Mitt Romney has ‘suspended’ his campaign – which in plain English means he’s struck the flag.

Romney out-fundraised, out-spent, out-organized and ran two or three times more ads than any other candidate. But there are campaigns – and candidates – who never find their message. And Romney was one. He was a governor with a conservative record on economics and a moderate – or, perhaps, more accurately inconsistent – record on social issues. But he tried to run for President as a two-fisted conservative on abortion, gay-rights and immigration – got nailed for his flip-flops, undercut his own credibility, and, as a consequence, never received the support he might have from the economic conservatives who were his natural base.

So, now, will conservatives unite behind Mike Huckabee? If they really want to stop McCain they will. And the Washington political establishment – at least the conservative version of it – is gnashing its teeth plenty about McCain. Everyone from Newt Gingrich to Ann Coulter is talking like Mitt Romney was the conservative great-white hope – and saying if McCain can’t mend his fences with conservatives he’s doomed.

It’s a charade.

What the Washington politico’s really want from Senator McCain is a bit of kow-towing, of bending the knee – then they’ll announce he’s plighted his troth, say yes like a blushing bride, and leap onto his bandwagon.

But, whether they say yes or not doesn’t really make much difference. The fact is, politically, the nation has been polarized for a decade and unless Huckabee derails McCain’s Express, faced with Hillary or Obama, McCain will have no problem uniting the Republican base.

You have to give Mike Huckabee credit. Underfunded and unknown he won a surprise victory in Iowa, held on through defeats in New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina and rallied to win five primaries on Super-Tuesday.

But, if he’s going to try to give McCain a run for his money he’s going to have to do it without the help of Gingrich and company.

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