Some voters are shopping. What are SC GOP voters looking for in a presidential nominee?

Merrilee and Hamilton Dodge were seated near the back of the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center Aug. 28. They finished their plates of barbecue and moved onto the ice cream before the speaking portion of Jeff Duncan’s annual Faith and Freedom event started.

The Dodges, who live in Anderson, are politically interested people, but are still looking for a presidential candidate to pick in South Carolina’s Republican primary. On this night they heard from U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, subbing in for her husband, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I want to decide a little bit before Election Day, but I want to hear what everybody has to say,” Merrilee Dodge said.

The GOP primary is slated to take place on Feb. 24, 16 days after the planned Nevada GOP Caucus, and roughly a month after the New Hampshire primary.

With months before the primary, the calendar gives voters still shopping for a candidate ample time to make a decision.

But for those who are shopping, many of them have a common candidate they want to keep off of their list: former President Donald Trump.

“Trump is the elephant in the room of elephants. The people who are undecided are almost to a large degree questioning the wisdom of renominating Trump,” said Scott Huffmon, the director of the Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research at Winthrop University. “Maybe they liked him, maybe they still love him, but they’re at least considering that it might not be the best strategy to renominate him.”

Despite those shopping for a candidate, Trump holds a commanding lead in polls and remains the front runner for the nomination. Trump’s support has even grown following four criminal cases filed against him.

Polls indicate a very small sliver of undecided voters, but pollsters ask if the election were today, who would respondents vote for, and even try to push people to make a choice even if they’re not sure or could change their mind.

A Quinnipiac University Poll in August showed about 4% of Republican voters are undecided.

An Emerson College poll in August found 43% of respondents said they could change their minds on who they will support. An August Wall Street Journal poll found 47% of respondents are not committed to a choice and could change their minds.

“You’ll have people who generally have a candidate in mind, but they’re just not nailed down yet,” Huffmon said.

Because of South Carolina’s First in the South presidential primary, voters in the Palmetto State are afforded more opportunities than most to see candidates in person and hear from them directly.

And dedicated partisans, unsure of who they want to support, will attend campaign events, but won’t wear the candidate’s sticker and may not leave with a sign. They’re usually in the back of the room.

“That shows they’re both passionate enough and engaged enough to be doing it,” Huffmon said. “The people who take time out of their day to show up at these events, which can often run overtime and candidates’ schedules are hectic, they show up and are there to learn about a potential candidate. Those are the most engaged voters.”

Back at Jeff Duncan’s annual barbecue in a part of the state where Trump is very popular, the Dodges sat toward the back of the room.

Merrilee Dodge wants a candidate who can try to unite the country and get Democrats and Republicans to work together more.

“I think Donald Trump, as much as I like him and I like his policies, I think he’s a very dividing factor,” said Merrilee Dodge, a 60-year-old retired dental office patient coordinator who has lived in South Carolina since 2013.

She has been impressed with both Scott and former Gov. Nikki Haley, saying the South Carolinians performed well in the first Republican debate.

“Do I think they can get nominated? I think it’s going to be a real hard push,” Merrilee Dodge said.

Dodge isn’t the only person with concerns about Trump.

“Honestly, I love Donald Trump, but he cannot get out of his own way, as far as his attitude and talking,” said Amy Parham, 55, of Greenville, who owns Red Door Realty.

While at a Haley event in July, Parham said she was considering five candidates, including Haley, Scott, DeSantis and even North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Since the first debate, Parham narrowed her choices down to Haley and DeSantis, adding Haley seemed to be the only candidate with a “cool head” on the stage and believing DeSantis might be the only candidate who can win a General Election.

“I’m waiting to see who stands out from the crowd and is actually electable in the conservative party,” Parham said. “I have people that are my favorites based on the issues, but if they’re not electable, what does it matter?”

She’s looking for fiscal conservatism in a candidate.

“I want to make sure we’re balancing the budget and we’re trying to spend our money wisely on things that move the country forward, not just frivolous things,” Parham said.

For some voters who are considering candidates besides the former president, they want someone who will be tough on Trump.

Max Dangerfield, 67, of Forest Acres has been strongly favoring former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, but also considered former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, as they have been vocally critical of Trump and saying the former president should not be in the race.

“The 2020 election was not stolen. No way, no how,” Dangerfield said. “This thing with Trump is a different matter altogether. This is the end of the Constitution with Trump.”

But after the first debate Dangerfield had firmly settled on Christie.

“Asa Hutchinson doesn’t seem to be getting any traction,” Dangerfield said.

Bonnie Taylor, 81, and Lee Bates, 82, of Simpsonville, attended a Haley rally in Greenville. It was the first time they ever attended a political rally.

“First off, I’m looking for someone who can forget the drama and give us reasonable expectations of what they will do once they’re in office,” Bates said, referring to Trump. “Don’t give us all the platitudes and tell us what you want to hear, then go to Washington and do whatever you damn well please.”

They like what Trump did while in office, “but his personality just gets in the way,” said Bates, who moved to South Carolina from Florida three years ago.

“I just hope that people will take the time to pay attention, listen to the debates, go to the rallies, learn about the people and just make an informed decision,” Bates said.

Sumter Graham, 51, of Greeleyville, works for an herbicide plant.

“China is pushing products, and it’s causing me a little stress,” Graham said.

He wants a candidate who will push for fiscal responsibility, has the ability to control the southern border, and can be tough on China.

Although he hasn’t settled on a candidate, he is now leaning toward Haley, pointing to her debate performance, six years as governor and two years as ambassador to the United Nations.

“I think she’s got the experience, especially on foreign policy,” Graham said.

Graham said he had concerns about Trump.

“I want someone who can work with other people and that might be one of his weaknesses,” Graham said.

Concerns beyond Trump

Voters have other concerns beyond Trump’s demeanor.

Chase Burbage, 31, of Columbia, attended a DeSantis rally in June as he goes through his search for a Republican candidate to support. He’s even had campaign workers come to his door to stump for DeSantis and Scott.

For the electrical engineer, age is a big factor for him, with Trump being 77 and Biden being 80.

“The country is constantly changing with technology and things like that, so maybe (someone who) is a little more in touch,” Burbage said.

Burbage said he plans to watch all of the debates and will probably make his decision in January, expecting the field to narrow in the next few months.

“We’ll have a few more drop out,” Burbage said.

Tony Spain, 46, of Columbia, has attended several events including speeches by former Christie, DeSantis and Hutchinson.

In June he had yet to make up his mind.

Spain’s biggest concern is how the potential candidate would handle foreign policy.

“I really want to hear what they’re gonna do with the world situation, especially with China and Russia,” said Spain, who works in construction and as an independent insurance salesman.

Spain, however, has come back to Trump after voting for him in 2020.

Spain said he wouldn’t be supporting Trump if not for the criminal indictments filed against the former president, even calling them a “witch hunt.”

“If we don’t try to stop that from happening, it will continue to go on,” Spain said.

Spain didn’t vote for Trump or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, but did like the policies Trump pushed once he was in office.

“I probably wouldn’t invite Donald Trump to my barbecue, but if I needed something in D.C., that’s my guy,” Spain said.