It has been almost three weeks now since Barack Obama posted his big win in the Iowa Caucuses, and the South Carolina primary this Saturday would seem to give his supporters a good shot at victory.

The polls indicate Obama has a healthy lead and the choice of Hillary Clinton to campaign elsewhere this week indicates that the Clinton Camp is not ready to throw good money after bad in the Palmetto State.

Clinton yesterday held a news conference in Washington, D.C., then went to California where she was endorsed by the United Farm Workers and also held an event in Arizona, another state that votes on Super Tuesday.

Today, while Obama holds rallies in Rock Hill, Sumter and Dillon, Clinton will be in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, raising more money and playing to voters in some key states still on the primary calendar.

Remember, it is all about delegates. South Carolina has 45 delegates. Super Tuesday offers over 40 times that many.

This strategy was really made possible by the win in the caucuses in Nevada last weekend. Lose that one and Hillary Clinton would be on the verge of seeing Obama grab some serious momentum. Lose South Carolina now and it's more of a blip before Super Tuesday.

While Clinton the Senator racked up a lot of miles Tuesday, Clinton the Former President was doing the dirty work on the ground in South Carolina, taking more jabs at Obama in a one-two punch that has certainly forced him to alter his message.

"I know you think it's crazy, but I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight," said Clinton the Former President.

The Obama campaign has now started its own "truth squads" to deal with what The Candidate says are efforts by both Clintons to wrongly twist his words.

Is Barack Getting Swift Boated?

For months there has been an email story circulating that Barack Obama is actually a Muslim, and in the wake of Nine Eleven, you can figure out why those emails could raise damaging questions about him.

For the most part, the Obama camp has left good enough alone. The Washington Post did a story about the email rumor mill that was criticized for not saying specifically enough that it was all a bunch of hooey.

This week in South Carolina though, Obama directly confronted the issue, trying to make sure the more religious South doesn't really think that he is a Muslim.

"Barack Obama is a committed and active Christian," his web site says. "Barack has never been a Muslim or practiced any other faith besides Christianity."

"If you get some silly email," Obama told a rally in Columbia, "send it back to whoever sent it and tell them this is all crazy."

Just the mere fact that Obama is addressing it like this tells me there must be people inside the campaign who are worried about the Muslim issue, worried that it is presenting a hurdle for Obama in the South.

Yesterday, 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry weighed in on Obama's behalf, urging Obama supporters in an email to take on those attacking Obama.

"Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email, " Kerry wrote. "These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism."

"They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks."

The "Swiftboat" reference of course is all about the attacks on Kerry four years ago concerning his service in Vietnam, attacks which the Kerry camp ignored for too long and which ultimately damaged his campaign.

"The fight is just heating up," Kerry summed up in his email. "We won't let them steal this election with lies and distortions."

Former Senator Fred, We Hardly Knew Ye

The end of Fred Thompson's Presidential bid was just a whimper on Tuesday afternoon.

Thompson issued a statement from Florida, stating what had been obvious to many in Washington, D.C. for weeks.

"I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort."

Thompson's campaign will be one to study, as in one to study for what mistakes should not be repeated.

I remember all the speculation when Thompson was said to be getting into the race. It would happen around or on July 4th. It was going to be late July. Then August.

By the time he finally got in, it was almost as if he had already peaked in the polls. His slow-paced campaign schedule and large senior staff turnover generated guffaws and disbelief in DC.

Thompson finally seemed to be getting into the swing of the campaign in South Carolina. He did well in a pre-primary debate and sounded like he had found his voice.

But a distant third place finish could not erase the obvious. He wasn't going anywhere.

His departure was one week too late for Mike Huckabee, who might have won South Carolina if not for Thompson taking away precious votes of conservative voters.

Like many things in the world, those who excel really "want" it more than others. And when it comes to a Presidential campaign, you better "want" it really bad.

Not many observers in Washington thought Thompson had that desire in his gut.

Who Goes Out Next In This Race?

The route through South Carolina, Florida and the South bring back a familiar sort of scene for me as a political journalist.

The sound is that of a clanking and wheezing campaign, desperately trying to hang on to any shred of viability, while chasing the frontrunner.

Creaking and short on cash, the candidate looks reporters in the eye every day and pronounces himself convinced that they will triumph in the next primary and revive their Political Fortunes.

The reporters dutifully file their stories, but deep down, they know the candidate is breathing fumes, as the campaign facts and scenes paint another picture.

I remember covering Jerry Brown in 1992 in New York City as he tried to stop Bill Clinton. The Brown camp had a bus that would take a group of reporters to a campaign event nearby in Manhattan.

We all got on the bus but the bus didn't move. Instead, the bus driver got up and announced that he wasn't going anywhere because he hadn't been paid yet. He walked out the door and didn't come back.

In 1996, there was Steve Forbes desperately clinging to any positive news, even though everyone knew that Bob Dole was going to be the nominee.

In 2000, I watched Bill Bradley try to keep going to the bitter end against Al Gore, but that didn't work.

Four years ago, it was John Edwards that just kept going, but couldn't overcome John Kerry. Every day, there were questions like, "Are you running for Vice President?"

John Edwards could face this kind of soul searching moment fairly soon in the Democratic race. On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee may be the next to hear the speculation about their futures.

This can be an exhilirating time in the Presidential race. It can also be a very hollow time for the also-rans.