I’m exaggerating a tiny bit but he’s obviously impressed with how high Fred registered on last night’s key issue. He did do well, I thought, especially with his answer about the confederate flag, but except for that video clip in which he flamed Mitt and Huck for being closet liberals he didn’t much seem to factor. Luntz’s data here suggests that perhaps he did. And not a moment too soon.

The night’s loser? The pro-choice, anti-gun, open-borders candidate.

As I’ve already said, and there does seem to be some consensus on this point, Huckabee’s humor and unflappability served him well even when he was being hammered. To wit, two clips: the first is his, Mitt’s, and Rudy’s answers to the Bible question, something of little significance to me except in how much smoother Huck’s response was, and the second is a quick fix of his best lines. There’s no question he’d be our strongest candidate in a debate with the Democrats. Assuming, that is, he didn’t end up agreeing with them.