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Can Romney win socially conservative South Carolina?

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    Former Gov. Mark Sanford joins the debate

  • Duration 3:03
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Since 1980 South Carolina has been determined to be a must win state as every Republican primary winner has gone on to win the nomination.

Our next guest.

Says he knows exactly what those voters are looking floor in a presidential nominee and then we said that about you -- -- -- former South Carolina governor and Fox's contributor Mark Sanford joins us now good morning governor.

Good morning to you so listen we are told that this South Carolina border has changed and morphed over even just the past.

Four years is there any way to define who the South Carolina voter is today.

Well that's a tough one the the South Carolina voters -- number of different folks you've got to upstate conservatives along the I 85 court or.

He got folks who've been here for generations across scattered across the state.

And you got a lot of newcomers particularly down along the coast and if you look at the numbers are population's gone -- about.

324 and a half million folks in size -- the last thirty years.

And you to break it better yearly basis it going back to the last election.

The population increases by about a point half a point three quarters every year up by about 70000 people a year.

I would say that disproportionately those newcomers.

Or perhaps a little bit more moderate.

In their social perspectives.

But but hard core on their economic perspective so a retiree Q island for instance.

Might favor Romney but what I think mitigates against that.

He's -- retired you know police chief Seattle ever retired fireman in the -- that -- and the list.

Perhaps a little bit simpler means that in Myrtle Beach and places like that.

That could go to Santorum -- -- go to Gingrich it's a wild card.

Now you -- -- that out really well because -- sounds like has happened.

Is -- a bunch of New Jersey folks and New Yorkers in north easterners have figured out that south -- a great place to live.

And -- others world class restaurants they're so they've all moved down there and surely that will change the equation today.

Yeah I think it does but the question is again what is their primary focus and you know even for the social conservatives of the upstate.

You know it's been said that a recession is when you lose use any other recessions when that your neighbor loses his job -- when you lose yours.

In a -- with nine point 9% unemployment.

A lot of families -- facing the recession or depression firsthand.

And so I would say that the primary focus of many of the working people -- state is gonna be economic in nature it's not that they don't care about social issues.

But it's gonna be economic in nature in that same.

-- I think -- just as true.

Forward carry on the coast on a fixed income.

They're going to be watching what's gonna happen to their 401K plan -- what's gonna happen to their pension -- so I think that there's a real economic flavor to retirees of whatever -- here in the states.

A former governor Mark Sanford thanks so much for the insight into your state there we appreciate it.

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