Over the next couple days, candidates on both sides will be more visible to the public as Democrats gather in South Carolina ahead of tomorrow's debate while Sen. John McCain officially announces for president today in New Hampshire.

Democrats will kickoff a large tour of South Carolina with tomorrow's debate, which isn't "do or die for any of the eight," reports the Greenville News' Dan Hoover, but could help Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama move past each other or help another candidate join the two at the top. The State's Lee Bandy writes that Democrats are in an upbeat mood. Large crowds are expected this week for the candidates' debate, Friday's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner and Saturday's state Democratic convention. In "sharp contrast," the state's Republicans are in a "big funk right now. They have little to cheer about. The GOP, they fear, has lost its way."

Overlooked but not unimportant is Rep. James Clyburn's annual fish fry, reports the Wall Street Journal's Amy Schatz, which is considered important for Democrats to gain Clyburn's endorsement. Clinton and Obama will attend, as will Edwards, who didn't show in 2003, which "apparently didn't go over terribly well with the host by some accounts and Clyburn's much-sought-after endorsement went to Sen. John Kerry."

The New York Observer's Jason Horowtiz reports that Al Gore supporters, especially Donna Brazile, say he probably won't run, but if he does, they'll support him. As for comments by Bill Clinton and James Carville that Gore might run, Brazile said, "They want him to make the Shermanesque statement that he is not running, period. Because if you look at the polls...[Gore] draws support from Mrs. Clinton, and a little bit from Edwards and Obama. But a lot from her. So I'm sure that's the reason why."

On the GOP side, McCain and his supporters are finding that New Hampshire is "politically very different" than the same state one he won in 2000, writes The Politico's Jonathan Martin. That year the primary was open to independents and a lackluster Democratic primary drove many of them to vote for McCain. Next year the primary may just include Republicans, but ironically this may make the primary a "test of support within the GOP base. There are signs that McCain and his team have learned from their rookie mistakes, as they highlight the senator's ardent support for a war that every New Hampshire observer contacted for this story said would not hurt him in the state's primary."

Meanwhile McCain's campaign has replaced its finance director, while Mitt Romney's deputy campaign manager resigned, citing familial obligations but coming after a report that the FBI is looking into his old boss, Rep. Tom Feeney for 2003 trips with Jack Abramoff.

Rudy Giuliani made news yesterday by saying if America is on defense in the War on Terror, as it would be with a Democratic president, "we will have more losses and it will go on longer," reports The Politico's Roger Simon. Elsewhere, Giuliani said he didn't "know the answer" to the question of whether the Iraq surge was working and declined to give the circumstances in which he would withdraw from Iraq.

Lastly, Fred Thompson will provide regular commentary on ABC News' Internet radio site, while his "Law & Order" co-star Sam Waterston told CNN he thinks Thompson will run for president.

Get these and today's other elections stories at RCP's Politics and Elections page.