Posted on 03/12/2014 7:18:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Mike Huckabee had asked me to send him my picture. He’d be sans entourage for our meeting at a Starbucks near Fox News’s midtown Manhattan headquarters, and he wanted to be able to pick me out of the crowd. Sure enough, at the appointed hour, he’s waving at me through the glass walls before he even makes it through the entrance. The barista line is long; since Huckabee hasn’t brought anyone to stand in it for him, coffee is forgone.
“We’ll do our work,” Huckabee says with a shrug. Later, after he realizes he has been droning on, he implores, “Stop me at any point and tell me, ‘You’re chasing too many rabbits out in the field here.’” Six years as a right-wing media host have not corroded the folksy charisma and self-deprecating wit that were hallmarks of his political persona. The man can charm.
There are Republican kingmakers prepared to bank on just that. When Huckabee ran for president in 2008, the former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist preacher beat expectations by winning the Iowa caucuses and finishing second in the overall delegate count. He passed on another run two years ago, when race-watchers thought the nomination was within his reach. But the 2016 election might present his best opening yet. Chris Christie is tarred by Bridgegate (etc., etc.). Scott Walker could wind up similarly tarnished by a slow-motion scandal of his own, involving public workers dispatched on campaign tasks. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are ... Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Meanwhile, early indicators suggest an appetite for Huckabee and his brand of conservative populism: This winter, at least four polls put him at the head of the primary pack—two of them even before Christie’s reputation tanked.
(Excerpt) Read more at newrepublic.com ...
They sure can pick'em, too! Bob Dole, McCain, Romney .... And now, ta-ta-rah ... HUCKABEE! Just frickin' wow! Say, how's about a Huckabee-Christie ticket? Of course they would lose, but diet book sales could be HUGE!
Yup, no fire in the belly.
No Hucksters!
RE: Better than what we have.
Not as good as what we could have.
But then again that would be true of most Republicans candidates.
The “not as good as what we could have” part is what causes many to stay home and let the Democrat win.
Huckabee is to the right of Bush, Romney, Christie et al.
He’s s Pro-Second Amendment and pro-Israel and anti-Islamofascist. He supports the constitution.
I would prefer Cruz, but if its Huckabee, I’ll support him- gladly.
He is a an adroit speaker, and he would tie Hillary in knots in any debate. Further, he has what a lot of other possibilities do not - a PERSONALITY. He’s a likeable guy, like Ronald Reaqan.
I think he could beat Hillary hands down or anyone else the Marxists put up.
Do Gooders belong in the Democrat Party.
Two words: Maurice Clemmons.
To heck with Huck.
IF we are ever going to reverse some of the real damage to our culture that has gone wild since Mr. Obama became POTUS (like the repeal of DADT, etc.). Then we need a REAL and TOTAL Social/Moral conservative like Mike Huckabee. He is the guy I hope runs this time.
However, on this forum, a REAL social/moral conservative (like Mike Huckabee - or Rick Santorum) will be bashed....because this forum isn’t really that conservative. In my opinion, IF a person is not first and foremost socially/morally conservative (before ALL other considerations) then they are NOT a true conservative. Get the social/morale issues right, and the rest WILL fall into place. Social/moral decline is what is destroying this country (it is the cancer)....”big government”, “high taxes”, “illegal immigration”, “restrictions on the 2nd Ammendment”, “judicial tyranny”, etc. etc. etc. are just symptoms of the problem. Candidates that focus first on symptoms are not addressing the REAL disease. It will take a wave of social/moral conservatives (from the office of POTUS on down) to remotely having a chance of fixing things. If you really want to see those “symptoms” listed above to be corrected....then elect persons that will focus of moral/social issues first. Get those issues right (the cure), and the other issues (symptoms) will go away.
These young “Liberatarian” (libertine) voters that don’t care about social/morale concerns (like homosexuality) are destroying the GOP just as the “establishment” types are. For that matter, those extreme “Tea Party” types that only care about reducing taxes are also damaging the party.
NO! to the Huckster. Just say NO! He is a caricature of social conservatism, way worse than Santorum. He couldn't even beat McQueeg!
A trip down memory lane from that awesome gOpE primary in 2008 that we all remember so fondly .....
I agree....Huckabee doesn’t have “that” special something to be president.
You see it in the successful candidates.
Didn’t see it in Dole, McCain, Romney, Dutasxus, Kerry, Gore, etc.
Sadly I did see it in Obama....not sure with Hillary yet.
Oh Pleez!!! Not another RINO Huck run for President. Stick with TV Huck. We love your show.
RE: Sadly I did see it in Obama....
OK, I’ll bite, what is “that” special something that Obama has?
I’d vote for Huckabee in a heartbeat over ANY Democrat, but he’s not my #1 pick by a long shot. That said, I don’t know why some here ridicule the man. He’s a decent man who shares a lot of conservative ideology with the rest of us. In other words, he’s an ally. He may not be a slick, sophisticated big city politician, but since when is that a bad thing?
Let me be clear: I DON’T LIKE THE GUY AT ALL.
That said, he has the ability to reach the average American in a way they can relate to.
I know, it sounds stupid and you’re probably not going to agree. But I recall his speech in 04 at the DNC. The man can deliver a speech (with a teleprompter).
Clinton could do.
Reagan was the master at this.
Don’t really see this in Hillary yet.
No Hucksters!
No Hucksters? How do you expect to win presidential elections if we ridicule and dismiss anyone who isn’t 100% pure conservative in our opinion? Is Mike Huckabee an enemy? No, he’s not. He’s an ally, and we conservatives better start learning how to build coalitions!
Mike Huckabee seems to be a very nice guy, but he would not be elected in a American Presidential election.
RE: I don’t know why some here ridicule the man.
Many could not forgive him for his clemency controversies when he was governor of Arkansas.
Take Maurice Clemmons for example.
Clemmons had committed burglary without a weapon, and his 60-year sentence was commuted by Huckabee to 47 years, making him eligible for parole if approved by the parole board. The prosecuting attorney of Pulaski County, Arkansas vehemently objected to the commutation. As factors in his decision, Huckabee cited the unusually long sentence of 108 years for Clemmons, who was 17 at the time, that Clemmons had already served 11 years of jail time, the unanimous decision by the bipartisan state pardon board in Clemmons’s favor, and the original trial judge’s support for clemency.
When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he already was serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft and possessing a handgun on school property.
After his release in 2000 Clemmons was arrested a number of times for multiple offenses including child molestation and aggravated assault, but was released after prosecutors declined to file charges. On November 29, 2009, four police officers were murdered in Lakewood, Washington, and Clemmons was named by witnesses as the only suspect. After a two-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the Puget Sound region, the armed Clemmons was shot and killed by a Seattle Police Department officer in south Seattle after refusing police orders to stop charging the office.
Here’s another... In 2003, Eugene Fields received a six-year prison sentence after his fourth conviction of driving while intoxicated in five years.
Gov. Huckabee granted clemency over the objections of the local prosecutor and sheriff, the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). A spokeswoman for Mr. Huckabee, Charmaine Yoest, said that Mr. Fields’ political donations [to the Arkansas Republican Party] and connections played no role in his clemency. About two years after Mr. Fields’ sentence was cut to 11 months, he was arrested again for driving while intoxicated as his truck crossed the center line directly into the path of an oncoming police car.
As governor, Huckabee commuted and accepted recommendations for pardon for twice as many sentences as his three predecessors combined; in total: 1,033 prisoners.
Twelve of those had previously been convicted of murder.
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