I hope he plans to draw a clear distinction between his conservatism and Huckabee’s (evidently, the term has been redefined) and that he doesn’t waste his time with Romney:

“I think this is now a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party.” Thompson said. “We’re going to decide whether or not we stay the party of the Reagan coalition or whether we go left in a more populist vein, and I’m going to draw that comparison tonight.”

The remark is a clear reference to Huckabee, whose stump speech has been infused with populist rhetoric throughout the campaign, including his newest line that he “wants to be a president who’s more like the guy you work with than the guy who lays you off.” Huckabee’s economic populism has drawn ire from all corners of the conservative establishment including Rush Limbaugh and the Club for Growth, which tried unsuccessfully to derail his rise in Iowa earlier this month with a series ads criticizing his fiscal record as Governor of Arkansas.