Posted on 01/21/2008 11:54:55 PM PST by Romneyfor President2008
The most interesting statistic to come out of the Nevada primary tonight is the dismal 8 percent showing for Gov. Mike Huckabee.
This shows what we all should have suspected that the Evangelical-Mormon estrangement cuts both ways. And it sends a very clear message to both the Romney and Huckabee camps. There is no way either one will win in a general election without having the other one on the ticket.
Here is how it works. Evangelicals in Iowa melted away from Mormon Romney, in spite of his huge expenditure in time and money. They just wouldn’t vote for a Mormon. The votes easily slipped to former Arkansas, Gov. Mike Huckabee, an evangelical, and he carried the state. But tonight, as one of the front-runners, Huckabee should have enjoyed a nice showing in Nevada, a conservative-libertarian state where his tax ideas should be well received. But, Mormon voters in Nevada, once confined to Utah and now a force throughout the Mountain States, are not biting for Huckabee. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
It is easy to understand how this estrangement developed. Mormons were rightly proud of their man, Gov. Mitt Romney. He was a classy businessman who turned around the Olympics, won the governor’s mansion in Massachusetts, a Republican victory in the heart of Kennedy territory, and last year took the lead in the polls for the first two GOP contests for the Republican nomination for 2008. But after two years of campaigning, Romney saw his lead in Iowa evaporate as evangelicals melted away, supporting their own Mike Huckabee instead. And then McCain beat Romney in New Hampshire.
Sensing that evangelicals were not going to accept him, Romney pulled his television ads in South Carolina and left the state to McCain and Huckabee.
In fairness to the evangelicals, and I am one, Mormon voters have long been suspect of evangelicals too. As a candidate for congress in Arizona, my campaign leadership were all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They helped me win an upset primary victory. But in the general election too many Mormons stayed home and it led to my defeat. My Mormon staff sadly confided to me post campaign that my “faith” had been the deciding “negative” factor.
Mike Huckabee’s hope of winning the nomination is to carry the South and hope that McCain, Giuliani, and Romney split the rest of the states. Romney is counting on the west, California and a couple of more Eastern states. But remember, the GOP delegate count is more loaded for the Southern states that traditionally vote with them in the general election.
In a general election, Huckabee could carry the South and nothing else if even a piece of the Mormon vote stayed home. It is not a big vote but they are activists in key Western states where Democrats have been threatening in recent years with increased Hispanic voters. Even if Huck carried Ohio, which would be tough, it would not be enough. The only way he could hope to win is to have Romney on the ticket and hope to sweep the South and mountain states.
The whole scenario works exactly the same in reverse for Romney. If he wins the nomination he could find himself winning in many southern states but losing Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, key border states, heavily laden with evangelical voters who make the difference. Most would vote for him but enough would stay home to see those close states tilt into the Democrat column. The only way he could hope to win is to have Huckabee on the ticket, reassuring evangelicals.
The fact is that neither one will be in the mood to accept the second place at the GOP convention. That’s why Huckabee and Romney need to meet now. They need to have a gentleman’s agreement to work for the other if they lose. Otherwise, they are both just spinning their wheels. Neither one can win without the other. They are joined at the hip. Or, if you prefer, they are a match made in heaven.
Doug Wead is a presidential historian and New York Times best-selling author. He has been a White House senior staffer and an adviser to two presidents. http://dougwead.wordpress.com/
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
ngredients
Utensils
4 squirrels, quartered Crock Pot
3/4 cup all-purpose flour Large Bowl
1 tablespoon salt Medium Bowl
1 teaspoon pepper Large Iron Skillet
4 slices bacon, cut up
1 egg, beaten Baking Sheet
2 tablespoons butter Glass or Cutter
2 apples
1 orange
1 white onion
Biscuits
1 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Cut up apples, onion and orange and place in a crock pot
Add squirrel
Cover with water and cook till meat becomes tender
Check frequently since all squirrels do not tenderize at the same rate of time. Do not allow squirrel to over tenderize and fall apart.
After meat is done, remove and allow to cool completely
Mix salt, flour, pepper in a bowl
Dip dry squirrel quarters in well beaten egg and dredge in the flour mixture
Place bacon and butter in large iron skillet and heat, then add squirrel
Fry on very low heat uncovered till brown, about twenty minutes on each side.
Biscuits
Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening
Add buttermilk and fold dough by hand
Place dough on floured surface and flatten by hand to a thickness of about 1 inch
Cut biscuits with a floured cutter or drinking glass
Bake on top rack at 375 degrees till tops are golden (about 10 minutes), remove and spread butter on tops and replace in oven for another five minutes or till brown.
Gravy
Remove fried squirrel, pour off most of the grease leaving a little for gravy base
Brown a small palm full of all-purpose flour and grease, add 1 cup of cold water and stir
Salt to taste.
Serve with rice.
NOTE: If one appreciates the natural game flavor of squirrel the apples and oranges should not be added in the parboiling process since these remove the wild taste from the squirrel. Serves four.
I will never vote for Huckster! If Romney piced him, I would be deeply disappointed.
Romney doesn’t need the Huckster. He should pick Haley Barbour. That will do the trick.
lol....this will be a fun suggestion to watch devoured around here like hyenas on a yorkie
I can vote for Romney..although not my first choice but under no circumstances will I vote if McCain or huckster are on the ticket.
I wish Haley had run....he or Jeff Sessions....somebody else besides who we got now.
Gawd help us
Are you going to try to put this NE liberal Democrat with an R by his name with every one to try to fool people?
Make up your mind. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957482/posts
Not! Not that it really matters with long-term socialism throughout the U.S. just around the corner.
I would be EXTREMELY disappointed if MR picked MH for VEEP.
FOR A DEMOCRAT TICKET...
There is no freakin way I’m voting for Huckabee. Even if you put him in the no. 2 slot, I would hesitate.
Thompson made up his mind for him.
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