The Clyburn endorsement for Kerry is huge. It makes him competitive in South Carolina in a single stroke, because Rep. Clyburn has a solid GOTV organization in the heavily-Democratic (and majority black) 6th Congressional district.

The question in South Carolina has always been “Why would anyone around here vote for John Kerry?” The answer is now “Because Jim Clyburn told you to, and a bus from your church picked you up and took you to the polls.”

Kerry will probably still lose South Carolina, but now he has a chance to beat expectations. Which, in the bizarre world of the presidential primaries, is a win.