Huckabee has found his own supporters.
Romney is insinuating that he might lose because of bigotry. As Howie Carr said this morning he thinks, “I can’t believe that I’m losing to this guy.”
Romney will lose because of his liberal past. Sure there are some who will never vote for him because of his religion. That number is tiny.
The more voters think about why Romney gave the speech, the more ticked off they will be.
Romney didn’t lose voters to Huckabee. I don’t think Fred Thompson did directly either — Fred lost them first, and then they wandered around before going to Huckabee.
Romney knows that he NEEDS those wandering voters to come to him. Thompson was counting on it, but blew it, and Romney hoped he’d get them, but then Huckabee did well at that FRC conference and he got them.
Romney is now playing to get them back if Huckabee loses them. They aren’t going to Giuliani, and probably won’t go to Fred as he keeps telling them their faith is of little interest to him.
Their other choice among candidates who can win is John McCain, and they may end up there, even though they abandoned him in 2000 after he used them for a “Sister Soldiah” moment in Virginia.