When it comes to political calumny, nobody does it better than Mike Huckabee. Political attacks on the character of one's opponents are both effective and highly risky. Most leave it to surrogates to do the dirty work, allowing them to maintain a statesmanlike facade, but Huckabee does his own knife work.

“Some of the people who had excoriated me and really been very dismissive of me for views that I had taken, and labeled me anything from a populist to an ignoramus — the same people have been very defensive [of] and laudatory to Sarah Palin,” Huckabee noted, adding that he’d invited her to appear on his weekly Fox show but “could never get any contact.”

“I’m glad she’s getting the props — I know I’m not nearly as attractive,” he said with a guileless grin.

We know Huckabee well enough now to understand that this is part of his persona--he smarts from not being taken seriously. He resents the popular kids (Romney, Palin). But the real genius here is that Huckabee has taken what might otherwise be considered a personal failing, as turned into a political asset--voters who spend their lives similarly envious of their betters can identify with him, and his success is their success.

And he's almost subtle enough to carry it off--almost.

As Joe and Barack discovered, you attack Sarah at your own risk. Condescend, and you appear to be a boorish misogynist. As Democrats, The Obama team could always find liberal harpies to do their dirty work, but Huckabee has no similar option--I can't even imagine a conservative woman capable of it.

Huckabee has a huge problem with Sarah Palin--they both appeal to the same constituencies, and Palin is vastly more attractive, and not just physically. His polls are still solid, but at this point they are largely generic. When it comes right down to it, Huckabee is going to have a very difficult time raising money, because it will always make more sense to hand the check over to Palin.

Its probably risky at this point to make this call, but I suspect Huckabee will move forward on the basis that Palin could make a mistake, but if he doesn't win Iowa outright, he'll be done.