WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | After 2nd TV debate experts believe DeMint has advantage over Tenenbaum

After 2nd TV debate experts believe DeMint has advantage over Tenenbaum

(Columbia-AP) Oct. 13, 2004 - Political observers say Upstate Republican Congressman Jim DeMint is considered the front-runner in the race to replace retiring Democratic US Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

That's despite a few stumbles in the past two weeks. In a state that leans to the right, experts say DeMint's recent comments about homosexuals and unwed mothers could actually energize his conservative base.

The two candidates squared off for a second statewide televised debate Tuesday night in Greenville on questions ranging from Social Security to tax reform to trade.

The three-term congressman apologized last week and again Tuesday night for his comments about unwed, pregnant teachers being unfit to stand in front of the classroom.

He also came under fire from gay rights groups for saying openly gay men and women should not be public school teachers, but DeMint offered them no apology. A recent Mason-Dixon poll of 625 registered voters showed half planned to vote for DeMint and 38 percent planned to vote for Democrat Inez Tenenbaum.

That left a large gap of 12 percent who remained undecided in the last week of September when the poll was conducted.

Tuesday night DeMint tried to paint Tenenbaum as a liberal along the lines of Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton. But, the superintendent argued that DeMint needs to put the focus on South Carolina instead of national politics.

Tenenbaum says she will vote for US Senator John Kerry for president, but she says she disagrees with Kerry saying that the war in Iraq was the "wrong war at the wrong time." Tenenbaum says Saddam Hussein needed to be removed. She says the focus now needs to turn to making Iraq more secure.

DeMint says he will continue to support President George W. Bush. He says the president has led the world on the war on terror. DeMint says Kerry has changed his position on the war many times and that to support him "suggests a problem with judgment."

Tenenbaum and DeMint will debate at WIS studios at 7:00pm on October 18th. WIS encourages you to submit a question that may be used in the debate. 

updated 3:46pm by BrettWitt