Huckabee as McCain-lover, Mitt-killer

Is Huckabee hanging on to help McCain? Perhaps too conspiratorial, but it seems increasingly unlikely that he can expand his appeal beyond Evangelicals.   And it certainly serves McCain to keep dividing conservatives as they  go into the GOP-only Florida primary.

The former Arkansas governor threw air kisses on primary night to winner John McCain, praising him for “running a civil and a good and a decent campaign.” . . .

But as long as Huckabee is campaigning vigorously, he is likely to draw a sizable bloc of social conservatives — and deny former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the direct one-on-one contest he is hoping for against McCain.

Huckabee did not mention Romney in his concession statement Saturday. But Huckabee and his aides have barely disguised their disdain for Romney, whose chameleon-like stance on issues and free-spending negative ad campaign have made him the most unpopular candidate among his GOP rivals.