Back in the 2000 presidential race, a popular campaign button expressed what many Democrats thought of Al Gore's choice of running mate: "Such a ticket!"

These days Joe Lieberman, the former vice-presidential hopeful, centrist Democrat, and first Jewish candidate on a national ticket, isn't getting the same enthusiastic reception. The senator's popularity has slipped, according to a national poll, and among Jewish voters in South Carolina -- a group some call a natural constituency in a state critical to the Connecticut senator's shot at the nomination -- support is mixed.

"The difference is that now Lieberman is the whole show," said Merle Black, professor of Southern politics at Emory University. "He has to make his case on his own."

Lieberman, like the other eight Democrats in the race, has struggled to distinguish himself. His centrist positions and support of the war in Iraq haven't made him popular among left-leaning party activists in the key states of Iowa and New Hampshire. His name recognition earned him high points in early national polls, but in a Newsweek poll released Saturday Lieberman was statistically tied with Sen. John Kerry, Rep. Dick Gephardt, and former-Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. Lieberman's fund raising hasn't reached expectations, and he has less cash on hand than any of the top-tier candidates.

In South Carolina, where Democrats are considered more socially conservative than the party at large, experts say Lieberman has a chance to make his case to a receptive audience. He has visited the state five times this year, including a stop in Charleston today.

On many of these trips, Lieberman has met with leaders of the state's Jewish community, a group estimated to be between 10,000 and 12,000 strong and historically active in state Democratic politics. Despite his efforts, the senator hasn't won the support of some key leaders in that community, and others remain undecided.

"I think there's a pride in Lieberman's candidacy, but that doesn't mean you endorse him" said Morris Blachman, a community activist from Columbia who is supporting John Kerry. "I think the Jewish community is mature politically. There's a lot of similarity and shared values, but we don't all vote the same."

South Carolina was the first state to give Jews the right to vote. It is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the country and the oldest reformed synagogue in the nation.

That community has voted Democratic historically, although, in line with national trends, South Carolina's Jewish voters have moved toward the right, said Professor Laura Olson, who studies religion and politics at Clemson University.

While the number of Jewish voters in the state is small, so is the number of Democrats. Turnout estimates for the party's Feb. 3 presidential primary range from 150,000 to 250,000.

The diversity of opinions within the community comes as no surprise, but it's a marked difference from the attitudes toward Lieberman's groundbreaking vice-presidential run in 2000.

"There is a sense that that egg has been broken, that omelet's been made," said Democratic activist Samuel Tenenbaum. "The excitement is still there, but it's not as great."

Tenenbaum, husband of S.C. Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, one of the state's most visible Democrats, has given more than $70,000 to Democratic campaigns in recent years. He supports John Kerry, and his wife is undecided.

Lieberman's perceived electability may be what's keeping supporters from signing on, said Merle Black. "He needs to impress more people with the viability of his candidacy."

Robert Rosen, a Charleston lawyer and Jewish historian, said his choice to support Lieberman was easy, but if his candidate doesn't win the party nomination, he faces a more difficult decision.

"I think Bush has been a great president. Right now, I'm trying to get the best Democrat nominated, but if that doesn't happen, I'm in trouble," Rosen said. "My grandfather told me that God would strike me dead if I ever voted for a Republican."