| Will this debate make or break the GOP race for governor? Here's what to watch for BY BRISTOW MARCHANT Updated May 22, 2018 05:26 PM
Four Republican candidates for governor piled on Gov. Henry McMaster when the incumbent did not attend a Charleston debate a week ago. But the governor will have his chance to respond Wednesday, when all five GOP candidates come together for the first time in a televised debate.
The Clemson University debate — to be broadcast statewide on S.C. ETV — is expected to be one of two debates that McMaster takes part in before the June 12 primary. The other will be June 5 at the University of South Carolina.
Here's what to look for when the candidates square off at 7 p.m. Wednesday. ▪ Can McMaster stay above the fray? McMaster's avoidance of debates so far has helped him steer clear of any potential gaffes. In a race where polling has the incumbent leading — but by less than the 50 percent needed to win without a runoff — that strategy has allowed the Columbia Republican to separate himself from the rest of the pack.
"If you turn on the TV and it shows you standing with everyone else on stage, that only diminishes you if you're ahead," said former Clemson professor and campaign consultant David Woodard. "If (McMaster) just has an average performance without anything happening and if he doesn't make any mistakes, I'd say he had a good night."
If McMaster comes under attack from his opponents — Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant of Anderson, former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill of Williamsburg, former state agency director Catherine Templeton of Mount Pleasant and Greenville businessman John Warren — he might want to focus on his accomplishments and platform.
If he engages with his critics , he risks elevating them in the process. "He should just be a punching bag," Woodard said.
▪ What's McMaster's answer to the Quinns? McMaster needs to address his connections to the controversial political empire of Richard Quinn.
A longtime McMaster associate, Quinn's political consulting and strategy firm entered a guilty plea to illegal lobbying activity. Several S.C. lawmakers connected to his firm also have been indicted or pleaded guilty to misconduct charges, including Quinn's son, former state Rep. Rick Quinn, R-Lexington.
"He needs to be able to say, 'I take ethics seriously. This is what I've done. This is what I'm going to do,'" said College of Charleston political scientist Gibbs Knotts. "To say 'that's all in the past,' that's probably not enough when everyone else is slamming a corrupt system and people have pleaded guilty in court."
▪ Who's No. 2? The four other GOP candidates, hoping to make a primary runoff with McMaster, each will be trying to establish themselves as the governor's main challenger.
Templeton has worked to set herself up as McMaster's main challenger, raising the most money among the governor's primary opponents. But with State House corruption emerging as the primary's No. 1 issue, Woodard sees a chance for Warren to establish himself as the "squeaky-clean businessman."
"He's said some pointed things at other events," Woodard said. "He has a bit of an edge, like 'don't tread on me,' that might come from being a Marine."
Bryant, the former state senator from Anderson, also might take advantage of the debate's Upstate setting to speak to his home region's concerns.
"There are a lot of complaints here about (the Upstate) not having a voice in state government," Woodard said. "He could talk about how our roads haven't been kept up, without making Horry or Charleston voters feel bad."
▪ Any good zingers? The debate will last an hour, but voters might take away only one or two lines.
"Warren got a good zinger in the last (debate) about buying a buzzsaw at Home Depot" and not needing one as governor, Knotts said, a line that diminished Templeton's self-proclaimed nickname.
Whether preplanned or accidental, a memorable moment from a debate can end up defining a campaign for good or ill. And in a social media age, they can live on long after the debate is over.
"People will play a clip over and over again," Knotts said. | 
