How Will It Play?

With the negative reaction he received from social conservatives at the Values Voter Summit, Rudy Giuliani must feel pretty good about getting the endorsement of Pat Robertson, arguably the most influential social conservative in American politics, following the death of Jerry Falwell in May.

Personally, I would have expected Robertson to endorse someone like Mike Huckabee. Or even Mitt Romney, who aggressively sought Robertson's support.

But it is surprising to me that someone who is on the record as being in favor of abortion rights and gay rights would earn the endorsement of someone like Robertson.

How surprising is Robertson's endorsement of Giuliani? McCain summed it up pretty well when he said, "Every once in a while, I am left speechless. This is one of those times."

I have to wonder how this is going to play with social conservatives. They're not apt to be speechless at the ballot box. And that's where the impact of endorsements will be felt.