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Hi, Mr. Lowry:
Regarding SC and FL, you are assuming that evangelicals in Iowa are the same as evangelicals in SC and FL. It remains my contention that they are not, at least in SC. While I am sure that a minority of evangelicals here might be open to an appeal based solely on religion, the majority of GOP evangelicals in SC are also conservatives. They do not accept candidates who are so willing to accept tax increases, enlarge government, or conduct a Carter-like foreign policy. Part of Huckabee’s strength with evangelicals outside of Iowa has been his ability to call on religious solidarity while concealing his more liberal or non-conservative views and positions behind a veneer of conservatism. He hasn’t been called HARD on it yet. If whoever the main non-evangelical candidate here is can clearly and convincingly make the argument that Huckabee is a Carter-like Christian leftist, I strongly believe that he will lose a large chunk of his evangelical support. But, time is short. Romney and McCain will be tied up in NH and MI for much of the next week. That leaves Thompson as the main protagonist for Huckabee. He will have to make the argument as hard as he can, even if it eventually benefits another of his opponents.