The Romney campaign never even attempted to tap into the 2010 momentum of the Tea Party or Sarah Palin. Big mistake.
Not only did the Romney campaign not attempt to tap into that 2010 momentum of Palin/tea-party, they did everything they could to pour cold water on it!
I still can’t get over how the 2012 convention basically “outlawed” the use of the very words “tea party” from being uttered. And made Palin persona non grata. It was like being spit in the face. Always watched and looked forward to the GOP convention, but not this last time. Totally disconnected from the whole election.
It was worse than just not tapping into, they deliberately pushed conservatives away. Acted as though they did not need conservatives to get Romney elected.
Was it a mistake....or by design?
Its been apparent for quite some time that those who run the Republican Party dislike Conservatives. Don't get me wrong, they want the Conservative vote and (at times) will say things which appeal to Conservatives. But, when the rubber hits the road, they are far more comfortable with their Liberal cousins.
I don't know if Gov. Huckabee is right or not in his reasoning. What I do know is since the 70's, history reflects that "Moderate" Republican Presidential nominees lose elections while those seemingly Conservative win. As this track record is certainly no secret, you can draw your own conclusion as to what the GOP actually represents.