Mike Huckabee demonstrates ... something. About the female libido, probably.
Take a look at who's leading the pack for the GOP's 2016 nomination according to the latest CNN poll (
pdf), conducted by ORC from Jan. 31-Feb. 2 with a margin of error of ±4.5 percent:
Mike Huckabee 14
Rand Paul 13
Jeb Bush 10
Chris Christie 10
Paul Ryan 9
Marco Rubio 9
Ted Cruz 8
Rick Perry 8
Rick Santorum 4
Someone else (vol.) 8
None/No one (vol.) 3
No opinion 4
Huckabee's lead is hardly commanding, but it tells you something about today's GOP that after making his
weird comment about women's libidos, birth control, and Democrats, Republicans rewarded him with the top spot in their preferences for 2016.
And just in case you're worried that this is somehow reflective of a national mood swing in favor of Huckabee and/or the 19th century, don't worry: He still wouldn't stand a chance in a general election: According to the poll, he would trail Hillary Clinton by 17 points among registered voters, losing by a 56-39 margin, slightly bigger than his 55-40 deficit in a mid-December poll by CNN and ORC.
The other big 2016 news in the poll is that it's clearer than ever that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's central argument for the nomination—that he's electable and has crossover appeal—is in tatters. In December, he led Hillary Clinton by 2 points among registered voters, 48-46. Now he trails by 16, 55-39, essentially the same as Huckabee. Christie fares slightly better than Huckabee with Democrats and independents, but still gets drubbed by 78 and 13 points, respectively.
CNN also tested hypothetical matchups between Clinton and Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, and Paul Ryan. Among registered voters, Bush trailed by 20, Paul trailed by 18, and Ryan trailed by 15. You have to figure those numbers will improve one day, but if they don't, maybe Republicans really will look back on Mitt Romney as the good old days.