Posted on 08/15/2007 4:36:29 PM PDT by BplusK
The more I think about Mike Huckabees stunning 18% showing at the Iowa straw poll the more Im persuaded that he could be the exciting, unifying conservative standard bearer the GOP base has been craving.
Forget about Fred Thompson--- his long delay in entering the race makes him look increasingly like the Mario Cuomo of the Republican Party. Remember when the New York Governor dithered endlessly about announcing his candidacy in 1992? At the time, he seemed to be trying out a new slogan: A Mind is a terrible thing . To make Up. As an actor, Fred Thompson might like to take a crack at playing Hamlet, but the indecision bit doesnt work well for a Presidential contender. Moreover, his wife Jeri (described by the New York Times as his much-younger trophy wife) has already won a reputation as a controversial dragon lady for firing and intimidating staff on his non-campaign. Her glamorous presence seems to re-enforce Thompsons Hollywood connections, and thats not a great thing for a Republican candidate.
Moreover, Thompsons campaign speeches so far have been distinctly underwhelming in their impact, showing none of the folksiness and force of his TV character Arthur Branch or his brief radio commentaries, for that matter.
I challenge any die hard Fred Heads to watch tape of Thompson addressing a live audience and then to contrast it with tape of Huckabee working a crowd or performing at one of the televised debates. Theres no comparison: Huckabee spontaneously deploys the warmth, humor, gift of gab, accessibility and kindness that we havent seen in a GOP Presidential contender since Reagan. He comes across as a regular guy who cares about other regular guys. He also possesses a rare ability to craft catchy phrases that connect with people. As he told audiences in Iowa, One of the things I think Ive brought to the process is unapologetically Im a conservative but Im not mad at anybody over it.
And its tough for anyone, from any faction in the party, to feel mad at Mike Huckabee.
Each of the other front-runners have managed to tick off some substantial segment of their fellow Republicans: McCain for his support of campaign finance restrictions and immigration reform, as well as his opposition to Bush tax cuts; Giuliani for his moderate positions on social issues like guns and abortion and his complicated and much-too-colorful personal life; Romney for his slick shifts in position on a range of issues and (unfairly) for his devout commitment to a controversial church. Its true that some militant secularists will feel uncomfortable with Huckabees fervent Christianity and his background as a highly successful Baptist pastor, but those who are put off by his genial brand of religiosity are probably unavailable as GOP voters in any event.
Aside from his likely ability to unify the party, two other factors argue for Huckabee as the strongest possible GOP standard bearer.
First, his distinctly blue-collar, proudly working class background will help to destroy the notion that Republicans are the party of Wall Street and the country club. Mitt Romney may be worth $250 million and is the son of a governor, John McCains the son (and grandson) of high ranking admirals, but Huckabees the first member of his family ever to graduate from high school. Obama and Romney boast degrees from Harvard, Hillary went to Wellesley and Yale, and McCain graduated (barely) from Annapolis, while Huckabee earned his degree (in two-and-a-half years) from Ouachita Baptist University. During reconstruction on the Arkansas governors mansion, the Huckabees (hes been married to his high school sweetheart for 33 years) lived proudly in a trailer to save the taxpayers money. And speaking of double-wides . his recent loss of 110 pounds (and completion of numerous grueling marathons) helps him connect with the American majority that fights the daily battle of the bulge. After freakishly fit contenders like the Skull-and-Bones duo Bush and Kerry, its refreshing to consider a candidate whos so much more like the rest of us. The old Democratic class warfare tactics simply wont work against Huckabeehis personal style and background make it impossible to associate him with some privileged elite.
The second big advantage of a Huckabee nomination involves his ability to suppress any third party vote on the right. A recent analysis by the Rasmussen polling operation suggests that in the likely event that Hillary becomes the Democratic candidate were in for another extremely close election. The American people have already largely made up their minds about Senator Clinton --- her name produces very few responses of undecided or dont know. Unless she commits some major gaffe after getting the nomination, her vote total wont fall below 45%, and stands little chance of rising above 50%. This means that the election like those of 92, 96, and 2000 will almost certainly produce a President with a popular vote minority, with fringe party candidates playing a decisive role. In 2000, Ralph Nader on the left drew nearly three times as many votes as Pat Buchanan on the right; without the Nader factor, Al Gore would have won a clear-cut victory no matter how the votes were counted. In 2008, there will definitely be more third and fourth party candidates former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (or Nader again) on the left, and Alan Keyes or Minuteman Jim Gilchrist or, conceivably, Tom Tancredo on the right. If Rudy Giuliani became Republican standard bearer, an angry right-winger could draw 3% or more of the vote and easily tilt the election toward Hillary. With a Huckabee candidacy, on the other hand, a self-righteous anti-abortion, anti-immigration, anti-globalism fringe campaign becomes less powerful (and less necessary, for that matter). Those who worry that international conspirators are subverting American sovereignty as part of some CFR or Neo-Con conspiracy will feel far less fearful of Huckabee than of any other major candidate.
Finally, theres the current press infatuation with the former Arkansas governor a rare blessing for any conservative. They like Huckabee not only because hes charming and funny, but because the media love a good underdog story. An under-funded candidate who comes out of nowhere (and Hope, Arkansas is just about nowhere) to challenge the big boys makes a great, inspiring yarn and helps sell newspapers or win TV viewers. The other contenders have all done something (or many things) to alienate the press: Giuliani made enemies of most national media during his tough-guy years as Mayor of New York, McCain looked like he betrayed his cherished maverick status when he reached out to conservative Christians, Thompson has delayed and dilly-dallied much too long before entering the race and facing the press, while Mitt Romney has begun to earn a reputation for smiling evasiveness in confronting tough questions.
Of course, the current press infatuation with Huckabee (even from the New York Times) probably wont last, but the new Man from Hope needs to milk it while he can.
The big negatives the press will no doubt begin to attach to the surging Huckabee campaign involve the notion that hes just too religious (and doesnt believe in undirected, random Darwinism) and that hes got no experience in foreign policy. In response, Huckabees defenders might cite a prior Governor of Arkansas who also had no foreign policy background but became a popular two-term president, and a recent Governor of Texas who also entered the White House without a resume of meaningful diplomatic encounters.
Moreover, when it comes to holding elective office, Huckabee served the people of his state for thirteen years three years as Lieutenant Governor and ten as Governor giving him more experience as an elected public official than Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, Obama, Edwards, Hillary or George W. Bush. .
In other words, the arguments in behalf of a Huckabee candidacy remain potent and persuasive while those against his nomination seem easily deflected.
Does this summary of his flavor-of-the-week status amount to an endorsement?
Not exactly, since McCain, Giuliani and Romney also seem to me great and worthy contenders who deserve a chance to make their cases to the people.
But in one sense, Im ready for an enthusiastic commitment to take one step forward with Aw Shucks Huck: as far as Im concerned, the former Governor of Arkansas has already earned an endorsement as a first tier candidate for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. His inclusion among the elite survivors of the early winnowing process can only strengthen the campaign, the party and, ultimately, the country.
Is Medved almost ALWAYS wrong or is it just me?
President Huckabee
Just doesn’t roll off the tongue. Don’t see it.
No thanks. He'll be a re-run of Bush.
I remember when some Arkansas democRATs in Little Rock wanted to raise taxes.
Huckabee set up a web site for the RATS to voluntarily donate personal money instead of raising taxes.
It was a great political stunt that helped prove a point about democRATs.
No thanks. He’s a weak sister.
But not as serious as the rest imo.
These are very, very, dangerous times and the US needs a ruthless SOB.
A music playing man from HOPE, ARKANASAS.
NOPE. NEVER AGAIN.
It is surprising that more FReepers are not standing by Huckabee considering his great history with FR. Huckabee has been a good friend to FR for a very long time. Sometimes I think FreeRepublic.com has lost its heart.
Not always, just most of the time. ....kind of like DEBKA.
Medved liking Huckabee sends up a red flag -- Huck must be an amnesty advocate. ....and a globalist in general.
Nope - he’s almost always wrong. Scratch very deep and you come up with another big-government thug.
Medved is at pains to slam Thompson, or at least to carry water for those wishing to do so. Oh, he’s not saying Jeri is a dragon lady ... but gosh, he HEARD that SOME people (atTheNewYorkTimes) said that!
Jeeze, Medved, if you want to promoted Huckabee, then do so without slamming others.
Huckabee is a good guy but another Arkansas Governor for Prez?
I’d have to think about that.
I can see him as a VP candidate with Mitt at the top of the ticket.
I would be proud to call him, commander n chief
I think Huckabee would be a good V.P., but Mitt needs someone with foreign policy experience for V.P. Any other ideas?
Thompson supporters better hope he gets off the dime soon. I sense his opportunity is passing him by.
“Sometimes I think FreeRepublic.com has lost its heart.”
If the people on this site start to support a RINO like huckabee for president, I’d think that it had lost its mind.
One Arkansas governor in the White House was more than enough.
And no, Huckabee doesn’t have a good chance to become our next president by any stretch of the imagination.
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