Mike Huckabee won five races last night. Mitt Romney won seven. Mike Huckabee has 190 delegates. Mitt Romney has 269 [see results here]. The only closed Deep South state left on the primary calendar is Mississippi. Romney has the message and money to compete across the USA.
So when Huckabee claims it's now a two-man race between McCain and himself, a journalist would surely challenge him on it, no? No. Not Robin Roberts, at least. To the contrary, she bought into his logic to the extent of asking only about his strategy going forward.
There were also some intriguing comments from Huckabee about allegations of backroom West Virginia deals and the importance of politesse . . .
View video here.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Congratulations on taking five states last night, and you say it is now a two-man race between you and John McCain, but of course he does have a commanding lead, by more than two-to-one, so what is your strategy now?
MIKE HUCKABEE: We've got to win a lot of delegates.
Hmm, win a lot of delegates. Great strategy!
Next, check out Huck's response to Robin's questioning on the West Virginia caucus and see if he left himself some wiggle room.
ROBERTS: You really got the ball rolling in West Virginia, but you know that Romney said that you cut a deal; that your campaign cut a deal with McCain supporters. Did you cut a deal?
HUCKABEE: No, we didn't. Here's the thing. I never talked to Senator McCain; I never talked to his people about West Virginia.
On the one hand, Huckabee did say that "we didn't" cut a deal, implying his entire campaign. But when it got down to specifics, he said "I" never talked to McCain or his people about West Virginia. Don't you wish Robin had asked whether any of Huck's people had spoken with the McCain camp?
And a bit later . . .
HUCKABEE: We [McCain and himself] do have great respect for each other and genuinely like each other. A lot of it is because I think both of us want to see the whole political process elevated to a more civil level of discourse.
Really? From the candidate who made the most vulgar comment yet in this campaign? And McCain, the man famous for cursing his fellow Republicans? Some "civil level."