McCain rebounds with South Carolina win

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate John McCain's victory in South Carolina gave him important momentum in a wide-open race that is still anyone's guess as to who will come out the winner.

McCain, who at 71 would be the oldest person ever elected to a first presidential term, proved the second time's a charm in South Carolina, eight years after he lost the state to George W. Bush in a stinging defeat in which much mud-slinging left him with a bitter aftertaste.

"You know, it took us a while, but what's eight years among friends?" Arizona Sen. McCain wryly told cheering supporters.

South Carolina was the first contest in the South in the state-by-state race to decide which Republican will face the Democrats' choice in the November 4 election to succeed Bush in the White House in a year's time.

With a narrow victory over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, McCain showed that his New Hampshire victory on January 8 was no fluke, six months after his candidacy was given up for dead when his campaign ran into money problems and he had to dump staff.

"There is a clear path now for McCain to be the nominee of the Republican Party, and he's got momentum and that is the biggest asset you can have in national politics," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.

McCain, who spent five years as a Vietnam prisoner of war, was helped in South Carolina by the state's large military community, campaigning hard on the theme of fighting Islamic radical extremism and vowing to get Osama bin Laden if he has to follow him to the "gates of hell."

Written off months ago by his support for the unpopular Iraq war, the relative success of the U.S. troop build-up in Iraq that he strongly supported has helped his resurgence.

ON TO FLORIDA

After relying on independent voters in winning New Hampshire, McCain proved he could gain the support of traditional Republicans in South Carolina, a significant achievement as the Republican race moves to Florida and the 22 states that vote on February 5, when a final nominee may emerge.

The Republican race, the most wide-open in 50 years, remains far from over.

In Florida, McCain faces a strong battle with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has basically staked his candidacy on winning the state and whose senior adviser, Tony Carbonetti, on Saturday night quickly called attention to McCain's votes against the Bush tax cuts.

And McCain will also have a tough time there with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won Nevada earlier in the day and defeated McCain in Michigan last week on a theme of helping the ailing U.S. economy.

The Republican leadership has never completely coalesced around McCain, suspicious of some of his moderate views on issues such as illegal immigration and his earlier votes against President George W. Bush's tax cuts.

But his straight talk against what he calls "out-of-control government spending" has the ear of many Republicans alarmed at large budget deficits in Washington.

"I believe that we've proven now in New Hampshire and South Carolina that we can reach all parts of our party, but we've got a lot of work to do,' McCain told Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes."

And his victory speech on Saturday night included the themes that conservatives hold close to their heart: free markets, low taxes and small government.

Some poll matchups show McCain faring well against a prospective battle against leading Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

Analysts believe Republicans will flock to McCain if he is perceived as the candidate who can beat Clinton, who they revile.

"The Republicans are hungry to defeat Hillary Clinton. There's now command focus on McCain as the Republican that can carry them into November," Reed said. (Editing by Jackie Frank)

(For more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http:/blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)