NBC's First Read blog reports that Mitt Romney is lowering expectations before Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary:
'I'd like to do better than my current place, which is fourth, but even a strong fourth is better than what some of the other guys saw in Michigan last night,' Romney told reporters here, taking a veiled swipe at Giuliani, who finished sixth behind both Thompson and Paul.
It's anyone's guess as to who will win in South Carolina, but Romney does face an interesting challenge. He was able to make strong gut appeals to Michigan Republicans on the basis of his personal history in the state, his "optimism," and his business acumen. The appeals worked, and Romney won.
The question facing Romney is how he can make the same connection with voters in South Carolina and Florida. My guess is his organization pulls him to a win in Nevada, like it did in Wyoming. But in a southern primary state where he hasn't yet made an impact, and where McCain and Huckabee each have advantages with certain constituencies (veterans and values voters, respectively), what's Romney's argument? This press release suggests he will try to continue to ride the economic issue to victory. We'll find out Saturday whether or not it works.
