Evangelical Iowans choose one of their own

ANALYSIS

By LIZ SIDOTI

updated 12:24 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2008

WASHINGTON - Evangelical Republicans in Iowa chose one of their own in Mike Huckabee.

The question is whether the former Southern Baptist minister is strong enough to win outside friendly Iowa territory, and go the distance to the nomination.

That test begins immediately as Huckabee heads to New Hampshire, where he will run head-on into town meetings full of secular voters, and John McCain. New Hampshire holds the nation's first primary in just five days.

Huckabee also will face a rematch with Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who desperately needs a victory in neighboring New Hampshire to prove his candidacy isn't crippled after an Iowa defeat.

"Values voters spoke loudly tonight in Iowa," said Greg Mueller, a GOP strategist and former aide to conservative Pat Buchanan in the 1992 presidential race. "Huckabee also demonstrated an authenticity; he ran as a genuine candidate. Now, he's got to use that bully pulpit to broaden his populist appeal in New Hampshire."

The former Arkansas governor has made his religious beliefs and his rock-solid opposition to abortion, gay marriage and gun control central parts of his campaign — and it paid off in Iowa. Romney, meanwhile, struggled to overcome skepticism about his Mormon faith and his shifting positions on issues that cultural and religious conservatives hold dear.

Values trump electability
In a poll conducted for The Associated Press of voters entering Iowa's caucuses, values and authenticity outranked electability in importance to Huckabee voters. Six in 10 of Huckabee's voters said the most important quality in picking a candidate was someone who shared their values.

A third of Huckabee's supporters said he says what he believes, while fewer than one in 20 said they thought he had the best chance of wining in November.

Faith was a determining factor for many Republican caucus participants.

More than eight in 10 Huckabee supporters said they are born again or evangelical Christians, compared to less than half of Romney's. Nearly two-thirds of Huckabee backers also said it was very important that their candidate share their religious beliefs, compared to about one in five of Romney's.

Nearly half his supporters consider themselves conservative — about the same as Romney's.

Video Huckabee: ‘A message that will resonate’ Jan. 3: Mike Huckabee discusses his strategy going forward. MSNBC

After a year of tumult, the Iowa race amounted to a classic David vs. Goliath battle, with a pair of former governors in a high-stakes slugfest for the coveted prize.

Huckabee appealed to the emotions of Iowa Republicans, with an I'm-one-of-you pitch and an emphasis on Christianity.

Romney was the practical pick, an accomplished businessman with a powerhouse organization and a seemingly endless supply of money to go the distance.

McCain and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson were in a tight race for third place, both seeking the bronze medal to claim the start of a comeback.

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