Laura Ingraham, speaking this morning on her radio show, said she read the riot act to the assembled crowd at the Values Voters summit: “After about January 3, no one is going to care what you think.”

She’s not downplaying these voters importance, but she’s emphasizing that unless social conservatives unify behind a candidate quickly, they’ll miss their window to play a decisive role in this primary. An endorsement – or a perception as the social conservatives’ favorite – needs time to sink in with the rest of the electorate. Huckabee needs to do well in Iowa; Romney needs to perform well in Iowa and New Hampshire; Fred Thompson can’t afford to lose South Carolina. On paper, any one them could be in real trouble before Super Duper Tuesday.