Will he prove nimble enough to maneuver through the Republican nominating process, given that its early stages are heavily tilted to the right? Evangelical Christians play a crucial role in the Iowa caucuses, the first contest in the quest for the nomination, but putting too much effort into pleasing them can make a candidate unelectable.
相比之下，共和党选战还有很多机会。今年初，传统智慧认为如果杰布·布什参选，他十拿九稳会成为当红候选人。他看似能稳操胜券，但竞选毕竟不是纸上谈兵。鉴于早期共和党候选体制严重右倾，现实中他是否具有驾驭这套体制的灵活性值得质疑。福音派基督徒在爱荷华州选区党内决策会议作用至关重要，布什最先面临的考验是争取提名，但太过取悦党团会议会令候选人陷入不可能当选的窘境。有迹象表明布什可能放弃爱荷华州，但这样他就必须在新罕布什尔州获胜。