Last Thursday, Colbert asked his viewers to lobby South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for his appointment, PPP: S.C. voters want Colbert

One-fifth of South Carolinians want late-night comedian Stephen Colbert to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate, according to a poll released Monday.

There are four candidates Gov. Nikki Haley could appoint to DeMint’s seat who have the support of at least 10 percent of Palmetto State voters, according to the Public Policy Polling survey. DeMint is leaving the Senate in January to run the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.


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Twenty percent want Colbert, a South Carolina native, while 15 percent hope Haley selects Rep. Tim Scott, 14 percent hope she chooses Rep. Trey Gowdy and 11 percent want her to appoint Jenny Sanford, the ex-wife of former governor Mark Sanford.

Colbert mainly benefits from being the favorite of a small number of Democrats and independents in a field of candidates filled with Republicans. Thirty-two percent of voters view him unfavorably, and only 30 percent have a favorable opinion. His support mostly comes from Democrats, 32 percent of whom want to see him in the Senate, and independents, where he gets 28 percent support. Only 6 percent of Republicans would welcome a Colbert appointment.

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Last Thursday, Colbert asked his viewers to lobby South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for his appointment, which would last until 2014, when a special election could be held. Haley appeared to dismiss Colbert as a nominee on Friday, noting he failed to remember what the state’s official beverage was when she appeared on “The Colbert Report.”

With Colbert removed, Jenny Sanford jumps into the lead, with 17 percent support. Scott draws 16 percent and Gowdy draws 12 percent. Former state attorney general Henry McMaster collects 13 percent. Mark Sanford picks up 9 percent.

Haley has said she would appoint someone with views similar to DeMint’s. That should draw cheers from South Carolinians, who approve of DeMint’s performance by a 49 percent to 40 percent margin. Counting only Republicans, Scott draws 25 percent support and Gowdy draws 21 percent in a Colbert-less field.

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Haley could use the help of a well-liked appointment. Forty-nine percent of voters disapprove of her job performance, and only 42 percent approve.

The survey of 520 voters was conducted from Dec. 7 to Dec. 9. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.