Jackson Wins by Big Margin in S. Carolina

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, with his presidential campaign on an upswing after sweeping five states on Super Tuesday and winning the Alaska caucuses on Friday, scored another victory here Saturday in Democratic precinct caucuses.

With 93% of precincts reporting, Jackson had won 54% of the delegates being elected to attend county conventions, the second step in a process that will ultimately select 44 delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

An uncommitted slate, which has historically received strong support in South Carolina, was running second to Jackson with 19%, while Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr. had 18% and Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, with 7%, and Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, with 2%, lagged far behind.

Favored in Native State

Jackson, a native of South Carolina who also won the caucuses here in his unsuccessful 1984 presidential bid, was heavily favored. Nevertheless, Kevin Gray, Jackson’s state campaign coordinator, proclaimed it “a huge victory.”

Party officials here said Jackson is likely to win 30 of the 44 delegates to the national convention.

Coupled with an expected strong showing in Tuesday’s Illinois primary, Jackson’s victory here makes it likely that he will become the popular vote leader after Illinois and could permit him to overtake Dukakis in delegates at that point as well.

Jackson appeared to have benefitted from an energetic get-out-the-vote effort that boosted turnout to an estimated 40,000 to 45,000--about double that predicted by state party officials. Carol Khare, chairman of the state’s delegate selection committee, said the turnout was “astounding.”

“I think all the stir about the Republican (vote) last week stirred up all the Democrats,” Khare said.

The Republican primary on March 5, preceding the huge Super Tuesday votes in other Southern states, drew about 200,000 voters.

The high turnout also brought out more committed voters than in years past. In 1984, 52% of the state’s delegates were elected as part of an uncommitted bloc, while only 25% were uncommitted Saturday.

Gephardt’s Prospects Hurt

Aides to the Gore and Gephardt campaigns agreed that the Super Tuesday results had greatly influenced their race here, boosting Gore’s prospects while dashing those of Gephardt.

Gephardt, who had the support of former Democratic Govs. Robert McNair and Richard Riley, canceled plans for television commercials here after finishing far behind the three front-runners on Super Tuesday.

His South Carolina hopes were dealt a further blow Saturday when The State newspaper, the largest in South Carolina, reported in a front-page story that the Gephardt campaign had asked its supporters to remain uncommitted.

An angry Tim Driggers, Gephardt’s South Carolina coordinator, said the story had misinterpreted remarks made by another Gephardt staffer, who meant to suggest only that supporters back uncommitted delegates at caucuses in which they could not win delegates themselves.

“It’s going to hurt us,” Driggers said, “but there’s no way we can get the word out to people today, so we’ll just have to live with it.”

‘Good Showing’ by Gore

Although Gore finished far behind Jackson, John Jameson, Gore’s regional coordinator, claimed “a good showing” and predicted that most of the uncommitted delegates would swing toward Gore at county and state conventions, bringing his national delegate yield close to that of Jackson.

“I think you’ll find that most of the Jackson supporters committed themselves today,” Jameson said.

South Carolina selects its delegates through a three-step caucus procedure, which began Saturday and concludes at the party convention next month.

The delegates are divided proportionally based on a candidate’s showing. But only those candidates with 15% of the vote at the state convention are entitled to national convention delegates. Delegates selected Saturday are bound to their candidates through the county and state conventions.

Discourages Uncommitted Vote

But Gore urged supporters during a stop in Charleston on Friday to stand up for his candidacy and “don’t let anyone talk you into being an uncommitted delegate.”

Jackson celebrated the victory with a party in his hometown of Greenville, where he had flown after a day of campaigning in Michigan, including a commencement address at Michigan State University.

Speaking to followers in Greenville before jetting to Chicago Saturday night, Jackson said: “Just because you’re born in the slum doesn’t mean the slum is born in you. I came to tell America there is a way out.” Before the voting Saturday, Jackson proclaimed, “In South Carolina . . . I want to win another gold medal,” noting his strong showing in the Super Tuesday primaries.

“I hope to walk away with the majority,” Jackson said. “I should be the favorite son from South Carolina.”

Takes on Competitive Tone

Since his strong showing on Super Tuesday, Jackson’s campaign speeches have assumed a more competitive tone, with frequent references to a Jackson Administration and rhetoric aimed at the likely Republican nominee, Vice President George Bush.

His campaign swing through South Carolina on Friday, which emphasized his belief that drugs are the foremost threat to America’s national security, also featured a pointed new line, critical of the Reagan Administration’s war on drugs.

“Mrs. Reagan just says no, Bush just says nothing, and the drugs just keep on coming,” he said.