WASHINGTON, FEB 20: Having suffered a serious setback at the hands ofSenator John McCain in the previous round, Republican frontrunner George WBush regained the momentum by registering an easy victory over thechallenger in the strategically important South Carolina primary."I am relieved.excited and energised," Bush said after his victory lastnight in South Carolina which is generally viewed by poll watchers as thestate that shows the national trend.With 97 per cent of the vote counted, Bush managed 53 per cent to McCain's42 per cent.Bush had suffered a serious setback by his defeat at the hands of McCain inNew Hampshire, hence the unusual interest in the South Carolina primary tosee whether Bush has what it takes to fight back and be the frontrunneragain.The debate was brewing but Bush stood the ordeal well and when the returnswere coming in, his supporters were all smiles.McCain too showed a positive face as he told his supporters, "we have justbegin the fight, and I cannot wait for the next round" . The next roundconsists of polls in Michigan and McCain's home state of Arizona in threedays.Meanwhile, in the Democratic Party the challenge to Vice President Al Gorecontinues to be rather insignificant so far, meaning thereby that after allthe primaries are over, in November it will be Bush against Gore to succeedPresident Clinton as the next president in the grand poll finale.Opinion polls show that Bush still leads Gore.
