Huckabee's running

[Lord Byron]

I personally think he'll win the Republican nomination. Thoughts?

[Warpy]

1. He fits the requirement for ignorance and stupidity

and will be led very easily by whatever advisors the movers and shakers saddle him with, probably many of the same thieves and lunatics who are in the White House now.

It could happen.

[Lord Byron]

2. Cato Institute gave him an F

on spending and tax policy.

According to wikipedia. That's pretty interesting.

[jaysunb]

4. I'm afraid you're wrong...

He's a pretty sharp guy and will appeal to the loonies on the right as well as a larger portion of Independents.
Huck is a big danger to Democrat hopes. :evilfrown:

[jgraz]

3. Agreed -- he's the frontrunner

Charming, socially conservative and stupid enough to be a sock puppet for the GOP's corporate overlords. He's also a very effective faux-progressive who will pull in the clueless "undecided" vote.

This guy's trouble for us.

[JohnLocke]

22. Very insightful post.

I agree completely.

[kanrok]

5. Can't imagine a guy named "Huckabee" winning the nod

Same as I can't imagine a "Vilsack" as president. I can imagine a restaurant nemed "Huckabees" but not the leader of the free world.

[Lord Byron]

7. "I Heart Huckabee"

It's a catchy name to put on a pin. He's a pretty scary dark horse.

[kanrok]

21. Good point

[election_2004]

6. Wouldn't a Clark vs. Huckabee race be interesting....???

Two "favorite sons" from Arkansas going head-to-head.

[bdrube]

8. He's Got No Chance

Purely a "Vanity" Candidate 

[Lord Byron]

9. Why?

[bdrube]

11. Zero Name Recognition Nationally, and He's No Bill Clinton

[Lord Byron]

12. Bill Clinton had zero name recognition

...and this guy's a former Baptist minister.

[bdrube]

15. But He Was 10 Times the Politician

[PresidentObama]

23. Are you sure?

I don't like Huckabee, and I don't think he'll get the nomination.

But every interview I've seen with Huckabee, he seems likeable and seems like the type of guy whom it would seem impossible to hate.

Of course, it's all a show. He's a Repuke, and a bad one.

America is blind. Huckabee could probably fool them once more.

[fishwax]

26. that helps him in certain ways as well

those who don't recognize his name won't be aware of his right-wing religious credentials.

McCain and Giuliani have high name recognition, but this hurts them in the sense that the rightwing nutjobs are aware of their positions opposing the talibornagains on choice and/or gay rights.

Huckabee can be a stealth candidate. The nutjobs know him--I used to hear him a few years back speaking on the Today's Issues program on American Family Radio--but to the general public he's a clean slate. When he was on The Daily Show, even John Stewart was half-praising him as a voice of reason on the right.

Don't get me wrong--I still don't think he'll win the nomination, but it's not out of the question. He's as well-known nationally--and more well-known among his party's base--than Howard Dean was at this point in 2003.

[AbbyR]

10. I hope not

I was so glad to see him OUT here in Arkansas. He is a crook with a big ego, pure and simple. Before he left office, he completely cleaned out the state's emergency fund, leaving the new governor absolutely nothing in case of a disaster. Nice guy. He is NOT a nice guy - another right-wing evangelical preacher on the campaign trail. Ugh.

[aaronbees]

24. Yep absolutely!

I met the man, and all I can say is he's a good "storyteller." He'll spin ya a yarn, that's for sure.

[Comicstripper]

13. I have to say, I sort of like Huckabee

On a personal level, anyway. He strikes me as a conservative with at least some conviction. I sort of hope he wins the nomination, although I don't expect him to.

[Lord Byron]

14. Be careful what you wish for

[Arkansas Granny]

16. They discussed this last night on a program produced by the

Arkansas Educational channel. The commentators thought that Huckabee would not even carry Arkansas in the primaries.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. I think he'll be more

formidable than a lot of people think. He comes across as warm, likeable, self-deprecating.

[cadmium]

18. I dont think so ,but I'm

not impressed with the others. The others do have mega donor access going for them. Romney raised 6.5 mill in one night.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

19. Mike Huckabee AND Duncan Hunter?

the democrats should really just pack it in now,

[PresidentObama]

20. He's running. Big deal.

When he loses, I predict he'll get his own Subway commercial :evilgrin:

[fujiyama]

25. He's pretty slick

I saw him on Jon Stewart and if I didn't know otherwise, I'd think he's actually a decent guy.

He'd be our most difficult republican opponent.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. Huckabee would be formidable in a general election but I don't think he'll get the nomination

I simply don't think he's well connected enough within the GOP.

As far as the general goes, I saw him on the Daily Show and he did a great job in an environment that's hostile to Republicans. If the GOP would take this guy seriously then I'd be very worried about him. So far this doesn't seem to be the case, however.

[Phoonzang]

28. Watch this guy carefully

He could be the darkhorse Republican nominee. He's a governor, he's very charismatic and likeable, he's got the religo-nut vote without automatically turning off the more moderate repubs, and he's got that whole weight loss "inspirational" story. DO NOT laugh him off.

I had an um.....inside source convincingly explain to me why he could very well be the next president. Don't worry about McCain. Worry about this guy.

[BuelahWitch]

29. But it's McCain's "turn"

Just like it was Dole's "turn" in '96. They won't run a strong candidate b/c they don't want a Rethug to inherit Junior's mess.

[rep the dems]

30. I've heard people say he's the guy us Dems are most worried about

and I think there's some truth to it. Initially he seemed like another guy who was completely oblivious to the fact that he can't win, but I'm not so sure now. He used the line about being born on third base and thinking you hit a triple today, which gives the impression that although he's a conservative Governor from the South, he's not Bush. I think he and Romney will be left fighting for the nomination, and I think Romney will win. This is good, because I don't see us losing to Romney.

[Alhena]

31. Voters don't pay enough attention for someone like Huckabee to win

McCain has gotten tapped into the big Bush fund-raisers, Romney has picked up the scraps, and Giuliani appeals to a large swath of middle-of-the-road Republicans without having to raise a dime.

Regardless of his merits, that leaves little room for someone like Huckabee to even get noticed. Especially when you've got Brownback in the race already, who is fighting for the same religious conservative votes, and the anti-immigration crowd will go with Tancredo. Huckabee was very supportive of immigrant workers in his state and has incurred conservative wrath for that reason.

Honestly, Brownback and Huckabee are basically clones of each other politically and will greatly harm the ability of either to make a big splash.