One fact which seems to have been lost in the coverage of the South Carolina GOP primary is the huge increase in turnout above the 2008 figures. In 2008 like this year, the GOP race was not yet settled. John McCain won in 2008 with a very narrow victory over Mike Huckabee; Fred Thompson was third and Mitt Romney fourth in that election. In today's voting the turnout was up close to 50% from four years ago. Indeed, Mitt Romney who came in today a distant second behind Newt Gingrich, still managed to get more votes in 2012 than McCain, the winner, got in 2008. Clearly, the Republicans are much more enthusiastic about voting in 2012. It is a fact which bodes well for the general election next November.
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