Huckabee Targets South Carolina

RUSH: To Riverton, Utah. Rich, you’re on Open Line Friday, the Rush Limbaugh program. Hello, sir.

CALLER: Hello, Rush. I contend that the Huckabee victory yesterday was not about populism, but it was about identity politics, alone, and I think the one stat that stands out for me is in the entrance polls, the stat that says the candidate’s religious beliefs matter, for those that marked —

RUSH: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw that, but I tell you, I have been inundated today with e-mail from people who claim to be either Huckabee voters in Iowa or Huckabee supporters, and they are citing much more than that. I should have mentioned this. They’re citing much more than just the identity politics that Governor Huckabee practiced. Look, I’m talking about stuff this morning before you started talking about it. I’m getting loads of e-mail from, ‘I’m really hurtin’, Rush. It is bad out here. I heard you on Fox say it’s not that bad, and you just don’t know. We are really hurting out here. Governor Huckabee understands,’ and they weren’t talking —

CALLER: I have faith in conservatives that as this election runs forward, the primaries roll forward… He came in sixth out of those that say religious beliefs matter not at all. I don’t think… I think that is a small minority and that conservatives are still strong and believe in small government, and we have those conservative beliefs that are out there. He just was able to capture this evangelical group —

RUSH: Well, that’s good.

CALLER: — out there.

RUSH: That’s good because by the time I’m through with this and we get to November, you’re going to be absolutely right.

CALLER: I hope so.

RUSH: All right?

CALLER: I hope so, Rush. Love what you do, thanks for everything.

RUSH: Sit tight, you know? Hang loose, sleep loose, whatever it takes. Don’t sweat it. Governor Huckabee has, they’re saying, a lot of momentum coming out of Iowa, right? He’s going to lose New Hampshire. McCain’s going to win New Hampshire. McCain or Romney going to win New Hampshire. It’s one of those two. So you can say the momentum is what it is. Governor Huckabee’s next target is South Carolina. Keep a sharp eye.