Posted on 07/12/2007 9:16:15 PM PDT by no dems
PHILADELPHIA -- It was a bold political move: Republican Mike Huckabee , a conservative presidential candidate and the former governor of a largely non union state, standing in front of nearly 10,000 agitated members of the country's biggest teacher's union and talking about his vision for education.
It paid off. Huckabee earned several enthusiastic standing ovations.
The Arkansas Republican, the only GOP candidate for president who accepted the National Education Association's invitation to speak at its first presidential forum, captivated the teachers with his moving account of his own education in Hope, Ark., where Huckabee was the first male in his family to graduate from high school.
The other GOP candidates, however, chose not to pitch to the 3.2 million-member NEA -- a foolish snub, union leaders said, given that the group's membership is about one-third Republican.
The NEA isn't alone. Republican nominees have overwhelmingly skipped national conferences and conventions of groups some believe, often wrongly, as being singularly liberal in mission and membership.
GOPers also declined invitations to speak before the Building and Construction Trades union in March. The National Association of Latino Elected Officials invited all presidential candidates, but only one Republican, Representative Duncan Hunter of California, made it to the event.
Tony Fabrizio , a GOP pollster, said the party's strategy for the past six years -- crafted by Karl Rove -- has been to energize the base while ignoring the left. The current crop of Republican candidates appears to be largely following that same approach, he said.
Huckabee, basking in his warm reception at the NEA conference, called his attendance there "a matter of respect" to educators, regardless of political affiliation. "This is not about politics. This is about the future of our kids," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Mike Huckabee is a very smart and savvy guy. Too bad he isn't from a rich family and he doesn't have and the "good ol' boy" network to get the nomination. He might have a shot at the VEEP spot.
>>>>The National Association of Latino Elected Officials invited all presidential candidates, but only one Republican, Representative Duncan Hunter of California, made it to the event.<<<<
Bump!
I think all the GOP front-runners have Huckabee pencilled in as the VP nominee.
One more reason not to vote for any of the front runners.
Woo liberal groups?lolololololololololololol.By a conservative? What the hell are these people smoking?
Good for Huckabee. I like the man. I’ll bet dollars to donuts they did not invite Duncan Hunter. Would be interesting to know about that, because if they had, he would have appeared if it was at all humanly possible.
So because Republican candidates don't bother kowtowing to union LEADERS, the leaders think that the union members won't vote for Republicans? Heh. I hope they keep thinking that way.
Oh yeah, Karl your doing a helluva job galvanizing the Republican base...So out of touch this is unbelievable.
How would you and Savage galvanize the base?
Pissant, with all goodwill and good humor and best wishes, you’re becoming awfully tiresome.
Agreed!
You ever seen what happens when a conservative tries to talk truth to the savages of the goofball left? If you're not shouted down you can at least expect some homosexual to rush at you with a pie.
Good. Then folks will be so bored they won’t bother to read my comments and whine. :o)
Secure the borders immediately by finishing the fence that the President himself signed into law. Abolish the Haditha Marine probe, and exonerate the Marines wrongfully incarcerated in chains. Then proceed to kick Iran’s A$$.
His poll numbers would go through the roof the next day. He did do one good thing as of late and that was preventing Libby from going to jail. At least he finally had balls to help someone who would was loyal to him (only after talk radio skewered him for hanging Libby out to dry).
They better not.
He’s weak on amnesty and favors large government expansion. Which if conservatives have had a problem with Bush over that issue, I can’t see them too happy with him.
But something tell me it will require a moment like Brownback had during the amnesty vote, voting yes before he voted no, for more people to realize this.
He is a good social conservative, but so is Brownback. That doesn’t make up for their weaknesses elsewhere.
I will say I disagree with the perception most of these challengers are running from confrontation. Hunter was the nly attending a Hispanic conference. Huckabee the only one attending this teacher one. tancredo the only one attending the NAACP.
Now I don’t want them to attend just so they can suck up to the Libs. Nor do I beleieve they even have to attend. Ex. This group may have 1/3 Republicans, but their leadership doesn’t reflect that. better to bypass the leadership then talk to dead air.
but if they are going to do so then call these groups out, don’t make lame excuses that you were too busy. Bluntly state the leadership already has its mind made up, you’d be honored to speak to members willing to keep an open mind, but not through an organization that will reject whatever they say because it comes from a Republican.If not that, then attend but do NO compromise to these groups seeking acceptance that will not come.
Sounds like good publicity, and good base-firming, to me. I think more conservative candidates should ignore their handlers and appear before liberal groups.
Didn’t happen to Huckabee at the NEA Convention.
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