Mr. Arkansas appears to have kicked off his 2010 Presidential election campaign this week in a column in Esquire magazine. The article is quite a flattering profile from a clearly liberal author (remind you of any recent Republican Presidential candidates?). The author goes so far as to describe Huckabee as “the nicest guy in a political party of not-very-nice guys”. You can read the whole articlehere.
So, besides courting the liberal wing of the mainstream media (if Esquire can really be said to count as “mainstream”), what else is Huckabee doing? Apparently, touting his centrist credentials and attacking his potential opposition. The article takes a brief look at his new book “Do The Right Thing,” and mentions that Huckabee “caused a mini firestorm by taking a couple of uncharacteristically harsh swipes at Romney, whom he considered phony and high-handed.” Yeah, that’s real rich coming from Huckabee.
Meanwhile, his economic populism is out full force:
“I mean, I just want to scream,” he says, “especially at these guys at the National Review, The Wall Street Journal, who are supposed to be these bastions of conservatism. And how can they call Barack Obama a socialist when everything they’re doing in economic and monetary policy is classic socialism? I find it so hypocritical. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a terrible mistake to revert back to welfare, because what Democrats are doing is pushing welfare for all people who are working individually, while you’ve got people on the Republican side pushing welfare for the highest CEOs in the wealthiest corporations in America. It’s insane.”
It’s like deja vu all over again. And, what Huckabee campaign-prep would be complete without a couple of knocks at one of his principle rivals:
“Now I must say I did not think that either the Charlie Gibson interview or the Katie Couric interviews were unfair. In fact, if anything, Katie Couric was extraordinarily gentle, even helpful. [Palin] just…I don’t know what happened. I can’t explain it. It was not a good interview. I’m being charitable.”
So there you have it. Populism, centrism, courting the media, and a couple of shots at Romney and Palin who, while probably the two weakest of his potential competitors in 2012, are nevertheless people he will need to beat if he wants to run for the top job. Is Mike Huckabee getting ready to run?
Now would be a good time.
mbecker908 Tuesday, January 13th at 6:43PM EST (link)With just a little effort we can sink the bastard before anybody else even gets into the campaign (which really shouldn’t start for another couple of years, thank you).
Let's fill his pockets with cash and send him on a fact-finding mission off the coast of Somalia.
janis Tuesday, January 13th at 7:15PM EST (link)Let’s see just how long the pirates are willing to put up with his bulls**t.
Well somebody had to be the new Alan Keyes (nt)
Neil Stevens Tuesday, January 13th at 6:53PM EST (link)Want to run for conservatives? Give.
There Is No Crisis
10+++ -nt-
mbecker908 Tuesday, January 13th at 6:56PM EST (link)It sure beats working for a living (nt)
zuiko Tuesday, January 13th at 7:19PM EST (link)Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
Huckabee is the biggest LOSER of all time and I ain't talking weight!
JadedByPolitics Tuesday, January 13th at 6:56PM EST (link)JERK to the 10th power I guess his “show” is tanking and he needs something to feed his vanity so why not start getting people to donate so you can live where you want and eat what you want off the dimes of others…..PIG!
Whoever has his enemy at his mercy &
does not destroy him is his own enemy
Wait...he's a very close second.....
AceInTX Tuesday, January 13th at 7:43PM EST (link)to John Sidney McCain IMHO!
House Conservatives Fund
Michael Williams for Senate
Toomey US Senate
SarahPAC
Good one. 5+++
aesthete Tuesday, January 13th at 8:24PM EST (link)n/t
Guilt is a rope that wears thin.
-Ayn Rand
“I am a freeman in a free state!”
-Last words of Dumnorix, chieftan of the Aedui, 54 BC
Every time the man opens his mouth he adds to my shame for ever supporting him!
AceInTX Tuesday, January 13th at 7:40PM EST (link)House Conservatives Fund
Michael Williams for Senate
Toomey US Senate
SarahPAC
S'okay, Ace, you at least saw the error of your ways,
janis Tuesday, January 13th at 7:55PM EST (link)unlike a certain horse, of course.
Well...I can't say for sure I wouldn't do it again given the same field of candidates
AceInTX Tuesday, January 13th at 8:08PM EST (link)without Fred….but that speaks volumes about the crap we were dealt in 2008!
With Fred in, I’d go all in for him….
well…on second thought…I wouldn’t consider Huckabee at all if Fred wasn’t in it…I just wouldn’t vote in the Primaries!
House Conservatives Fund
Michael Williams for Senate
Toomey US Senate
SarahPAC
That's not all Huck's up to.
scottbomb Tuesday, January 13th at 8:33PM EST (link)He has his own show on Fox News and he’s taken Paul Harvey’s 7:30 am slot on WBAP (and I’m assuming other radio stations). I kinda like the guy. I didn’t pay much attention to him during the campaign so maybe I’m missing some info.
Backstabbing Sarah Palin is unacceptable. This isn’t to say that I’m such a rapid Palin fan that I can’t tolerate honest criticism of her. The statements cited above are below the belt.
http://www.HowObamaGotElected.com
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948
No Huck in 12
toddkorth Tuesday, January 13th at 8:38PM EST (link)We, Conservatives, desire a social AND fiscal conservative in 12.
Huck is ONLY half, social, of that equation. Fiscally, he’s semi-cheap Liberal.
Sorry, but the truth hurts.
IF he ran for Senate, I would be glad to help him.
Huck... is the biggest faker... on the circuit...
Ned Reck Tuesday, January 13th at 8:41PM EST (link)Thanks…. baseketball…
This man has done more to harm the Republican Party… and destroy true Conservatives…. than Ahnold… out in Kalifornya…
Huck needs to be defeated…. but first…
We need to get his ugly face off the AIR!
And everybody needs to read the GoodBook… the “Hucks” of this world… are too profound towards the end. Although… it is so obvious with Huck… he’s too fake to be real.
Let’s not forget… Mike Huckabee will do anything… to gain popularity… except… be honest with questions and answers.
~ Ned Reck
“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security.” ~ Ben Franklin
I've never been convinced he's that bad
Incredible Tuesday, January 13th at 10:26PM EST (link)Most of the gripes against Huckabee seem centered on personality and style. Where’s the substance?
(I’ll zip up my flame suit over my thicker skin just for asking the question.)
http://www.incredibleco.ning.com
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson
Join the RedState Strike Force
You've been here long enough to have been through the
mbecker908 Tuesday, January 13th at 10:39PM EST (link)primary wars here. But I’ll recap in really short form and in no particular order…
1. He was governor of AL for 10 years and did absolutely nothing to build the Republican Party in the State.
2. He never met a tax increase he wouldn’t sign.
3. State budgets grew significantly faster than inflation (or during Clinton’s years).
4. Overall state tax bite went up like #3.
5. When called on his design of, and sponsorship of the AL fuel tax increases by Club for Growth, he flat out lied and tried to smear them. He lied about this in every debate.
6. His pardons/clemency for over 1000 felons - some of which appear to be the result of political payoffs.
7. The appearance of political payoffs in return for appointments.
8. Trying to steal the furniture in the governor’s mansion when he left office.
The guy is generally the equivalent of Huey P Long, a fire breathing populist, who doesn’t really have a conservative bone in his body. When asked about GWB and “Compassionate Conservatism” he noted to the effect: “You haven’t seen compassion yet.”
I don’t have time or the inclination at the moment to go back and research for exact stuff, but that’s a pretty good approximation and I’m sure others will add to it.
Alabama (AL) would be offended to have
Achance Tuesday, January 13th at 10:55PM EST (link)Huckabee as governor. AL, AR, and AK are constantly confused. I ordered some lettering for my boat in AK and got some registration numbers for some guy in AR last year.
AL is Alabama
AK is Alaska
AR is Arkansas
In Vino Veritas
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.
mbecker908 Tuesday, January 13th at 10:58PM EST (link)I’m half asleep. And all embarrassed. I did, OTOH, correct “AK” when I typed IT twice. Mea culpa.
Nice Twisting of the Interview
adamsweb Wednesday, January 14th at 12:14AM EST (link)Here’s a clue. Huckabee gave an interview. Giving an interview is not announcing your candidacy for President It’s giving an interview because a magazine thought it would be interesting and as Huckabee has a best-seller, I think Americans agree. .
Nice selective quoting of Huckabee on Palin. You know if you have to distort the truth to make your point. It’s not much of a point. Here’s Huckabee in context:
He was offering his analysis. I disagree with him on the interview, but it’s a disagreemnt. He blamed Camp McCain for Gibson and Couric.
And by the way what is not Socialistic about the bailout policy pushed by WSJ?
555. The amount of Huck-hating putrescence...
Mr_Ed Wednesday, January 14th at 8:24AM EST (link)…at RedState is really disconcerting. I’m a conservative because I “think” and try not to be persuaded by “emotion”. So much of the Huckbashing here is based on emotion.
Mr. Ed
Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
I don't think so.
aesthete Wednesday, January 14th at 10:25AM EST (link)I’d compare it more to conservatives’ dislike of Obama: logical, but with emotions corresponding to it, either because of actions he has taken or actions that he promises to take.
Guilt is a rope that wears thin.
-Ayn Rand
“I am a freeman in a free state!”
-Last words of Dumnorix, chieftan of the Aedui, 54 BC