Right after confirmation of Huckabee's win, McCain was on the phone to congratulate him. And no wonder...the huckster opened a pathway for the old POW to deliver a pow of his own: Now that Huckabee has slapped Romney's right cheek in Iowa, McCain will slap his left cheek in New Hampshire.
I think these two do a lot for each other. McCain puts Huckabee on a national stage, in venues where his corn pone evangelism will not play. And Huckabee delivers the religious right foot soldiers to McCain, giving him a ground game. In addition, if there is a message from Iowa, it is that voters of both parties want change: Huckabee will also give McCain the fig leaf of being a change candidate.
A formidable barrier to this ticket is that Wall St, the remaining third of the Republican stool (pun intended). They will fight hard for Romney to make sure their K street trough stays filled for DC pols.
In thinking about what this ticket would mean for the Democrats...
it's hard to imagine any outcome other than a relatively easy victory.
John McCain is old, tired and dull. Huckabee is middle-aged, pleasant and dull. Together, they couldn't light a candle, let alone the country. And without the bankroll of the moneymen, they won't even be able to fake it through slick media constructions, a la Reagan.
To me, the most interesting outcome of Iowa is the readiness of voters from both parties to dump the "establishment" candidates in favor of the anti or nonestablishment candidates. I think it will make all of others (except John Edwards) scramble to develop change narratives.
As a side note, there are some curious points of similarity between the personal styles of Obama and Huckabee. It's easy to overstate the case because Obama is a far more charismatic person, but they both:
-- seem relaxed
-- stay calm and pleasant, even when on the attack
-- display an expressiveness that appears genuine
-- have a sense of humor
-- connect with their audience
-- emphasize connections with others, rather than divisions.