Romney trying to lower expectations in Iowa

Huckabee has Mitt worried.

Running third or worse in most national surveys, the former Massachusetts governor has been counting on victories in Iowa's caucuses and the New Hampshire primary five days later to climb past former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, the GOP front-runner nationally, and quickly capture the party's nomination.

That remains his hope, and many still see Romney winning Iowa. "He's a good-looking guy, he sounds good, and the people working for him are some of the brightest around," said Ed Failor Jr., executive vice president of Iowans for Tax Relief, one of the state's largest and most influential political organizations. The group has not endorsed a presidential candidate.

But in a sure sign of concern, the Romney camp has begun to raise the prospect of a second-place Iowa finish, insisting it would not hurt his chances in the contests that follow. "It would be nice if Romney won," said Doug Gross, an attorney overseeing Romney's Iowa campaign. "If he finishes in the top two, he's fine."

Sorry, but no.

If Mitt finishes second in Iowa, he's finished. Huckabee will have the momentum and will be seen as a giant killer for having taken down Romney's well-funded machine with little more than grassroots support from social conservative voters. If Huckabee wins Iowa, he will win the nomination.