Southern Conservatives Just Won't Vote for a Mormon

Mark Steyn takes a look at the GOP results and thinks anti-Mormon bias played a bigger role than anyone thought in the Southern contests:

I think John O'Sullivan is right. There was an explicit anti-Romney vote in the South. A mere month ago, in the wake of Iowa and New Hampshire, I received a ton of e-mails from southern readers saying these pansy northern states weren't the "real" conservative heartland, and things would look different once the contest moved to the South. Well, the heartland spoke last night and about the only message it sent was that, no matter what the talk radio guys say, they're not voting for a Mormon; no way, no how. The rationale for Romney continuing his campaign is that he's the conservative alternative to McCain. The message from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee is that he will never be accepted as such by the conservatives' electoral base. With the loss of California, it's hard to see the point of Mitt pushing on. On the other hand, given the ongoing vote-softness of the "frontrunner," it's mind-boggling to think the GOP can't produce a viable alternative.

Way back in May of last year I posted an item on the problems Mitt would have dealing with the Mormon question. My suspicion that it would keep him from winning the nomination appears to be correct. Other suggest that Southerners look at Romney as just another northeastern liberal. That could be true too.

And what of the deal with the devil that Mike Huckabee seems to have struck with McCain? Steyn comments:

As to Huck for Veep, I assume, whatever anti-Mitt coordination there is between the two campaigns, McCain is planning to toss Huckabee overboard as soon as he's served his purpose.

I agree. McCain has no use for conservatives and that last thing he'll want is for someone like Huckabee influencing the party platform. Huckabee will be yesterday's news.