UPDATE: 7:18 PM EST: Barack Obama will give his victory speech at 9 PM EST.
UPDATE: 7:15 PM EST: Obama received about 81% of African American women's votes!
UPDATE: 7:05 PM EST: "Obama 'routed' Hillary Clinton," says Keith Olbermann.
UPDATE: 7 PM EST: MSNBC has named Barack Obama as the projected winner for the S.C. primary!!!
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Let's hear your predictions for tonight!!!
Well folks, official Democratic contest #4 has arrived, and in 45 minutes we will start seeing returns from the South Carolina primary.
I'll be liveblogging until Kos begins updating live, at which time, I'll refer you over to him. But until then, let's talk about what this win will mean for the victor. What are you predictions for tonight? Will the pollsters get it right and Obama will walk away with the win? Will Hillary prove to be the comeback kid once more? Or will Edwards pull a shocking upset, taking 2nd or even 1st in his native state?
The only guarantee in this race for the nomination is that there are no guarantees. The winner tonight will not be coronated. But will the winner's momentum propel him or her into a Super Tuesday victory on February 5th? Or are we destined to ride this out until convention night?
Order your thai food, put on your pajamas, pour yourself a glass of wine, and hunker down for another exciting night in this election cycle.
6:22 PM EST: According to ABC,
the economy is far and away the No. 1 issue about S.C. Democrats -- not surprising in a state that's been battered by lost jobs in the manufacturing/textile sectors. And more than half of today's voters are saying they're looking primarily for a candidate who can "bring about needed change."
6:11 pm: EXIT POLL INFO: Preliminary exit poll results indicate what our smart people are calling a "very large turnout" among African-American voters -- definitely more than 50 percent of voters in South Carolina are black, according to the early numbers, compared to 47 percent in 2004, and 43 percent in 1992. There's also heavy turnout among female voters, who are making up about 6 in 10 S.C. voters.
From ABC polling director Gary Langer: "Two groups that have been heavily courted in the run-up to today's South Carolina Democratic primary – women and African-Americans – are turning out in large numbers today. Preliminary exit poll results indicate that just over half are blacks this year; if that holds in final data later tonight, it would be the highest turnout among African-Americans in any Democratic presidential primary at least since 1984."
****UPDATE 6:34 PM EST****
Politico will again be featuring its county-by-county live updating results map tonight here.
EXIT POLLS indicate, on MSNBC, that 70% surveyed felt Clinton was unfairly attacking Obama versus 56% who feel Obama unfairly attacks Clinton.