Michele – I’m with you. Great points on the endorsements. Only thing to add is that once people start saying Huckabee is like Alan Keyes I’ve got to think they are a little bit nervous because Huckabee is the anti-Keyes. And as a major (secular) political reporter told me earlier this year, Huckabee may well be the man.
Dan – Great points as well. Getting 2,000 folks to show up anywhere is a big deal. Getting presidential candidates to attend is also a big deal. Media matters – or so I hear.
But what was going on was more about perception than reality. The candidates came because it brought to mind those “Road to Victory” conferences in the 90s. The media came for much the same reason. To use a sports metaphor, people still watched Roger Clemens pitch this year. But he wasn’t the man who used to be known as “the rocket.”
The fact of the matter is that there is no organization behind the gathering. FRC was created to be a think tank – hence “Research Council”. It wasn’t even intended to a lobbying shop. The state-based shops are very similar. These aren’t groups designed to get out the vote, organize precincts, go door to door for candidates, etc. The Christian Coalition was designed to do that – so much so the IRS hit them for it!
The bigger point, however, is just a matter of leadership. The old guard is moving on and while they can still show up on Larry King and still write ads, they are passe. What comes next no one knows.