You don't need a really long memory to recognize the pattern. A guy who has served as the governor of a Southern state, talks with this homey Southern accent, talks about being a compassionate conservative (although in 2008 that particular phrase has fallen out of favor). And knows absolutely diddly about world affairs. And doubts evolution.
Only the names have been changed. Huckabee feels good. He is a much more polished speaker than W. and is about as successful at self-deprecation as I can remember any politician being. I would not write him off simply because the big-money Establishment must be deeply unhappy at the thought of a Southern baptist hick leading the Republican ticket. It reminds me of a New Yorker cartoon from the 1930s, showing a couple of society dames speaking to each other while a wild-eyed man is haranguing a crowd from a soap box in the background. One of them says, "I never knew people like that could be Republican!"
But Republican he is and the nomination is not inconceivable. Unlikely, because I think W. may have chilled the prospect for Southern evangelical governors for a while, but not inconceivable. We should keep a wary eye open. Just remember how long it took for W. to decide that the best man for veep would be Dick Cheney. The convention wasn't even over before he had sold himself to the Dark Side.
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