What makes McCain the leading GOP candidate?

Huckabee as far as I can tell, came "out of nowhere"... as much as I see the GOP as masterminding this campaign season (and a few before thanks to Karl Rove) by working both sides to a final outcome, Huckabee was not on their radar. Where as the Obama surge is as much the GOPs work to displace Hillary, as it is the "phenomena" of Obama-mania. The entrance of Ralph Nader was planed a long time ago too. Does anyone remember Dick Morris (the Karl Rove of Clinton's 2 terms) talking about this in '04 right after GWB won his second term? He was talking about Hillary's run in 2000.. but he later predicted it would be against Condi Rice.

All that is to say, Huckabee knocked out Mitt Romney who was the conservative choice (except for the Mormonism), and he has stayed in a losing race. His down side is simply that he doesn't appeal to northern conservatives, or he would be way down the road. If the Evangelicals had been thinking, Pat Robertson would not have endorsed Rudy.

As soon as Huckabee won Iowa, the GOP rewrote the playbook which was supposed to be Romney vs Clinton (knowns) and changed it to McCain vs Obama.... Experience vs Inexperience.

No vote is wasted.

HUCK FILLARY '08

There are no real conservatives remaining.

Ron Paul is pretty conservative in most ways, but he is a little far out there for most people. Given the three remaining choices, I would vote for Ron Paul in a New York second!

Huckabee only seems conservative because he is being compared to McCain.

McCain is the leading candidate because he appeals to the most people. Huckabee has a smaller fanbase, mainly evangelicals. It would seem that the majority of the GOP is comprised of more moderate Republicans.

Like most of the recent elections, it's by default. The other candidates fizzle and have too many skeletons in the closet. Only a candidate like Ronnie Reagan had the class to blow everyone else away and win the hearts of 75% of the people. Can you name a candidate in the last 20 years of his caliber?

Huckabee is a bigger loser than McCain. Face it, the GOP's chances are not much better than Ralph Nadars, but McCain is their closest thing to a ligitmate candidate. Huckabee is an idiot who believes science is the devils work.

Darlin, McCain is not Liberal in any sense of the word. He is a Bush Conservative with strong commitments to overturning Roe. Vs. Wade, stopping the legalization of homosexual marriage, and keeping America in the Iraq War for 100 years or as along as it takes. He is a Christian and promotes Faith-Based initiatives which is fine by me!

John McCain/David Duke in 2008!

You've been misinformed. Huckabee is just as liberal as McCain. Your last conservative candidate walked out the door when Duncan Hunter got out of the race. We are going to just have to face the facts, a liberal (whether R or D) will be in office next term.

The opposition was split. Many more of the GOP voted against him than for him at least up to the point where Romney withdrew and the media adopted the term 'presumed nominee' in describing him.

Don't waste your vote.

Vote for Ron Paul.

Win or lose, he is going to the convention to fight for conservative values, and the more delegates he has, the more persuasive his arguments will be. He will also have money to support his own slate of candidates, according to the plan.

i like Romney, because of the fact he would be complicated on unlawful extraterrestrial beings, yet i think of Giuliani is going to be our next president. Giuliani would be a complicated, super chief whilst it includes preserving u.s..

He has more votes, that's why he's the leading candidate.