10. Not more than a few weeks ago, few "experts" gave Barack Obama the slightest chance. While smart, articulate, charismatic and likeable, he just seemed too green. But under fire against Hillary, he has all of sudden matured, completely undermining the media's and Hillary's charge that he's not ready for the presidency. To paraphrase an antagonist in "Deliverance," these experts "don't know nuthin'."

11. All the Democratic candidates have egg on their faces over their Iraq policies and appear foolish in trying to justify their positions. But, ironically, the most Republicans can gain from our turnaround in Iraq is to remove it as an issue for Democrats; they can't seem to capitalize on their successes, as witnessed by their failure to receive credit for no further mainland terrorist attacks since 9/11.

12. It's very discouraging when Republican operatives fantasize about Huckabee rescuing the Republican Party from its current state of disarray by forging new coalitions. Even respected commentator Bill Kristol is arguably encouraging Republicans to get behind Huckabee.

13. Republicans and conservatives should be focused on principle and advancing the conservative agenda, not sacrificing those principles in pursuit of party victory.

14. Indeed, this is the crux of what bothers many of us conservatives, including many Christian conservatives, about Huckabee's approach. Huckabee purports to represent conservatives and evangelicals and, waving those banners, is promoting ideas that fly in the face of what we've always believed in. Despite his support of the Fair Tax, he issues strong class-warfare rhetoric against corporations and individual producers, he opposes school choice, he panders to liberals on global warming, he's a nanny-stater, and he seems to be soft on enemy combatants, other terrorists, tyrants and convicted murderers.

To have a conservative evangelical promoting a liberal agenda in many areas is troubling enough. For him to win the Republican nomination would mean that no major political party would thereafter be standing up as proudly for free markets, limited government, school choice, sound immigration policy and a realistic, tough foreign policy. No wonder liberals and the mainstream media love this fine man. With him, they hope for a twofer: He would dilute the conservatism of the Republican Party and deliver values voters to the cause of liberalism -- something the disingenuous Democratic overtures to "values voters" has never been able to accomplish.

15. The race is still wide open -- in both parties.