On May 15, 2007, a crowded field of Republican presidential hopefuls gathered in South Carolina for the second in a series of debates. An all-Republican affair roughly eight months before the first primary contest should attract only the most committed and ideologically extreme people. Although ideologically unrepresentative, this base is critically important, since candidates have to appeal to it first to gain the nomination. After the nomination is secure, candidates can tack their way back toward the middle where the swing voters, who decide elections, tend to reside.

Candidates, armed with polls and consultants, calibrate their responses to capitalize on the opinion environment. The audience reaction to these responses during the debates can provide a window on activist opinion. Several exchanges suggested that authoritarian-themed rhetoric resonated well with the Republican base. The clearest indications occurred when moderator Brit Hume asked candidates how they would respond to the following hypothetical scenario: