Hat tip: HotAir via Viking Pundit.

Certainly we cannot assume that the last few years have rendered GOP donors less capable of giving than their Democratic counterparts.  We are not now a country of rich Democratic supporters and poor Republican supporters.  Instead, I believe, a large percentage of GOP money still resides in GOP wallets and does so because of two reasons.  First, this field of first-tier candidates does not mesh with the GOP base.  Take The Blogging Caesar for example.  If I am hard-pressed to choose someone to even feel good about among the headliners, how much less am I going to be willing to throw cash at one of them?  Second, the field is just too large and up-for-grabs at this point to motivate donors to shell out the bucks - especially considering the first reason.  By contrast, the Democratic race is down to two well-defined, well-received candidates in Hillary and Obama.  In them, Democrats have two palatable choices given their political ideology; among the top four, Republicans have none.

This is where Huckabee comes in.  As a tried and true family values kind of man, he meshes perfectly with the social conservatives of the party.  And while he doesn't have as strong a fiscal record of conservatism as most GOPers would like, it seems the more people get to know him, the more they like him.  Add to that his articulate, intelligent, and comfortable presence on stage, and I believe you have a very electable fellow.  The NRLC endorsement of Fred Thompson notwithstanding, it seems we're seeing that already in Iowa.

If Huck comes out on top there - which is becoming more possible with every passing day - I think you will see all those latent GOP dollars show up by the boatloads in his coffers.  Momentum has a way of effecting strange things in a political campaign - just ask George Allen - and there are hordes of GOP donors desperately awaiting the arrival of the right person to cancel Hillary's coronation.  Fred Thompson has not been that one; Mike Huckabee just may be.  If the Huckabee campaign has the efficiency and skill to turn an Iowa win and the quick bucks that will follow into broader support before SuperDuper Tuesday on February 3, we might be looking at an all-Arkansas match-up heading for November.

Another cause for optimism that Huck might actually win in Iowa is the fact that 50% of his supporters in the CBS News/New York Times poll say their mind is made up, while only 33% of Romney's supporters say the same.  A simple math calculation on those percentages reveals that Huckabee leads Romney 10.5% to 9% among those whose minds are made up.  I believe the question Wilson asks in his article nails the reason for Huckabee's charge.

Despite big evangelical endorsements for Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and John McCain, could it be that rank-and-file Christian conservatives are making Huckabee the candidate of their choice?

He is this Christian conservative's candidate of choice.  What was the NRLC thinking?  Can they change their endorsement?

On the polling front, Giuliani still holds large leads in national surveys, but Romney is solidifying his leads in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.  Never-say-die John McCain is touting a recent uptick in his numbers and has even guaranteed victory in New Hampshire.  Then there is Mike Huckabee's rise from second tier to, shall we say, tier one-and-a-half which has landed him firmly in second place in Iowa.  So many candidates, so many possibilities.  So what do you think?  Who will win the nomination?  The poll is located in the right sidebar.  Please be sure to cast your vote.

The results in Mississippi and Kentucky were very unsurprising, Virginia's perhaps less so.  Looks like another good night for the Democrats.  Virginia's continuing move toward the Democrats was very evident.  It will be in play next year.

As we get ready to head into 2008, I'm going to do something I think you'll like.  From now until some time next summer, all the information on this website is open to the public.  I'll start accepting subscriptions again next year - probably June or July - but until then, please enjoy all the numbers from last year's election. You can click here to get started.

Update:  I didn't mention it and thought it might not be obvious, but all 50 state pages are open as part of the premium content.  Click on any state listed in the right sidebar to get the rundown on last year's election for that state.

We are already faced with a growing sentiment in some segments of this country against the values we hold dear.  I fear a Giuliani nomination, win or lose, will serve to dilute our effectiveness in combating those who would rip these important stands from the profile of our party.  I say let's hold fast to our convictions and pray that God will bless us for it.  After all, we are the religious right, are we not?