Darline Graham, Ralph Norman clash in tight South Carolina Senate runoff

A South Carolina Senate runoff shouldn't come down to a Friday night rally in Myrtle Beach, but here we are. Darline Graham's internal numbers were sliding before Trump showed up, and now the whole race hinges on whether one presidential appearance can paper over whatever it is that's been eating away at her lead against Ralph Norman. That's not a knock on Trump's pull with the base. It's a question about why an incumbent needed the save in the first place.

Norman has spent years building a reputation as a Freedom Caucus type who votes his conscience even when it's inconvenient for leadership. That kind of record tends to age well with primary voters who are sick of senators who talk tough in press releases and fold when the vote actually matters. If Graham's support was eroding on its own, before any outside money or messaging changed the equation, that tells you something about how her tenure looks up close to the people she represents.

None of this means Trump's endorsement won't work. It might. He's moved plenty of close races in the final 72 hours, and South Carolina Republicans aren't exactly allergic to following his lead. But a late rally covering for a shrinking lead is a symptom, not a strategy, and voters in that state have shown before they're willing to buck the favorite when they think someone else has earned it.

Whoever wins Tuesday inherits a seat that matters for the majority, and South Carolina voters know it. They deserve credit for taking that seriously instead of just falling in line because a plane landed in Myrtle Beach.