primary and the increasingly early start to the campaigns mean the attention on the Palmetto State will only continue to grow.

"I don't see it slacking off," Dyke said.

 

S.C. visits

Upcoming trips to South Carolina by potential 2008 presidential candidates:

Today: Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts attends Greenville County Republican fundraiser.

Monday: Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee gives the keynote address at the Spartanburg County GOP convention.

Feb. 23: Romney stops in Charleston before a Lexington County GOP fundraiser.

March 2: Huckabee speaks at York and Charleston counties' GOP convention.

March 3-4: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist attends state GOP executive committee meeting.

March 7: Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi speaks at an S.C. Republican Party fundraiser in Columbia.

March 20: U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., gives the keynote address at the Greenville and Spartanburg Democratic conventions.

March 24: U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., visits Florence, then a re-election fundraiser.

 

Reach John Frank at (803) 799-9051 or jbfrank@postandcourier.com.