Looking Ahead, Ctd.

John Schwenkler has doubts about Huckabee’s ability to forge a libertarian-populist alliance in the future, and I have to acknowledge that aside from his opposition to the bailout there is not necessarily that much that would unite them around such a candidate.  Economic conservatives–many of the same people who backed Romney, the candidate of universal health care and proposed subsidies for the auto industry–will keep whining objecting that Huckabee raised taxes as governor.  This has not seemed to bother them about Palin, but no matter.  They will say that Huckabee was very much a pro-amnesty governor, and only very recently came around to a more restrictionist position, which is perfectly true.  Palin, meanwhile, essentially backs amnesty at present, but worse than that she doesn’t really seem to know what the relevant issues are except for what McCain’s people have told her.  Arguably, neither one is going to be a frontrunner in the future, it is possible that neither one is going to run, and there are almost certainly preferable alternatives who have none of the baggage that Huckabee and Palin have, but of the two candidates who have genuinely excited the social and cultural conservatives who make up the overwhelming majority of the rank-and-file of the Republican Party Huckabee has more to offer.  Unless, that is, Jeb Bush decides that he’s going to run, at which point the primaries will be over almost before they begin.