Thursday, January 03, 2008

Two More Cents   [Lisa Schiffren]

Such a funny system. Carter, Clinton, now Huckabee. Interesting to see Mitt, who I have wanted to like, but whose manufactured quality just doesn't give me much to hang any faith on, get blown out of the water.

Still, Mike Huckabee (indeed likable on Leno, infinitely less so on policy) is the only top tier Republican who could lose to Barack Obama. That is a race between the religious right and the religious left; the economy, foreign policy, and various high order threats to national security be damned. For once pundits would have to worry about whether the non-Evangelical GOP would stay home.

McCain surely has an easier path now, as all and sundry agree. But Rudy's avoidance of Iowa looks better today than it did yesterday. If Romney is (theoretically) shattered, and Huckabee is the man against whom the rest of the field is set, and Thompson is out for financial reasons — well they all still have the same flaws they had yesterday, McCain included. Rudy will look fresher than expected in a couple of weeks, especially if Huckabee takes South Carolina. And he can beat Obama or Hillary, who isn't out yet. Not being loved hasn't stopped her this far.

01/03 11:06 PMShare