The Clemson University Palmetto Poll released Wednesday has Arizona Sen. John McCain in the South Carolina lead, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee running second. The poll has Romney in third place only points ahead of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson. But some observers are saying they wouldn't be surprised to see Romney drop to fourth.

Paul Peterson, political science professor at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., said Romney has been campaigning in the state a lot, but any influence he had over evangelical voters may have been "thrown off by the Huckabee phenomenon" when the former governor won first place in Iowa.

Peterson said in certain circles, people are not going to come out and say they will not vote for Romney because he is Mormon, but it will have some effect.

"Mormonism for some of these evangelicals has always been a troubling thing," Peterson said, whereas Huckabee, an ordained minister, is seen as "one of us" to them.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Romney finished fourth here," Peterson said.

A Dan Jones poll commissioned by the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV, completed after the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, found that 69 percent of those polled thought Romney's Mormon faith adversely affected his finish in Iowa, with its large number of evangelical voters.

Clemson University political science professor David Woodard said the Clemson poll results released Wednesday were calculated before Romney's win in Michigan, so any "bounce" he will get from that win could cause things to fluctuate but isn't likely to be a difference-maker.

Woodard said Thompson has been campaigning in the state hard the past few days and Romney's absence, despite his numerous previous appearances and advertising in South Carolina throughout 2007, could hurt him.

Ransom points out that this latest Clemson poll does show that 46 percent say they may change their mind about which candidate to vote for by Saturday. He said beyond evangelicals, the state has a lot of veterans who could vote for McCain, while Thompson and Huckabee could split the evangelical vote.

Although South Carolina could be his first "bronze medal" finish, Romney does expect to win in Nevada, where more delegates are at stake.

"It's been for the most part a flyover state for the Republicans. They stop here to refuel their jets and pick up their checks," said John L. Smith, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal for more than 20 years. Romney's efforts this week there, Smith said, are "a big deal."

He said he was surprised other GOP candidates weren't taking the state as seriously as Romney. "Not being here this week is a big mistake," Smith said. "It figures to really embarrass the party and make a Mitt Romney look really good. He can say, 'Other people blew you off, but you've seen me here.'"