Most Huckabee voters never were accessible to Romney

[SeattleUte]

I think it's a canard that Huckabee has drawn votes from Romney. I get the feeling that those Huckabee voters would sooner vote for a ham sandwich as Romney. If it had not been Huckabee it would have been someone else, Thompson, even McCain. Anybody but Romney. That's what exit polling showed tonight, according to NPR.

[YOhio]

So tooblue has been proven correct. It is about religion.

[8ballrollin]

To get in the White House you have to carry the South. I don't think there is anyway Romney can carry the South. Not this year, obviously, and maybe never.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by YOhio

So tooblue has been proven correct. It is about religion.

I never questioned that. What I challenged is whether it's fair or accurate to call anyone a bigot for factoring in religion. Romney himself invited us to do that. I heard him tell us he's a Christian. I assume he felt it was relevant. You haven't seen me call those 91% in Utah who voted for Romney bigots. I think it's infantile and hypocritical for Mormons to complain that anyone votes based on religion. They're the biggest offenders, but they're not bigots in that sense.

[MikeWaters]

difference is huckabee attacked Mormonism. Romney hasn't attacked evangelicals.

It's one thing to for a black to vote for a black candidate. It's another to say that you're trying to bring down whitey.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I think it's a canard that Huckabee has drawn votes from Romney. I get the feeling that those Huckabee voters would sooner vote for a ham sandwich as Romney. If it had not been Huckabee it would have been someone else, Thompson, even McCain. Anybody but Romney. That's what exit polling showed tonight, according to NPR.

Mmmm, I think thats only partly right. I think that there is a large segment of his voters who would never vote fore Romney, but I don't think they are simply a large monolith of evangelicals. I think a great many are conservatives who would go to Romney before McCain.

I do think that the chalk, put forward by Romney as well as others, that Huckabee was just taking votes from him is way off base however.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I never questioned that. What I challenged is whether it's fair or accurate to call anyone a bigot for factoring in religion. Romney himself invited us to do that. I heard him tell us he's a Christian. I assume he felt it was relevant. You haven't seen me call those 91% in Utah who voted for Romney bigots. I think it's infantile and hypocritical for Mormons to complain that anyone votes based on religion. They're the biggest offenders, but they're not bigots in that sense.

If we remember correctly -Huckabee attacked Mormonism FIRST!. Romney was FORCED to defend his religion. It's that simple ... it really is about religion.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I get the feeling that those Huckabee voters would sooner vote for a ham sandwich as Romney. ...That's what exit polling showed tonight, according to NPR.

What exit poll were they using? And what were the other options? Turkey on rye? Tuna on whole wheat? Peanut butter on WonderBread?? I gotta tell you, those are some pretty tempting options.

Seriously, the exit polls didn't ask voters who their second choice was, so it's difficult to make any inferences as to which voters were being stolen from whom.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

What exit poll were they using? And what were the other options? Turkey on rye? Tuna on whole wheat? Peanut butter on Wonder?? I gotta tell you, those are some pretty tempting options.

Seriously, the exit polls didn't ask voters who their second choice was, so it's difficult to make any inferences as to which voters were being stolen from whom.

It was some guy on NPR saying he talked to folks. Not scientific. But I think it's right. If not Huckabee, then Thompson. This type of alternate socially conservative candidate was inevitable. Romney was never going to win those people over no matter how hard he tried to kiss their arses. Just look how he's been creamed in the Evangelical heavy states. Huckabee gutted Thompson like it was a zero sum game between McCain and Giuliani.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

It was some guy on NPR saying he talked to folks. Not scientific. But I think it's right. If not Huckabee, then Thompson. This type of alternate socially conservative candidate was inevitable. Romney was never going to win those people over no matter how hard he tried to kiss their arses. Just look how he's been creamed in the Evangelical heavy states. Huckabee gutted Thompson like it was a zero sum game between McCain and Giuliani.

Let me be as scientific in my polling since I LIVE HERE!

I think a large portion of the Evangelical community would have voted for Mitt. True, that wouldn't be their initial inclination, but they appear to be able to see beyond the religion. At least that's what many have said on talk radio and the like.

There is a certain portion that would never vote for a Mormon ("Voting for Romney would go against my faith."). My wife heard a preacher the other day that the only way he would vote for Mitt would be for Mitt to go on TV and renounce his Mormonism. That bigotry exists, but I don't get the feeling that it is predominant.

Naturally they voted for Huck. He resonates with them. They are of the same tribe. Had there been no Huckabee, I suspect Mitt could have drawn off a significant portion. Thompson was a flash in the pan. They wanted to support him, but he crawled up into the hammock and only stirred to pull out of the race. Many of those folks would have probably gone for Mitt.

But then again I didn't hear those two NPR interviews.