It's Class and Region, Stupid

Larison makes the useful point that Bush and Huckabee are not that different. The same bleeding heart Christianism, spend-like-Jesus impulse, the same position on the war in Iraq, etc.  So why is the WSJ so horrified by Huckabee and endorsed Bush so enthusiastically? Money quote:

Huckabee is a real Southerner, in that he was born and raised there, while Bush was a transplanted Texan, and Huckabee came from a lower-middle class family and Bush came from wealthy American political aristocracy.  To the extent that Huckabee represents anything threatening or different, it is in his biography and geography, if you will. 

Republicans have never given the reins to a real, born-and-bred Southerner. If Northeasterners are already freaking out about the risk of the GOP becoming a regional, Southern party, you can just imagine the terrible thoughts that run through their head when they consider the consequences of a Huckabee nomination.

It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of cynics.