Yes, God-o-Meter realizes the headline from yesterday’s straw poll among conservative evangelical activists in South Carolina is that Mike Huckabee won. God-o-Meter was more taken, however, by Ron Paul’s commanding second-place finish, collecting 179 votes out of roughly 600 cast—well ahead of third-place Fred Thompson. Unlike Huckabee, Paul phoned in his message (Rudy Giuliani was the only Republican candidate not to appear in person, by phone, or video) to the Palmetto Family Council Stump Meeting, rendering his strong showing even more inexplicable. With Paul being the only Republican candidate to virulently oppose the Iraq war, are even evangelical activists tiring of the GOP’s ways?

7