South Carolina Poll released November 21, 2007 from RasmussenReports.com:

21% - Mitt Romney
21% - Fred Thompson
13% - Rudy Giuliani
13% - Undecided
12% - Mike Huckabee
09% - John McCain
08% - Ron Paul
02% - Tom Tancredo
02% - Duncan Hunter

This is quite an impressive number from a candidate who supposedly couldn't compete in what we are constantly told is the land of supreme bigotry. Fred Thompson does lead among evangelical voters, possibly largely on the heels of his National Right to Life Committee endorsement says Rasmussen, while Romney leads among other protestants.

Interestingly, Fred Thompson leads among men while Mitt Romney leads among women. In an election where the Republican candidate will likely be running against the first female candidate to lead a major party into the general election, I think that it is especially important to nominate a candidate who will appeal to women.

Right now it looks like Mitt Romney might just need to hang on for dear life in Iowa and crush all comers in New Hampshire to set up victories in Michigan and push him over the top in South Carolina. With Mitt additionally gaining ground in Florida, victories in these first four states could make for an impressively strong showing in the Sunshine State, also.

More and more, I'm becoming convinced that when you see Mitt Romney, you are looking at not only the next Republican presidential nominee but the next President of the United States of America.