Mike Huckabee and the 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates.

It was just a few weeks ago that I was arguing with my friends that Governor Huckabee belonged in the First-and-One-Half Tier of Republican candidates.

So much is changing, so fast.

This summer, there was no Huckabee campaign, as we knew it. Everyone was waiting on Fred Thompson, everyone was still waiting for the 80 percent of GOP voters who thought Giuliani was pro-life to come around, and John McCain was still the most viable candidate.

The most common remark I heard when pressing the case for Huckabee in Orange County was that "He'd make a great Vice President." Folks would accept that, yes, Huckabee was the most likable of the bunch, he was the most solidly conservative when he came to pivotal social issues like abortion, and that they would love to support him...if only he had more money.

It was a vicious Catch-22. Where would Huckabee get this money...if not from these admirers?

Now, GOP voters are in the sweltering winter of the religious right's discontent. (Yes, yes, a blatant MLK rip-off...) Simply put, Huckabee's budget is less of a problem now that there's nobody left. And besides, a victory in Iowa is worth millions and millions in free advertising and as the media has dutifully reported...more than half of the President's 2004 donor base has not given a dime.

I have a friend who supports Huckabee and believes that he is the "lesser of eight evils". With no George Allen, no Jeb Bush, and no Reaganesque bits coming via Freddie Dalton, many Christian voters have decided to voice their choice...not accept the condescending attitudes of Rudy ("I'm not with you on abortion, but vote for me and you just might get Justice Number Five") or Romney, who seems to think that as long as he apes all the right words, then conservatives will flock to him no matter what his record says.

Today, Mike Huckabee surpassed Mayor Rudy Giuliani in Rasmussen's deadly accurate polling for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination.

Mike Huckabee's campaign reminds me of the 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates...they had less of a payroll than Albert Belle made that season ($10 million), and they were expected to lose at least 100 games. But they stayed in the race for the NL Central all season long.

This time around though, I think the '97 Pirates just might win it all.