I think Huckabee is now the odds-on favorite for the GOP nomination. I know, it sounds crazy. But the other guys have too many things not going for them. His support per-dollar spent is staggering. And he has one more big thing going for him: liberals are starting to criticize him. Before the attacks were mainly from the right. Now they're coming from the NY Times, Olbermann and the rest of the left. And if they're anything that unites conservatives, it's hating liberals. So the AIDS quarantine thing, repulsively enough, may end up helping him in the GOP race.

McCain is another possibility. His poll numbers have been bad, but it's mainly going to Romney. As Romney slides (and he's already sliding), those voters could go back to McCain. After the GOP establishment splashes cold water on its face, they'll realize that a pro-life pro-war McCain is better than what they could end up with.

Look at it this way: the most pro-Bush people in the race, Guiliani and Romney, are suddenly vulnerable. The past month has been very good for a more anti-torture, anti-war nominee.

It's also been very bad for secularism, but that's another story. The religious revival in American politics apparently will long outlast the influence of GW Bush.

McCain often looks old and tired - if he returns to the limelight I think he'll wilt. If he somehow gets the nomination, the long campaign slog will wear him down and the Democrat will win going away.

Victory for the GOP relies the religious conservatives, but with Wall Street bankrolling them. Huckabee could pull the religious right behind him, but Wall Street might well decide to back Hillary in preference to Huckabee. The current support per-dollar spent reflects the gelling of his fundamentalist voter support and could rise to maybe 30% without Huckabee spending much (Bush's approval rating). How Huckabee gets much more is hard to see. Guiliani has the opposite problem - plenty of money but lacking a natural, committed constituency. We are fortunate that the only other Wall Street candidate, Romney, is a Mormon who the Godbots don't like either. Unless the GOP can gin up fear in the electorate (and they might yet succeed in doing that), they are in trouble.

Godbots, I'll have to remember that one. It says so much in such a small space.

I loved Olberman's delivery of, "C'mon ladies. Everyone who votes for Huckabee gets a free Burka!". Classic.

I can't see Huckabee actually making it to a nomination. Sure he is getting support but I think it is more a small backlash as people realize that they have to buckle down and choose, and none of the choices are appealing. It will fade, even if he were to win Iowa somehow.

Eric Cartman for president: "hey! get back in the kitchen and make me some pies!"

I think Huckabee has a real chance at the nomination. Rudi, is toast and Mitt is a Mormon, which just makes Christians uncomfortable. unless MCain is suddenly going to stage a comeback.

Eric Cartman for president: "hey! get back in the kitchen and make me some pies!"

Hey, despite the antisemitism, misogyny, and all around sociopathic mentality, he does have a good exit strategy.

"Screw you guys. I'm going home."

One thing about Huckabee: if he convinces evangelicals that he's a "moral man", none of his opponents smears, or genuine dirty laundry, will make a dent. Once the they decide on "God's candidate" it won't matter who Huckabee pardoned, how much money he stole, or how much coke he's snorted with Pat Robertson. George Bush was a lazy, stupid drunk who turned out to be an incompetent, corrupt, warmongering liar of a president - but ask his evangelical devotees and he's still "a moral man".

Huckabee is just taking the attention off of the only hope the republican party has.. And that man is Ron Paul.

Amen, but he (ron paul) probably doesnt wanna steal enough taxes for most people on this site.Not to mention somebody wrote a few racist things under his name a decade ago.

This whole discussion is awfully depressing. Are these people really the best the GOP has to offer? This is a cruel sick joke.