Candidates count on good ‘ground game’ to snare voters in SC

With less than a month before South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary, the presidential candidates are jumpstarting their Palmetto State organizations, opening offices, hiring workers and reaching out to potential backers.

Frontrunner Newt Gingrich is one of the state’s “ground game” leaders thus far. The former speaker of the U.S. House has hired 12 full-time staffers who are working out of five offices in Bluffton, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and North Charleston, according to his campaign.

Gingrich — who is leading in the two latest S.C. polls although losing steam according to some national polls — is also picking up his visits to South Carolina and ate shrimp and grits with supporters at a Columbia restaurant Thursday.

Gingrich has also picked up some S.C. Tea Party support — to the chagrin of some factions of the movement. This month, Tea Party groups in Myrtle Beach and Laurens County endorsed him. Gingrich also hired a couple of Tea Party members to work for his campaign.

That raised the ire of some S.C. Tea Party members who are supporting former Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and say Gingrich is a Washington insider who is trying to buy the Tea Party vote in the Palmetto state.

Gingrich’s camp denies the claim.

“He’s just trying to hire the best people he can hire,” said Billy Wilkins, a former federal judge who is co-chairing Gingrich’s S.C. operation. “I can assure you no one tried to buy anyone’s allegiance.”

Bachmann may be trailing in the polls, but she, too, has beefed up her S.C. team.

She has hired Wes Donehue, a Republican consultant familiar to the S.C. media and politicos, to lead her state strategies and communications efforts —one of five S.C. staff members — along with state advisor, Ron Thomas, a former George W. Bush appointee to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who is in-state part time.

The organization does not have an office, instead relying on technology, including online phone banks instead of hardlines to get Bachmann’s conservative message out.

“Other candidates are riding high in the polls but their ground game is an unorganized mess of soft supporters,” Donehue said. “Michele Bachmann has the most solid, coordinated and active supporter base in South Carolina.”

The number of paid staffers and offices does not equate to better standings in the S.C. polls.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has not spent much time in the state but has remained a steady presence, consistently polling either first or second. He has just one office, in West Columbia, and has three S.C. staffers on the ground.

Romney received Gov. Nikki Haley’s endorsement last week — a possible boon for the candidate who finished fourth in the 2008 S.C. primary after spending millions.

“While in South Carolina last week, there was great enthusiasm for Governor Romney across the state, and he was glad to receive the endorsement of Gov. Nikki Haley,” said Amanda Henneberg, a Romney campaign spokeswoman. “We have a strong ground game in South Carolina. And in the closing weeks before the primary, our team and volunteers will continue to reach out to voters across the state and make the case that Mitt Romney is the best candidate to beat Barack Obama, and that he is the best choice to grow the economy, cut spending and create jobs.”

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is boasting a Texas-sized staff of 13 — the largest of any S.C. campaign.

Perry jumped to the top of S.C. polls after announcing his candidacy in Charleston in August, only to drop to the bottom after a series of debate fumbles.

He has one office, in Columbia — one that he is hoping will bring him luck. It’s the former campaign headquarters of both Gov. Haley and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.

Perry opted not to have additional field offices, said Katon Dawson, an S.C. Perry advisor and former chairman of the S.C. Republican Party.

“We didn’t want our people in the office,” Dawson said. “We want them in Rotary Club meetings and Republican Party meetings, talking to voters.”

While social media, including Facebook and Twitter, along with a 24-hour cable news cycle, are shrinking candidates’ need for multiple offices around the state to get their message out, a force of staff members and volunteers is still a must.

It can give a candidate the 2 to 4 points needed to win, say S.C. campaign advisors. In the 2008 S.C. primary, Arizona Sen. John McCain beat former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by 3 percentage points.

“A good ground game is what you have to have in those last 72 hours before the vote,” Dawson said. “It’s the ability to mobilize your supporters and get them to the polls. Social media has made it easier to get your message out. But you’ve still got to have the people who can turn out the vote.”

That’s particularly true in a small state like South Carolina, where voters expect to meet and shake hands with candidates.

“Your candidate has to come here and do retail (politics),” said Warren Tompkins, a veteran S.C. political strategist. “Voters in smaller states like South Carolina are used to retail. And it’s practical for candidates to do it here as opposed to Florida or Texas or California.”

Romney and Gingrich could see an unanticipated challenge from Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who is surging in the polls and now leads in Iowa, which will hold the nation’s first primary contest Jan. 3.

Paul has about six paid staffers and three S.C. offices.

“The priority is clearly Iowa right now. The focus is to win Iowa and win it decisively, not just eke it out,” said Michael Vasovski, Paul’s S.C. chairman, who plans to drive 18 hours to Iowa Dec. 31 to campaign for Paul.

Vasovski expects Paul’s growing Iowa popularity to be repeated in South Carolina as Jan. 21 draws near.

“He appeals to such a diverse group of people. He appeals to young people. He appeals to people of his generation. He appeals to evangelicals. He truly is a man of faith,” Vasovski said. “When you hear him, he’s consistent. No one agrees with everything he says. And for some people, he sounds quirky. But the more you listen, in your heart, you know he’s right.”

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is one of the — if not the — most visible S.C. campaigners. But he has never broken out of the single digits in S.C. polls.

Santorum has visited the state 25 times since announcing his candidacy and has three offices and four staffers in-state.

“The people of South Carolina ... don’t want you to come by on a whirlwind tour, shake some hands, sign some autographs, then leave,” said Hogan Gidley, who is working for Santorum’s S.C. campaign. “They expect you to sit down, look them in the eye and answer their tough questions. Rick has done that in Iowa and New Hampshire, and he’s been doing it more than anyone in South Carolina.”

Meanwhile, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has also consistently polled in the single digits, has three staff members and one office, in Columbia. “Our focus is heavily on New Hampshire,” said Joel Sawyer, Huntsman’s S.C. spokesman, adding the plan is to win big in New Hampshire and ride the wave into South Carolina.

“After New Hampshire, we’re planning to compete in South Carolina to win,” he said.