How would a primary between Romney and Huckabee go?

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Right now, the primary seems to be a two-way race between them, as most of the states have one of them in the lead.

So, if the primary were to start now between Romney and Huck (without any other Republican candidates), how would it go?

[Napoleon]

It depends on the campaign issues and strategies. Both have multiple paths to victory that prevent an explicit victor based off of the question you have posed.

[California8429]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

[Napoleon]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Like that:

Red for Romney
Blue for Huckabee

[Insula Dei]

Iowa would be pretty important if it was a clear one-on-one race.

[Lambsbread]

Huckabee would win. Southern, social Conservatism appeals to the modern RNC group.

[Napoleon]

Iowa would be pretty important if it was a clear one-on-one race.

No. Iowa's importance stems from being able to narrow a multiple-candidate field to two or three major contender. In a two-way race, Huckabee can win IA but everyone who isn't a Huckabee supporter has a major alternative in Romney for the following races. It would depend on how later primaries conclude.

[California8429]

Iowa would be pretty important if it was a clear one-on-one race.

No. Iowa's importance stems from being able to narrow a multiple-candidate field to two or three major contender. In a two-way race, Huckabee can win IA but everyone who isn't a Huckabee supporter has a major alternative in Romney for the following races. It would depend on how later primaries conclude.

the only people that flat our hate huckabee are Romney supporters. The polls have already shown Palin's second choice is widely Huckabee. Gingrich's is the same

[California8429]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

Come on, Romney loses the health care debate, it is way too closely tied to ObamaCare, everyone knows that, and he's done a terrible job to prove otherwise. And yes, campaigns tend to focus around a major issue. 08 started at as Iraq really and then after the economy tanked that was what it was centered around, sure energy and such became incorporated, but that too still played a part for the economy.

[Napoleon]

Iowa would be pretty important if it was a clear one-on-one race.

No. Iowa's importance stems from being able to narrow a multiple-candidate field to two or three major contender. In a two-way race, Huckabee can win IA but everyone who isn't a Huckabee supporter has a major alternative in Romney for the following races. It would depend on how later primaries conclude.

No campaign has unfolded yet and 2008 waslargely McCain and Romney beating each other. There are many good issues that Huckabee can be hit with, like granting clemency to that one guy and raising taxes. It's entirely dependent on the type of campaign each of the two runs.

the only people that flat our hate huckabee are Romney supporters. The polls have already shown Palin's second choice is widely Huckabee. Gingrich's is the same

[Napoleon]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

Come on, Romney loses the health care debate, it is way too closely tied to ObamaCare, everyone knows that, and he's done a terrible job to prove otherwise. And yes, campaigns tend to focus around a major issue. 08 started at as Iraq really and then after the economy tanked that was what it was centered around, sure energy and such became incorporated, but that too still played a part for the economy.

Romney isn't the only one with flip flops and support for items pushed by Obama.

[RosettaStoned]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

Whats that supposed to mean?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

It was a different time, much different.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Iowa would be pretty important if it was a clear one-on-one race.

No. Iowa's importance stems from being able to narrow a multiple-candidate field to two or three major contender. In a two-way race, Huckabee can win IA but everyone who isn't a Huckabee supporter has a major alternative in Romney for the following races. It would depend on how later primaries conclude.

the only people that flat our hate huckabee are Romney supporters. The polls have already shown Palin's second choice is widely Huckabee. Gingrich's is the same

No campaign has unfolded yet and 2008 waslargely McCain and Romney beating each other. There are many good issues that Huckabee can be hit with, like granting clemency to that one guy and raising taxes. It's entirely dependent on the type of campaign each of the two runs.

Don't forget cap and trade and his statements in the late 2007 debate where he proposed building a highway from Maine to Florida with all the materials being bought in America to "Stimulate the economy".

So that ties him to two Obama initiatives, the stimulus and cap and trade.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

Come on, Romney loses the health care debate, it is way too closely tied to ObamaCare, everyone knows that, and he's done a terrible job to prove otherwise. And yes, campaigns tend to focus around a major issue. 08 started at as Iraq really and then after the economy tanked that was what it was centered around, sure energy and such became incorporated, but that too still played a part for the economy.

Romney said he wanted to let the states decide the details throughout 2007-2008. He could easily say he wants to repeal the federal law so that the states can once again have the freedom to adopt what reforms they want and avoid those they don't want. Its completely consistent, and it makes sense. Its also much better then him trying the mantra about no free riders and such that he has been trying to use.

[Napoleon]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

Whats that supposed to mean?

Obamacare is Bob Dole's health care plan.

[Mr. Morden]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

Whats that supposed to mean?

Obamacare is Bob Dole's health care plan.

Yes, but many Republicans were OK w/ Dole's health care plan at the time.  They just didn't want to go as far as Clintoncare.

[Bull Moose Base]

Is health care more important to Republicans than taxes? I doubt it. Bob Dole won the nomination.

Whats that supposed to mean?

Obamacare is Bob Dole's health care plan.

Yes, but many Republicans were OK w/ Dole's health care plan at the time.  They just didn't want to go as far as Clintoncare.

I'm sure many Republicans would be just fine with Obamacare now too if Obama had proposed Clintoncare and Mitch McConnell had countered with ObamaCare (but renamed it job-killing-stopping-care of course).

[California8429]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

Come on, Romney loses the health care debate, it is way too closely tied to ObamaCare, everyone knows that, and he's done a terrible job to prove otherwise. And yes, campaigns tend to focus around a major issue. 08 started at as Iraq really and then after the economy tanked that was what it was centered around, sure energy and such became incorporated, but that too still played a part for the economy.

Romney said he wanted to let the states decide the details throughout 2007-2008. He could easily say he wants to repeal the federal law so that the states can once again have the freedom to adopt what reforms they want and avoid those they don't want. Its completely consistent, and it makes sense. Its also much better then him trying the mantra about no free riders and such that he has been trying to use.

Sure he can say repeal the federal law, but the fact is RomneyCare looks more similiar to ObamaCare than different, and even with giving states the power for their own systems, his own system resembles that of the left (mainly because democrats had control of the legislature) but it's still a hole he's in.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What's the most important issue? They both could very much win.

Health Care- Huckabee wins
Economy- Lean Romney
Foreign Policy- Lean Huckabee
Immigration- Free for all

Not only is your assessment plain wrong, issues and their saliences aren't so static and one-sided to allow a campaign to unfold that way.

Come on, Romney loses the health care debate, it is way too closely tied to ObamaCare, everyone knows that, and he's done a terrible job to prove otherwise. And yes, campaigns tend to focus around a major issue. 08 started at as Iraq really and then after the economy tanked that was what it was centered around, sure energy and such became incorporated, but that too still played a part for the economy.

Romney said he wanted to let the states decide the details throughout 2007-2008. He could easily say he wants to repeal the federal law so that the states can once again have the freedom to adopt what reforms they want and avoid those they don't want. Its completely consistent, and it makes sense. Its also much better then him trying the mantra about no free riders and such that he has been trying to use.

Sure he can say repeal the federal law, but the fact is RomneyCare looks more similiar to ObamaCare than different, and even with giving states the power for their own systems, his own system resembles that of the left (mainly because democrats had control of the legislature) but it's still a hole he's in.

Without a doubt, but he can climb out of it, it just won't be easy.

[feeblepizza]

Badly.