The Rush Fallout for Huckabee: Fatal, or Missing the Target?

The Campaign Spot ^ | 12/21/2007 | Jim Geraghty

[Checkers]

After today, Rush Limbaugh is in reruns until January 3, the day of the Iowa caucuses.

Highlight from a moment ago: "The drive bys are doing everything they can to influence the Republican primary. Mike Huckabee has been getting a pass from the drive-bys... They don't want Rudy because they think he can beat Hillary. They don't want Romney because of the same thing. They don't want Fred Thompson because of the same thing."

Can a guy who's been slammed as hard as Mike Huckabee has by Rush Limbaugh, the most popular conservative radio talk show host in the country, go on to win the Iowa caucuses? Anybody think Rush will have dropped this issue by the third of January?

My instinct is to say, "no way, a thumbs down from Rush is fatal," but a guy on another campaign cautions me. "An Iowa pastor who has been talking up Huckabee isn't going to change his mind because Rush Limbaugh doesn't like him." He points out that a pastors and religous leaders deal with people who fall short of their ideals all the time; hearing that Mike Huckabee was too merciful in dealing with Wayne Dumond is not going to be a dealbreaker for them. They'll probably go, no pun intended, "there but for the grace of God go I."

So... if a certain significant chunk of Huckabee's supporters back him because he's the most vocal Christian in the race, not because of the conservatism of his record or policy stances.... if the moment comes where the race needs a Huck Slayer (as social conservatives thought the race might require a Rudy Slayer)... can anybody in the race go after Huckabee on that ground? Can anyone make the argument to that Republican plurality, "Okay, nevermind conservative policy choices - he's not the good Christian leader you think he is"?

Tough ground to fight on. Just thinking out loud here, can a rival point out the ethics questions from Huckabee's Arkansas days? Is Huckabee's "innocent" question about Mormon beliefs the act of a good Christian? Is there something borderline blasphemous to compare opponents' direct mail to a Biblical verse describing "weapons" deployed against the righteous, or comparing one's campaign fundraising to the miracle of loaves and fishes?

Would Jesus hire Ed Rollins?

[Little_GTO]

>Odd that you claim Evangelicals would rather have a raging atheist as President, working hard to assault any God-fearing person, than vote for someone who agrees with us on many POLITICAL issues, and at leasts acknowledges that there is a God.

Only time will tell. Some Evangelicals might take their ball and go home. In the last presidential election they made all the difference in Ohio.

The counter balance is that Hillary would be a great unifier.

[Little_GTO]

>And if Rush is supporting Rudy, then Rush can burn in hell for all I care.

I’m not saying Rush is supporting Rudy.

I’m saying that Rush hasn't been saying much of anything negative about any of the republican candidates, especially the candidates he knows personally.

[Little_GTO]

>Do you even listen to Rush?

Yes, I listen to Rush and as a bonus I understand Rush.