Huckabee's tense relations with the conservative wing of the Baptist church, while ostensibly a sign of weakness in the Huckabee base, could actually turn out to be the issue that wins over republican moderates.
Huckabee's recent surge has frightened many of the moderate, secular, business-oriented republicans. While the republican party likes to project the image of piety, the actual presidency of a former Baptist minister frightens even professed religious Americans who may indulge in secular interests and who believe government should be essentially a secular affair.
Robert Novak's article in the Washington Post titled "Baptists Not on Board", in exposing a conservative opposition to Huckabee within the church, could actually help Huckabee to win the gift of the nomination. The conservative base of the Baptist church have not actually endorsed Huckabee and some conservative leaders have even spoken out against him. "More than personality explains why not all his Baptist brethren have signed on the dotted line for Huckabee. He did not join the 'conservative resurgence' that successfully rebelled against liberals in the Southern Baptist Convention a generation ago."
While Huckabee's protection of secularists in the Baptist church may have failed a generation ago, this past failure may translate into a future success in the primaries. The "glass jaw" of Huckabee may prove to be no glass jaw at all. Rather than representing the "fire and brimstone" pastor who frightens children by threatening the wrath of God, he may represent the friendly, God-inspired pastor who understands humanity for what it is and the true meaning of Christian forgiveness of sin.
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