Mike “Mitt-Killer” Huckabee
By Dyre42 | Related entries in 2008 Election, Huckabee, McCain, News, RepublicansOver at The Politico Jonathan Martin posits that Huckabee is running for VP and is in fact running interference for McCain by intentionally locking up the Social Conservative vote.
From The Politico:
COLUMBIA, S.C. — For people reading between the lines, Mike Huckabee’s concession speech here Saturday night dropped some enticing hints that his presidential campaign now has an agenda other than getting elected president.
Huckabee’s new role: Mitt killer.
The former Arkansas governor threw air kisses on primary night to winner John McCain, praising him for “running a civil and a good and a decent campaign.â€
He also signaled clearly that he is staying in the race, despite losing three straight states. Exit polls in South Carolina indicated — as they had in the previous three contests — that Huckabee did virtually nil with voters beyond his base of conservative evangelicals, raising doubts that he has a plausible path to the GOP nomination.
But as long as Huckabee is campaigning vigorously, he is likely to draw a sizable bloc of social conservatives — and deny former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the direct one-on-one contest he is hoping for against McCain.
…
Now that the race is headed to a critical showdown in Florida, Huckabee is well-positioned to play the same spoiler role that Thompson did in South Carolina. Only registered Republicans can participate in Florida — no independents, who gave McCain a boost in New Hampshire and South Carolina. These rules give more leverage to social conservatives, who are unlikely to back Rudy Giuliani under any circumstances but might be enticed into backing Romney if they had no Huckabee alternative.
It almost sounds like a wonk’s conspiracy theory except for the fact that it does make a certain amount of sense. This is McCain’s lat chance at the presidency and the GOP base isn’t fond of him. But if he gets the nomination and Hillary wins the Dem nomination the base will rally to him just to keep her out of office. Huckabee in return gets either the VP slot or a cabinet post and is in a better position to run again in 2012 or 2016. Even if McCain loses the race Huckabee walks away with increased name recognition and at the very least an excellent shot at a senate seat in 2010 which in turn puts him in a position to run again once McCain is out of office. If this scenario proves to be true you have to give Huckabee major points for shrewdness.
Assuming Huckabee is running to be VP. McCain is the most logical choice. If he backs Rudy Giuliani he loses his authenticity with the base. Romney on the other hand is a Mormon and to many a flip flopper on social issues. Comparatively McCain is at least consistent on his issues and a “regular Christian”. Hence by backing McCain Huckabee preserves his authenticity. What remains to be seen is whether or not what may be Huckabee’s plan B proves true is whether or not he withdraws after losing Florida. If he continues after then he may prove to be enough of a spoiler on Super Tuesday to put McCain over the top on delegates. If that proves to be the case it’ll show what level of politics Huckabee is capable of playing at and exactly just how desperate McCain is to be president.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Huckabee, McCain, News, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 am
I’m failing to see a problem with Mitt being a Mormon, and his perception as a flipflopper is wholly untrue, if one takes a look at his record as MA governor.
Romney – still married to his wife. McCain – divorced.
Who will Christians go for again?
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
There are several problems with Romney, actually. First is his actual economic record as a businessman and as a governor; second is his record on social issues like abortion, as I demonstrate here:
http://soundingthecall.townhall.com/g/4dfaac84-6120-4323-ac27-d028636e67ed
Then there are indeed problems regarding his Mormonism, and it’s time people stop being afraid to talk about these problems. Here I discuss these problems in-depth, and why it is okay to talk openly about them:
http://soundingthecall.townhall.com/g/fded3405-6381-43b5-a25d-e4f2ba904f8c
Finally, there’s a general problem with trusting Romney. Besides the evidence above, there’s the recent example of his claims regarding his own campaign ad that lied about McCain. In fact, Romney’s dishonest about it might have violated election laws, as I note here:
http://soundingthecall.townhall.com/g/fded3405-6381-43b5-a25d-e4f2ba904f8c
The GOP ticket will almost surely be McCain-Huckabee at this point. They are the only two true conservatives left in the race, and they speak as the voices of conscience on social issues and national security. We need to listen to those voices, and follow them to victory this November.
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:34 am
I am very unhappy at Governor Romney for being part of the mandated insurance fiasco, but I would support him in place of McCain, who – few exceptions aside – is too invested with dems, such as Kennedy.
Romney’s Mormon faith is only an off tangent for those that don’t like him to begin with. He didn’t turn MA into Mormon country, so where’s the problem?
Steve I concur that his so-called “waffling” has more to do with people’s biases and is not rooted in reality. His explanation on how he moved from an abortion position to a pro-life one makes sense. People do have the ability to revisit and change their opinions. I believe that’s his case.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Gene, having a problem with someone’s religion is sick. What if he was Jewish? Would you demand he convert to Christianity? That’s what disturbs me the most about anti-Mormon bigots.
Suggesting McCain is a real conservative is incredibly laughable.
http://therealmccain.com/
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Huckabee is NO conservative:
Mike Huckabee was regarded by fellow Republican governors as a compulsive tax increaser and spender. He increased the Arkansas tax burden by 47 percent, boosting the levies on gasoline and cigarettes. The Arkansas Leader.com editorialized that Mike Huckabee raised more taxes in 10 years in office than Bill Clinton did in his 12 years.
The National Education Association endorses any candidate who raises taxes and opposes school choice – thus they endorse Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee “broadly repudiates core Republican policies such as free trade, low taxes, the essential legitimacy of America’s corporate entities and the market system allocating wealth and opportunity,†according to George Will.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission held proceedings 20 times on the former governor. During his tenure, Huckabee accepted 314 gifts valued overall at more than $150,000, according to documents filed with the Arkansas secretary of state’s office. (He accepted 187 gifts in his first three years as governor but was not required to report their value.)
Two months after taking office, Huckabee stunned the state by saying he questioned rapist Wayne DuMond’s guilt and that it was his intention to free the rapist, DuMond murdered a women in Illinois after Huckabee set him free
Huckabee battled conservatives within his own party who were pushing for stricter state-level immigration measures, such as:.
– proof of legal status when applying for state services that aren’t federally mandated
- proof of citizenship when registering to vote
- Huckabee failed in his effort to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for state-funded scholarships and in-state tuition to Arkansas colleges.
He joined the Democratic chorus in indicting President Bush for his “arrogant bunker mentality.” Is he in the right party?
Huck’s use of the “Christian Leader†title and the Cross in his ads and his attempt to denigrate Mitt Romney’s religion is a thinly-veiled attempt to impose a religious test in violation of Article Six of the Constitution
The Huckster was the keynote speaker at a 1998 anti-Mormon conference in Salt Lake City. And he says he knows nothing about Mormons? And the “Christian Leader” doesn’t want to release his sermons?
He led the Arkansas Baptists liberal congregations in a dispute with the conservative Southern Baptist Conference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ry0xrOsqSQ
Mike fails on so many levels as a true conservative.
The moniker “Huckster” is well-earned.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Mike Huckabee is a spoiler for true conservatives. His support would go to Gov. Romney, though he’s upset that the LDS church is growing faster than his.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:31 am
“Gene, having a problem with someone’s religion is sick. What if he was Jewish? Would you demand he convert to Christianity? That’s what disturbs me the most about anti-Mormon bigots.”
Oh please, spare me the inane melodrama, will you? Having a problem with someone’s religion is “sick”? So you NEVER use the term “cult”, you think Jim Jones and his followers should be respected, you defend Scientology, and so on? No, you’re just another hypocrite who pretends to be “oh so offended” by so-called “bigotry” against Mormons strictly because right now, today, the guy you wanna vote for is a Mormon. You won’t hold your tongue in other instances, because there are far too many instances of insanity and cults and rational people realize this.
I guess you also aren’t a Christian, right? Since you seem NOT to grasp that Christianity DOES tell us to preach the gospel and try to win converts to our Lord, to save their souls. Ya know who ELSE does that, Steve? I’ll give you a hint: they ride around on bicycles with white shirts, black ties, and go door to door trying to convince people to let them into their homes and then convert them. Yeah, Mormons, Steve.
That’s a mighty broad standard you assert there, Steve. “Having a problem with someone’s religion” — you do understand that most religions teach that only THEIR set of beliefs and means of worship can lead to salvation, right? And that those who reject it, resist it, or follow another religion are generally condemned, right? So Judaism, Christianity, Islam, those are all “sick” since they “have a problem” with “someone’s religion”, right? Oh, or having a problem with cults that make little girls marry grown men, you think it’s “sick” to condemn that belief system, right? C’mon, Steve, let’s hear it for consistency!
Ooooh, wait a minute — something just occurred to me… if you call me and other people “sick” because our religion is “bigoted” against other religions by “having a problem with” them… that means YOU “have a problem with” MY religion since my religion “has a problem with” other religions, which makes YOU… sick. Now there’s a twist worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan flick!