Huckabee tied with Romney in one poll, tied with McCain and Thompson in another poll.

[Czolgosz]

These are national polls so they are measuring name identification rather than measuring anything to do with the likelihood of success at the ballot, but for a virtually unfunded candidate from a small state like Arkansas, moving up in a nation poll is still a good sign for the Huckabee campaign.

The most recent national poll on the Repub nomination, FauxNoise's new poll, shows Huckabee and Romney tied at 8%.

The second most recent national poll on the Repub nomination, Rasmussen's new poll, is a bit better for Romney but shows Huckabee tied with Thompson and McCain at 11%.

The idea that Huckabee could poll nationally anywhere near Romney, McCain, and Thompson is a clear indication that the wheels have come off the Repub wagon.

When Giuliani finishes fourth (or worse) in Iowa and then fourth (or worse) in New Hampshire, he will go into South Carolina with lots of bad juju, and while there are too many factors to project results out as far as South Carolina, it is safe to say that Giuliani will go into Super Tuesday without ever finishing higher than third (and finishing below third in more than one race). Giuliani's momentum will be so negative by the time Super Tuesday rolls around, that he'll founder.

In the end, Giuliani will be nothing but a spoiler who throws the nomination to Romney.

[BlueManDude]

1. McCain scares me as a nominee - I think he'd be VERY hard to beat in a general election.

His campaign stumbles won't mean jack if he's the nominee and the Beltway pundits have never lost their collective love for the guy.

[Czolgosz]

3. I agree that McCain would be their strongest candidate, but I have yet to meet a Repub who LIKES him

McCain cannot beat Romney or Huckabee in Iowa.

McCain cannot beat Romney in New Hampshire, and I'm hearing that the "Ron Paul Revolution" is made up largely by people who voted for McCain in 2000 so Paul severely cuts into McCain's base in New Hampshire.

McCain is not the darling of South Carolina (Romney's staff includes the machine who successfully took McCain out in South Carolina during 2000).

McCain doesn't have the cash to compete on Super Tuesday.

I believe that McCain would give us fits (I think he'd beat Hillary and would lose to Obama and Edwards win an election that would be closer than I'd like), but I just can't see where McCain turns it around in the race for the nomination.

[Tejanocrat]

12. McCain is much stronger than Giuliani.

[Didereaux]

2. McCain SHOULD scare you...

In his mental decline the past couple of years he has become HIGHLY attractive as an alternative candidate by the Neo-CONS. Very much in the same mold as Reagan and Bush. Popular with the masses and mentally deficient or unstable.

I know this sounds like BS, or hyperbole or whatever...but really, really think about it. If you were a Neo-CON power does this make sense? Does it fit the circumstances? I think you will then agree substantially with what I have just written.

Scary, isn't it! and McCain CAN beat Hillary in the general!

[Czolgosz]

6. Giuliani has the NeoCon vote LOCKED. Brownback gave the best right-wing argument for McCain -

he's the most electable candidate who has an anti-choice record that is not marred by flip flopping and he's the best Repub match up against Edwards, Hillary, and Obama.

[Didereaux]

7. NOTHING is LOCKED! If Rudy tanks, then McCain fits the shoebox!

Remember these guys don't CARE which puppet they get, nor what kind of strings it has attached. Rudy they will own with simple blackmail. McCain with simple psychological same as Reagan. All just details.

[Czolgosz]

8. Fair enough. But I don't think we'll see Rudy's tank until mid- or late-February. It may be too late

for no-money McCain by then. I'm thinking Romney will have won it by late-February.

[Didereaux]

9. good possibility of that, I agree n/t

[skipos]

4. Mittens leads in most IA, NH and SC polls

That is why my money is on Mittens & his money to get the nomination.

[Czolgosz]

5. I agree. I can imagine scenarios where Romney doesn't get the nod, but none seem likely

[BlueManDude]

10. A Romney win in NH will be dismissed because of the "favorite son" factor

Tsongas won NH in 1992 and it didn't mean jack. I also think Iowa is no loonger a big deal. Pat Robertson won there in 1988.

[Stop Cornyn]

11. Huckabible is a crazy zealot. I understand him doing well in Iowa (where fundamentalists infect the

Republican caucus), but to see him doing this well in a national poll is creepy.

[Czolgosz]

14. Huckabible! LOL

[McCamy Taylor]

13. Huckabee represents the real Republican Party. Agree McCain is toughest nominee to beat.

If McCain got the nomination and waffled on Iraq, suddenly proclaiming he wanted to end the war, he could clean up in Nov. 2008. However, the GOP will never nominate McCain, because of his immigration stance, so we do not have to worry about him. If this was a fair primary, without Faux News meddling, the rank and file GOPers would nominate Huckabee. If this was a fair primary, without MSM proclaiming this a two man Democratic primary between Hillary and Obama last January, we would probably nominate Edwards. The corporate media has too damn much power in elections.

[Phoonzang]

15. I don't know...I'm more worried about Huckabee than McCain

I can see McCain going apeshit on the campaign trail and having a Dean moment. Huckabee will be able to smile and "aww shucks" his way out of anything. That's the kind of person who always wins.

[Stop Cornyn]

16. Huckabee is anti-evolution and anti-geography; suburban Republicans won't go along with that. If

nominated, Huckabee would lose all 50 states.

[Phoonzang]

17. I hope you're right... n/t