Seems like whoever gets the Republican nomination will have backed into it. Rudy being the frontrunner in polls for the last two years would seem to guarantee that. I agree that McCain is hardly the leader now. But are we really to believe Romney that he is the leader?

Rudy's strategy of waiting until Florida gives him a shot at being the comeback kid instead of the man who tried and failed in Iowa, NH, SC etc. Is it too late for him?

As I see it, McCain, Giuliani and Romney have to split the security and economic conservatives among themselves while Huckabee has the Christians all to himself and could easily sneak in there. Unless Republican voters realize that en masse and find a way to eliminate two of the three. But which two? Either way I give Huckabee a real edge.

Yeah Giuliani might just make a come back. His campaign strategy is certainly unorthodox, but not exactly idiotic... unless it fails.

bsharporflat:

...while Huckabee has the Christians all to himself...

If this were true Huckabee would win by the largest landslide since George Washington, based on census demographics. I understand many people's frustration with the apparent kingmaking ability of the religious (far) right, but since G. W. Bush this influence has declined significantly.

Christians are not the mindless voting bloc the media likes to portray us as, though you can always find someone to fit the stereotype.

Huckabee is against abortion and evolution. What more could a fundamentalist Christian want from a candidate? Better economic opportunities? We know what Jesus had to say about that. ("render unto Caesar...."

While the Other Five backstep, backslide, backstab, backpedal and do backdoor deals, Ron Paul (still nearly unnoticed) continues his full frontal assault on a message (the first to adopt one) of much-needed change. And he has the policy to back it up and populist, not special interest, support to pay back if he gets the chance he deserves.

Ron Paul appears to be a new Ross Perot. He should run as a third party guy.

Why--so he'll be easier to exclude from the national debate? If he doesn't represent those Republicans who believe in Constitutional rights and fiscal responsibility, who will?

Nobody, Tulsa because it would appear you are a small minority. Why can't you accept that? Because you know you are "right"?

Republicans who believe in Constitutional rights and fiscal responsibility are a "small minority". It appears the G.O.P. party hacks agree with you.

Rejoice, Democrats! The Reagan Coalition is dead!

Well, sorry. Perhaps Ron Paul is closer to being a Republican Nader. A gadfly. Last I checked nobody was saying that either "Constitutional Rights" or "Human Rights" make the world go 'round. It's something else....

"Money makes the world go 'round," of course. Paper-backed, freely printed, inflationary blood money.

I'm just old enough to remember when that wasn't the Christian view. That must be my problem.

No offense but..yep. Politics is no place for a true Christian as Jesus made quite clear: "my kingdom is not of this world" "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, render unto God that which is God...." etc.