Lindsey Graham drops out of 2016 GOP race

“I am not going to give an inch on the idea”, Graham has said on the campaign trail.

“I’ve hit a wall”, he acknowledged in an interview with CNN, and said it was time to consider “getting out and helping somebody else” in the presidential race.

“My biggest problem is a lot of people like what I say, but not a lot of people hear it. I don’t want to be the undercard voice”.

Instead, Graham participated in earlier “happy hour” debates where he performed well, according to reviews, but did not get the same exposure.

“I got into this race to put forward a plan to win a war that we can not afford to lose and to turn back the tide of isolationism that was rising in our party”, Graham said, referring to his call for a boots-on-the-ground strategy in the war on terror. “That should happen with our country – everybody goes against us, down the tubes”. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who poll at 11 percent and 9 percent respectively in the state.

It came on the last day for GOP White House hopefuls to remove their name from ballots during South Carolina’s first-in-the-South presidential primary on February 20, confirmed Matt Moore, state party chair. “I have no question that he took this Republican presidential race to a higher standard and certainly brought the issue of foreign policy to the forefront of the conversation.” said Robert Rechnitz in his capacity as a close confident of Senator Graham who was also the founding chairman of the Iron dome Tribute.

Graham “won” by being loose, displaying knowledge and espousing pragmatism in the face of the extreme words that have dominated so much of the agenda in the crowded GOP field.

Plus, there will be a grab for what’s left of Graham’s staff, donors and his endorsements.

Graham announced his candidacy in June.

Most recently, Graham pushed for an authorization of military force against IS that would allow the United States to attack the groups’ supporters anywhere, with no time limit. Ted Cruz and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson grabbing 66 percent of the support of Republicans, with the remaining candidates divvying up the rest.

Dawson said many South Carolinians are happy Graham, elected to a third term a year ago despite a GOP primary challenge, can focus again on his U.S. Senate job. The finance director for John Kasich’s super PAC announced on Twitter the support from a handful of former Graham backers. “Plenty were demurring out of respect to Lindsey and now they can fully engage”, said Brad Todd, a GOP consultant who worked for Bobby Jindal’s political action committee. He expressed exasperation that others, including real estate developer Donald Trump, were far ahead of him in the polls.