GOP strategist: Huckabee’s Iowa trip damaged his 2012 candidacy

Iowa Independent ^ | February 25, 2010 | Jason Hancock

[yongin]

If former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has any 2012 presidential aspirations at all, then it was a mistake to help raise money for the Iowa Family Policy Center, a former Republican Party of Iowa chairman and adviser to Terry Branstad said Wednesday

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Des Moines last year promoting a book. “Maybe Mr. Huckabee shouldn’t be raising money for an organization that says it won’t support the Republican nominee in Iowa,” said David Kochel, a veteran GOP strategist who has done consulting work for Branstad’s campaign for a fifth term as governor. He previously advised former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Romney finished second to Huckabee in the Iowa Caucuses, a defeat that effectively sunk his presidential hopes.

Huckabee was in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines Wednesday stumping for Branstad’s chief rival for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Bob Vander Plaats. Kochel’s objections focused on Huckabee keynoting a fundraiser for the Iowa Family Policy Center, the influential Christian organization who announced last month that they would only support Vander Plaats and would sit out the fall campaign if the GOP nominates Branstad.

[Howie66]

I have not even considered the Huckster as a viable candidate from the get go.

[lewislynn]

Or maybe Gomer shouldn't be siding up with Marxists like Michelle Obama either.

Is he really so dense that he can't see the obesity and SEIU connection for school breakfasts, lunches and dinners?

[yongin]

Iowa Caucus news.

[PGR88]

Mike Huckabee seems like a very good man, but his politics are muddled, he often settles for half-a-loaf, and his positions are often not clear to me.

[LostInBayport]

Huckabee’s pardoning of the guy who later shot and killed four police officers didn’t help much either.

I still remember the letter where his aide said Huckleberry laughed at a prosecutor’s criticism of his excessive pardons to violent criminals.

[Parley Baer]

“I have not even considered the Huckster as a viable candidate from the get go.”

I’m with you regarding the Huckster.

[bigbob]

Huck just wants to get the band back together.

[chris37]

Let's just move on to the next GOP RINO hopeful that doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning.

Gomer is old news.

Really old...

[screaminsunshine]

Huck is planning his strategy to get Romney the nomination. MSM is setting up Romney to be the next McCain.

[yongin]

Huckabee does not like Romney. During the summer of 2008, McCain considered Romney as Veep. Huckabee lead a protest of Christian conservatives to stop Romney from getting the Veep slot. Also, when ever Huckabee talks about healthcare, he makes potshots about RomneyCare. Huckabee says he is doing the Lord’s Work when he runs for President.

[erman]

lots of “slimming” vertical stripes there..

[Diogenesis]

Has there ever been a week when some agent of Romney
was not backstabbing someone in the GOP?

[chris37]

My eyes! The stripes do nothing!

[campaignPete R-CT]

maybe my response to the headline could read:

GOP strategist: Kochel’s critical comments damaged Branstad’s 2010 candidacy

How dumb must somebody be to attack voters of your own party under the reasoning that “they aren’t supporting me and they should be”? Sound like an effective way to expand your support beyond your current followers?

Instead of attacking their Republican opponent, many of these RINO’s attack Republican VOTERS! real schmartz.

[yongin]

Huckabee has been campaigning for candidates in Iowa and SC.

T-Paw is planning on visiting Iowa and NH in the spring. Ditto for Santorum.

[pctech]

Neither have I, and I will not vote for him even if he does run.

[campaignPete R-CT]

I will not be campaigning in Iowa again in this lifetime. At least I hope not. But Palin has a tough road there if Huck is in the race. Pawlenty is an evangelical and is bound to pull support due to being a bordering state. MN GOP will help him in northern Iowa towns.

I don’t have much confidence in the Iowa evangelicals’ ability to sort the whole thing out ... it is bound to be an ugly mess. Remember, Iowa social conservatives decided Huckabee was the answer in ‘08 and that has to tell you something about their judgment on political matters.

[Frantzie]

Rick Santorum is not a bad guy.

[patriot preacher]

Mike Huckabee seems like a very good man, but his politics are muddled, he often settles for half-a-loaf, and his positions are often not clear to me.
__________________

Agreed. Huckabee is a generally likable guy. That said, he tends to give in to Liberal ideas and schemes at crucial times — and to Government solutions — and that’s exactly what we DON’T need.

I’m quite happy he endorsed the primary candidate against the “party man,” because it seems the party man wants the same old Republican option of paying lip service to social issues to get the Conservative base — then governing “from the center.”

Well, no, enough. No more betrayals, Mr. big shot Republicans. No more “compromises” or “bipartisanship.” NO more taking Conservative votes — your base — for granted. Republicans can choose a candidate their Conservative base likes — or they can lose. Or find a new base — they know they can’t out Democrat the Democrats, but if they TRY, they deserve what they get.

Those who would object that we have to have the Republicans in the federal elections would do well to consiuder that the country survived without Republicans for over 70 years — and from the time they were created for decades they were mostly radical troublemakers. Patriots can take the party — but if they can’t they can stand on their own. In any case, it’s not the party but the PRINCIPLES that must be paramount. Period.