Many social conservatives will miss Mike Huckabee, and with good reason. Maybe they won't miss everything, but most will miss some one or two or more of the items he brought to the table.

Personally, I won't miss the loaves and fishes.

The loaves and fishes. Wasn't this after Iowa? Here was Mike Huckabee, surprise surge candidate with a breathtaking win, and with a real chance. On the map out of nowhere, and potentially on his way to the presidency. If he would just state his positions and play by the rules.

Now, I am not talking about playing the rules of the media, with its liberal bias, lack of class or balance ("pimped-out" Chelsea), or more deft wackery ("General Betrayus").

I am talking about the rules that many in the electorate have regarding religion. Not everyone in America is Christian, and they should not have to elect a First Preacher. And those who are Christian don't want a bully pulpit-- of this kind-- being operated out of the White House.

Does this mean these people are not good Christians? No, it does not. They simply recognize a need for sensitivity in this area. They are secure enough, in their own convictions, where they don't want, or particularly like, the idea of waving their cross on a flag.

Moreover, there is another aspect to religion in the political arena which George Will has pointed out, which is that you don't want to inject powerful biblical imagery into a political contest because... Well, it looks silly. As Will aptly stated in a column not all that long ago, we often see God at work in the world. But saying it's at work in the Republican scramble for delegates may be taking it too far. The average voter sees nothing venerable in today's politics.

So Huckabee broke the rules, not only of the media-- which many viewers love seeing broken-- but also of many in the mainstream electorate.

Had he not broken them with the loaves and fishes, he might well have been the nominee. And social conservatives deserve to be more than a little miffed with Huckabee's injection of religion into the race, not so much because it was an Elmer Gantry move (I don't believe it was, in this case), but because it removed his capaign from serious contention for the nomination. Social conservatives are forced to walk a fine line with their morality and most have undoubtedly witnessed the media pummelling of their views. Their stands are labelled as zealotry and fanaticism, even though this is not the case. These social conservatives don't want to see an otherwise formidable candidate play right into their hands.

Huckabee did this. And it was a mistake.

He raises interesting questions with his discussion of running away from his faith, and how the media may be requiring candidates to do just that. This is a good point. While it's true that Americans currently see nothing venerable in their politics, it may be something of a problem that they don't.

But in terms of senstivity towards voters of all faiths, it is important that candidates assure voters that they're not going to favor certain religions, or force facets of any particular faith on a sweeping and diverse body; at the same time, though, we don't want practical or effective atheism to become a prerequisite of office.

So the question becomes, can you exercise morality free of religious convictions?

Ask just about any atheist if they are moral, and you will find the answer to that fairly quickly. Morality and religion have a relationship, to be sure; but the relationship is not exclusive. Morality and religion are not synonymous. We are right not to ask candidates not to inject their religion into politics; we are insane to ask them not to inject morality.

Huckabee made the mistake of injecting relgion. But it shouldn't have inspired the type of frothing anger (at worst) and mocking nastiness (at best) that he received in return from the media.

The thing about Mike Huckabee was, he was real. He was a real, three-dimensional figure, something the political world despises, and which the media despises even more (if that's possible). He was not Elmer Gantry. Not unless you also think talking about frying a squirrel in a college dorm was also a calculated maneuver to stoke religious fervor into a successful White House bid.

He was just a nice, down-to-earth guy, unaccustomed to the nasty tactics of the "scrutinizing" national media.

Maybe Mike Huckabee will vanish now, and maybe it would be the best thing for Mike Huckabee if he did. He'd probably have a happier and more contented life. But social conservatives might count themselves very lucky to have him back, provided he makes it clear his loaves and fishes won't be on the desk of the Oval Office.

You'll excuse me for saying so, but there have been far more offensive things associated with that desk in recent years.