Huckabee Has Changed The Whole Race

Obviously, from the standpoint of support for Mike Huckabee, as Drew noted below.

But it's got me thinking too.

Not that I would support Mike Huckabee -- indeed, this is the only first-tier candidate I now find it difficult to support -- but it changes my own political math.

If Giuliani is too divisive a figure for the GOP base -- and if so, it's his own damn fault I must say; he could have easily tacked enough to the right to appease social cons -- then I guess I need to find an alternative to Huckabee.

I like Giuliani but not enough to split the base over him.

Thompson seems to be a natural alternative -- or at least he seemed that way, before he actually began campaigning. He's in the mix, I suppose, but I'm not thinking he can win.

Which leaves me pondering a candidate I've never really gotten behind, except to say he's perfectly acceptable to me -- Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney has his own problems with the social cons. His religion offends many, and his new improved positions on hot button social issues have the stink of opportunism still wafting over them. But I believe he's credible on these issues, if only because he's now made a fairly unbreakable promise on them.

He's a smart guy. He lacks Giuliani's charisma and ease and command in speaking, but he's not bad either. He has tremendous executive experience. And he has... oh, what the hell, Hugh Hewitt's blog.

Second look time for Romney, at least for me. I think Huckabee would be a disaster in the general election. An easy manner only gets you so far.