Huckabee cultifies Romney's religion more openly now with his query about Satan being Christ's brother. Romney should just let this stuff wash by. His speech on religion in American politics was necessary, more than sufficient, and will not be enhanced by explaining himself on Huckabee's terms. The Democrats are right about Huckabee's glass jaw in a general election, but he's also fragile in the GOP primaries. His broad conservative record is so lousy and his demeanour so, well, hucksterish, that rational conservatives actively dislike his candidacy (cf Powerline). An exception is John Hawkins who has a knack for picking losers in Hunter, Thompson and Huckabee His dislike of Romney is hard to explain on rational grounds altho he seeks to rationalize it with the idea that Romney is unelectable against Clinton.

Huckabee's rise has helped expose Thompson's and Giuliani's vulnerabilities. National Review's pragmatic endorsement of Romney takes those weaknesses into account and is hard to refute. I wonder if Huckabee may run as a populist independent when he loses the GOP nomination.