The Down and Dirty History of the South Carolina Republican Primary (ContributorNetwork)

South Carolina's primary is the third in the nation and the first in the South. It has been credited with correctly identifying the Republican nominee in every election since its 1980 inception, NPR notes. Its third-in-the-nation status means the weakest candidates have been weeded out and the remaining candidates are running low on funds after hitting hard in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Standard-Examiner points out.

Here are some other notable facts about this primary:

* The South Carolina Republican primary is an open primary with 25 delegates to the Republican National Convention, according to the Green Papers.

* The South Carolina primary is no Sunday school picnic, according to Clemson poli-sci professor David Woodard. He told NPR the state has a down and dirty political history.

* Acknowledged master of political trickery Lee Atwater honed his skills in South Carolina. He was instrumental in starting the state's Republican primary, the SCGOP website notes. Atwater- remembered for suggesting the Willie Horton race-baiting ads in the 1988 general election according to the Washingtonian- was known for his willingness to smear and distort, often turning to racial or ethnic-based attacks. In 1980, he helped turn voters toward Ronald Reagan by putting out false stories that favored contender John Connally was trying to buy the black vote.

* It was in the South Carolina primary that false rumors emerged in 2008 that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., fathered an out-of-wedlock black baby.

* McCain's campaign was also targeted by rumors that his wife Cindy was a drug addict., St. Louis Today reported.

* In 2000, attacks against McCain included allegations that he had homosexual experiences and was a traitor, Associated Press said.

* Dirty politicking led to voters receiving a Christmas card in 2007, purportedly from Mitt Romney's family, suggesting that God had several wives.

* Many past South Carolina primary attacks were stealth operations run by the campaigns themselves. This is the first presidential election since the rise of the Super PACs. Unrestrained by fundraising or spending limits, the Super PACs can engage in political slaughter while the candidate benefiting from it keeps his hands clean. Due to the rules governing super-PACs, the source of their funds will not be disclosed until after the South Carolina primary has passed, News-Daily says, and the putative Republican candidate at least presumptively identified.

* Super PACs have been flooding South Carolina with funding this year, over $6.7 million worth, according to Reuters.

* According to SCGOP, the state's primaries have demographics more similar to the nation at large than the Iowa caucuses or New Hampshire primary, explaining its predictive powers.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120118/pl_ac/10848729_the_down_and_dirty_history_of_the_south_carolina_republican_primary

one tree hill chelsea handler weather st louis faceoff kings island blake griffin stacy keibler