Despite all the feelings that have been hurt, religions that have been prodded, endorsements that have been given, contentions that have been refuted - and not, and certainly all the arguments that have been had - this GOP Primary has been exceedingly good for the conservative republican voter. I might remind you it didn't start out that way.

Way back when I first wrote of my endorsement of the historic, record setting, earlier than ever before primary race revving up - one thing was crystal clear, Rudy Giuliani was the favored candidate. His lead in the polls was strong. Heck he was even throwing statements around about how he had the Evangelical Christian vote "sewn up."

But look how far we've come...

We've heard from the candidates in what has to amount to a near record number of times in forums and debates, we saw the early starters criticize Papa Bear Fred Thompson for getting in "so late." (In all actuality Thompson entered the primary schedule pretty much on roughly the same time-table traditional candidates have.) In his lead up to it Fred was smooth, intense, and looking like he would wipe the floor up with the other guys.

John McCain got out the jumper cables and tried three different times to get his "Straight Talk Express" back on the road... I'm still not sure if it ever left the terminal.

Lots of conferences CPAC, and Values Voters Summits among them - and even Rudy showed up to pitch his "I'm not really a conservative - but I'm counting on grace points because I'm here talking to you." And in fairness - I think he won some - at least at the time.

Much ado was made about straw polls, the whispers were - that Brownback was going to win Ames and he had Stephen Baldwin, Bobby Schindler, and a bunch of other folks working the rope lines for him. Man those Brownbackers made a lot of noise - especially at CPAC. And oh yes - on the issue of straw polls - with every 5th or 6th place finish in one - Ron Paul supporters would swarm the message boards with predictions of their Messiah's "breakout." For all practical purposes since then Brownback and Paul have both backed out of "contention."

Speaking of those debates Rudy and Mitt would spat, Fred would sleep, and this unassuming but whamo articulate guy from Arkansas just did his thing. Quietly his numbers moved up, others peaked or declined.

Then there came the endorsements "Evangelicals for Mitt" included Bob Jones III, Biblical professor Wayne Grudem, and what had the look of a looming Dr. James Dobson stamp of approval. (Dr. Dobson still hasn't shut the door to Mitt - but he scratched all the other front runners of his list.) That Arkansas guy wowed us with Chuck Norris and Jerry Jenkins - two significant names to the evangelical right not to mention all we hicks who call red states home. And for the beltway elites the National Review Online knighted Mitt.

There was a surprise at Ames - it was Mike Huckabee's second place finish. Then there was a nearly equal surprise - Mitt Romney's dominance of the predominantly evangelical Values Voters Summit online straw poll.

While Huckabee got pummeled with questions about his faith in debate after debate. Fred said he didn't much go to church and didn't need to meet Dobson. Rudy copped to not really thinking his faith meant anything by way of politics. Tancredo tried to improvise a few Jesus words on the debate platform. And interestingly enough - one of the most devoted men Duncan Hunter has yet to offer comment on faith at all. Then after much consideration Mitt floated the idea, pulled it back, then eventually gave a speech that was intended to insulate him from further faith questions - but in all practical measure any objective observer would have to admit that it opened the pandora's box a little wider.

The pundits had fun with it too. Pro-Rudy types were trying to sell "Constructionist Judges" to the values voters. Camenker/Rios/Jackson were attempting to smear Mitt over what amounted to little more than their own opinion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Constitution. Then Hugh Hewitt started the rumbling about how a vote for Huckabee was a vote for Rudy...uh... until Huckabee left Rudy in the dust of taking the lead in the national polls. This last week both Romney and Huckabee leapfrogged the Mayor in the state where it was all supposed to come together for him - Florida. NR's Byron York took public disagreement with Rich Lowry, talk show hosts are criticizing the candidates of their colleagues, even at TownHall many of the main contributors differ on who they like right now less than 20 days till the Iowa caucuses.

The November surge of Huckabee into legit top tier status, and in December into sometimes front runner status caused more riffs, divisions, arguments and (it has been secretly whispered) possibly costing one radio guy his shot at becoming the Press Secretary for Mitt Romney.

I asked one of the senior management at TownHall this week their thoughts on an all out conservative war - even shooting across the pages of our own internet property.

His response, "I love it!"

I do too! Continued...