The political action committee supporting South Carolina Senator Tim Scott's presidential bid has abruptly canceled $40 million in television ads. In a letter to donors, Trust in the Mission PAC, aka TIM PAC, co-chair Rob Collins said, “We are doing what would be obvious in the business world but will mystify politicos — we aren’t going to waste our money when the electorate isn’t focused or ready for a Trump alternative. We have done the research. We have studied focus groups. We have been following Tim on the trail. This electorate is locked up and money spent on mass media isn't going to change minds until we get a lot closer to voting."

TIM PAC says they bought up fall airtime “to prepare for one possible eventuality: a clearing primary field, leading to a protracted Scott-Trump head-to-head battle”

“But the field has not cleared.” pic.twitter.com/CALBP6HLrs

— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) October 16, 2023

TIM PAC will continue to fund grassroots get-out-the-vote efforts and has set aside $40 million for advertising ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Scott's campaign isn't folding — yet. But to say that he hasn't gained traction is an understatement. His current polling is abysmal and will prevent him from participating in the Republican candidate debates. Many people have been encouraging him to withdraw from the race and throw his support to another candidate. 

There is national incredulity, exhaustion, embarrassment, disgust and fatalism about the political parties’ inability to generate palatable presidential choices. Tim Scott could alter this with a trifecta of statesmanlike acts: withdrawing from the competition for the Republican presidential nomination, challenging others to do likewise and exhorting them to join him in supporting Nikki Haley.

This is the South Carolina senator’s choice: He can acknowledge that his energetic campaigning has failed to enkindle sufficient enthusiasm and depart as he campaigned, cheerfully. Or he can try to become someone whom, to his credit, he has no aptitude for being — another peddler of synthetic anger, stoking today’s rage culture.

Scott has brushed aside all suggestions that he get out of the race.

Tim Scott is a solid senator with a compelling personal story, but I'm at a loss to see his unique selling proposition. Even if Trump were not in the race, it would be difficult to define who is a "Tim Scott voter." His plan seems to be to stay in the race and see what happens. Presumably, "what happens" depends heavily on the outcome of Donald Trump's various criminal trials. If Trump flames out, there may be an opening for Scott. In fairness, that seems to be the plan of everyone else in the race.