Social Liberal vs Fiscal Liberal

Thus ponders Daniel Ruwe this week:

Conservatives have reason to beware of Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, as nearly everyone must know, is more or less a liberal on taxes, immigration, and crime. Many conservatives, and justifiably so, are condemning him for these positions. Without much success, evidently, since he is the national frontrunner.

But this isn't the first time in this campaign that we had an obvious liberal as the GOP frontrunner. Rudy Giuliani has consistently led in the polls for the majority of the race. While he led, many conservatives simply shrugged and commented on the fact that it was remarkable that a pro-abortion candidate could possibly get the nomination. "He may be liberal on some issues, but maybe he can beat Hillary." Very few prominent conservatives really got into the whole Giuliani-bashing business. Most treated him as a well-qualified candidate.

When the social liberal Giuliani was teh frontrunner, conservative pundits said nothing. When fiscal liberal Huckabee was the frontrunner, the same conservative pundits said "HUCKACIDE.!!! It's the end of the Republican Party!".

When social liberals are welcomed as the frontrunner, while fiscal liberals are anathema, is it any wonder that so many embittered social conservatives embrace one of their own, even at the expense of the well-being of the Republican party?