CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Trump-Truthers are running out of arguments for why “The Donald” can’t win the Republican nomination, and on Saturday, Trump could end that discussion entirely.

With a victory here -- coming on the heels of a blowout in New Hampshire -- Trump would not only prove that he can win the primary, he’d cement himself as the race’s frontrunner.

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A Trump win would also set off a desperate scramble within the party to unhorse him before he scores runaway victories across the conservative south, building a lead large enough in the delegate race that his rivals will struggle to reel him back in.

Ahead of the primary, however, the most formidable of those rivals are spending much of their energy attacking each other. Ted Cruz and a rejuvenated Marco Rubio have built expectations around a strong finish here, and they’ve spent the last few days trying to draw blood from each other.

Perhaps the most clarifying part of the race will be among the losers. A slew of murky polls puts Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Ben Carson at the bottom of the pack, though all three have vowed to keep running no matter where they finish. Kasich may get a pass, as he’s hung his long-shot strategy on later states farther north. But for Bush and Carson, a weak finish would amplify a growing chorus of calls to leave the race.

Here’s a look at the scenarios for each contender and the stakes in South Carolina:

Donald Trump

Polls show Trump as the prohibitive favorite, a finish that would demonstrate his campaign can win both here -- a socially conservative southern state -- and in New Hampshire, where a more secular conservatism holds sway among the GOP faithful.

Saturday's contest is something of a proving ground, too: Trump's bluster and bravado backfired in Iowa, where he lost to Cruz after months of touting a lead in the polls, but it led him to an overwhelming victory in New Hampshire 11 days ago.