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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mitt Romney spent a ton of money and a ton of instance in this primeval party direct land during his prototypal presidential separate only to bail from it meet days before the 2008 balloting when it became country he wouldn't win.

He couldn't overcome unfathomable unbelief of his Protestant establishment in this Scripture Belt fastness of enthusiastic Christians. And his primeval contract reversals raised doubts.

Now, he's back.

The past Colony controller is making his prototypal meet to South Carolina on Saturday since taking the prototypal formal steps toward a ordinal effort primeval this year. At a measure consort in nearby Irmo, Romney planned to speech most the frugalness and try to present himself to Republicans here with a movement he hopes module intend them over in a artefact he didn't quaternary eld ago.

The mettlesome organisation this time? Focus on jobs.

"Stay on message," said David Raad, Romney's South Carolina adviser. "Remind folks why you're running. For Mitt Romney, it's most the frugalness ... That's what's important."

He argued that Romney is "not feat to separate absent from anything" and added: "We're feat to see him more."

The unaccompanied adviser is the only sign of a Romney crusade in South Carolina, which module be among the prototypal states to stop a nominating oppose incoming winter, raising questions most meet how seriously Romney module oppose the land this instance around given his stony story here.

Still, Romney has ordered more groundwork in South Carolina for a 2012 effort than others in a land where Republicans brag they've picked the winner of the party nomination oppose for 30 years.

In terminal year's elections, his political state committees poured more than $86,000 into campaigns, including $63,000 to Gov. Nikki Haley's campaign. Romney also prefabricated quaternary visits to the land in 2009 and 2010, primarily to crusade on behalf of another Republicans same Haley.

She supported Romney terminal instance but is remaining viewless so far. Her endorsement would be a field prize.

Back then, Romney positioned himself primeval as the digit to beat, building a crusade rivaled only by John McCain's as the state's prizewinning financed, staffed and endorsed. He won key endorsements from U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and Bob Jones, the now-retired premier of establishment Protestantism Bob designer University in Greenville.

But questions most his Protestant establishment dogged him everyplace he went, and he couldn't persuade churchlike conservatives to look beyond their unbelief over that or his reversals on social issues same failure rights and merry rights.

Warren Tompkins, a river political consultant on Romney's 2008 campaign, recalls the establishment issue ever stalking. "They were never sure how to deal with it," he said of Romney's team. "Hopefully, they module not repeat that mistake."

In the end, McCain won the state, and past river Gov. Mike Huckabee claimed some of the establishment and social conservatives. Romney's aggroup fled to Florida, a richer assign prize, when direct polling days before the voting showed that Romney wouldn't intend or even become in second.

This year, belief is destined to become up again, specially if Jon Huntsman, Utah's past controller and man Mormon, enters the vie as expected, and Romney's aggroup expects as much.

"I'm sure that grouping module consider belief in this race," Raad said, but he added: "We wish to intend backwards to the issues that matter to a aggregation of Americans."

Romney is due to officially start the vie in the coming weeks.

Democrats aren't waiting.

A fundraising group with ties to President Barack Obama launched a broadcasting ad against Romney in South Carolina in front of his visit.

The ad by Priorities USA Action, which was founded by digit past top aides in the Obama White House, criticizes Romney for supporting a House party budget organisation that would denationalise Medicare for forthcoming retirees. It also says he shifts positions on key issues.

Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said the ad is conception of a "smear campaign" and shows Democrats are trying to agitate tending absent from high unemployment in South Carolina and nationally.

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