Is it time to take a second look? If trends continue, we’re looking at a soft-border tax-and-spend nominee in Huck. Why not a soft-border nominee who’s good on the war and somewhat better than Huckabee on spending? If you’re worried that he’s not sincere about having gotten “the message,” cheer up: There’s no reason to believe Mitt and Rudy have repented of their formerly liberal ways either.

Listen closely. He’s open to negotiation, he wants some illegals who’ve been here for years to take the naturalization test straightaway, and he’s taking a “Judeo-Christian” approach to many of the rest — Hucka-speak for “what my soul tells me is right.” I think that message he thinks he got might have been a wrong number.