Patch Primary Countdown: SC GOP's Matt Moore

There are still about two months remaining until South Carolina holds its Republican presidential primary on Jan. 21 and the election has already made plenty of news without a single vote having been cast.

From questions about whether the state would retain its “First in the South” status, to who will pay for the primary, to the possibility that the streak of selecting the eventual nominee might be broken, the election has been on the lips of both close and casual observers. And that’s .

Few South Carolinians are following events closer than Matt Moore, executive director of the South Carolina GOP. Patch had a chance to speak with Moore about what’s happened to date and all that is still to come.

On Tuesday, the South Carolina and said that taxpayer dollars can be used to help fund the primary. Some thought the uncertainty about , but Moore disagreed.

“We’ve seen no drop-off in visits by candidates statewide compared to previous cycles,” Moore said. “What’s changed is how the campaigns are being run. Giving the , candidates are finding new ways to reach people. South Carolina is as important as it’s ever been.”

That importance was in jeopardy for a brief period this fall when Arizona, and then Florida, . But State was able to keep the First in the South status.

Following the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10 there will be an 11-day window where South Carolina will be the . The scheduling was no accident according to Moore.

“That’s why we fought so hard to have it on the 21^st,” he said. “We’ll be the sole focus.”

Before the next presidential election cycle, Moore expects there will be a discussion about the role of early states and how they allow underfunded candidates compete. For now, that conversation will be tabled while planning for this election continues.

Moore also noted that South Carolina is unique among all the early states in that voters here represent the three strands of the Republican Party: fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and national defense conservatives.

Those conservatives have seen as tumultuous a primary season as any in recent memory. Though a lot of voters are still undecided, the are receiving record television ratings.

“People are tuned in and they are hearing a variety of different approaches on how to solve problems,” Moore said. “Voters have heard from all the candidates about how they’re going to deal with the economy, but the big thing is who the best person is to beat Obama.”

Moore believes almost nothing has been decided.

“I think the race is wide open at this point. More than a ,” he said.

The reason voters have been so attentive, according to Moore, is because of what is at stake.

“This election will define this generation. We’re taking it very seriously," Moore said. “That’s why some candidates are and why they are rising and falling.”

The big difference from 2012 and 2008 as far as the Republicans are concerned is the , a group that flexed their electoral muscles in 2010. Moore believes the Tea Party and the state Republican Party are a perfect match.

“In South Carolina they (the Tea Party) have integrated very well with the Republican Party, certainly more than in the other early states," Moore said. “Their approach to the economy really resonates with the mainstream GOP and vice versa.”

And as for the all-important question of whether South Carolina will make it nine in a row for ?

“I think the streak will continue,” Moore said. “The last week before the election has a way of bringing order to all the chaos of the last six months.”