Interpreting Huckabee

Michael Medved says:

Mike Huckabee may fall short in his drive for the GOP nomination, but his upstart campaign has already benefited both his party and his country.

Cynical voters long assumed that presidential campaigns required big money, but without personal wealth or corporate backing, Huckabee has waged a formidable fight against lavishly-funded rivals. He's also demonstrated that it's a lie to claim the Republican Party is controlled by all-powerful elites--there's been no establishment endorsement of outsider Huckabee, yet he's managed to connect with an open-minded public and to take the lead in many states.

Finally, his campaign has exploded the myth that the so-called "Christian Right" is monolithic and easily manipulated. It's true that many Evangelicals support Huckabee, but many others back Romney, Thompson, McCain or even Giuliani--just ask Pat Robertson.

Huckabee's race shows the Republican Party is more open--and the Christian conservative movement is more diverse--than conventional wisdom had ever supposed.