They'll pick Huckabee, and that presents difficulties.

[immoderate]

Not an endorsement!{/b]

Huckabee is moving up in Iowa and New Hampshire, and he comes the closest to resembling the Republican's actual preferred candidate, "none of the above." He's eclipsed McCain in some polls and he has momentum. He is affable, ad libs well, and can claim creds for his health achievements, both personal and political.

The other Republican top tier are all in danger --

Rudy is corrupt and stupid. Fred is lazy and stupid. Mitt is ... well, vacuous. McCain, unfortunately, has that recently discovered thing in your brain that blocks reason and turns you into a Republican. I think he'd be cool otherwise. Anyway, he is past his time. Question is moot!. The rest of them are let's resort to shorthand) stupid. OK, Huckabee is stupid but he has cover. He is an ordained minister! He could be a presifent with Billy Graham built in! He's gets benefits of the doubt, and other leeway!

As a governor, he has no record on the war, though he has supported it, he has flexibility. (Remember Nixon's secret plans?) And he's not Washington and he can probably deliver Arkansas, even against Hillary. He's her toughest matchup I think. I could find few negatives of the kind that would swing a race.

So the point is that while he sucks, he sucks in a way that conservatives like, and some independents can tolerate. He has low negatives. He'll be their pick.

--IMM

[Catshrink]

1. You forgot the creationism thing...

That's another plus in repub eyes.

:loveya:

[Rage for Order]

17. I believe in creationism

But I also believe in evolution. I believe God got the ball rolling many billions of years ago and let nature take over from there. I don't believe that creationism and evolution are mutually exclusive. The Founding Fathers were creationists as well. To wit:

"...all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..."

Creationism and reason can co-exist. That said, there's still no way I'd vote for Huckabee or any other Repube.

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. ....

:eyes:

[Rage for Order]

25. Insightful response

[A-Schwarzenegger]

2. Yoicks. Maybe theyll say the hell with it & not pick anybody.

[Richardo]

3. One other thing he has going against him is the sound of 'President Huckabee'

Sounds like a character in a vaudeville farce. Which may not be too far from the truth.

[immoderate]

21. Or Gilbert and Sullivan. LOL.

--IMM

[Richardo]

22. That's it! I knew there was a better comparison

But my brain refused to think of it.


Thanks!

[Warpy]

4. I've said for a long time that he's the pick of the litter

Yes, he's nuts, but he's consistently nuts. He also has a reasonable track record as a governor of a southern state. He doesn't have a track record on national issues that would make him unpalatable to ordinary GOPs.

It really should have been McCain in 2000. His time is past, now, and he'll be a fitting subject for tragic plays to be written in the future.

[Rageneau]

12. Me, too. He's really their best. But he has BIG baggage.

Huckabee is by far the most authentic human being -- nott to mention Republican -- among them. He could very well break out of the pack of GOP hypocrites and take the lead. But Huckabee has big, bad baggage named Wayne Dumond, of whom you will hear more and more as Huckabee gets more and more support.

And the irony is, he wouldn't have that bad baggage if he had not done exactly what the Freepers wanted him to. Wingnuts are always wrong, and when it came to Wayne Dumond, they proved it bigtime.

[Crowdance]

16. Can you explain the Dumond baggage?

I've tried to make sense of it, but can't put the pieces together. What was that about? (a full explanation living on the web couldn't hurt, either.)

[MrCoffee]

18. How is that Huckabee's problem?

I can't make the connection to Huckabee either, apart from his failure to pardon him.

[TwilightGardener]

20. I think he's the PHONIEST of the candidates--yes even more than Mittens.

I find him repugnant--something about him sends chills up my spine.

[Olney Blue]

5. It's going to be a disaster, whatever the GOP sends up. (for them, not us)

[cali]

6. Nope.

They won't pick him. He doesn't have the organization or money to prevail. And if he did by some monkeys flying out of butts chance, get it, Hillary or any other nom would cream him.

[KharmaTrain]

7. In The Old Days, He'd Be Hidden In The Smoked-Filled Room

The big money says Hucklebee is toast, but he may be the true "great white hope" for the religious right. The so-called (and overhyped) "value voters" are scattered between him, Brownback and Tancredo, but that still combining all those votes, it still won't be enough to knock off Mittens or Ghouliani. Forget Thompson and McCain...they kinda wash and whatever support either has is a mile wide and a millimeter thin.

Hucklbee's problem is that he'd be a good general election candidate, but sucks in the partisan and "down-low" primary fight going on. His support isn't enough to offset Mittens media barages and buying off local Repugnicans for top dollar...or Ghouliani...the candidate of the ultimate hypocrites who only care about power and beating Hillary.

Now if we see a deadlocked convention, he could hold some important votes and keys.

[BlooInBloo]

8. It presents *no* difficulties.

[Avalux]

9. Huckabee's a loon. He doesn't believe in evolution and he supports Bush Iraq policy.

He was interviewed after Bush's speech the other night and scared the crap out of me.

Yes, the fundamentalist base will vote for him. Independents? No. There's no way he'd win a general election.

[Flabbergasted]

10. I'm guessing the Lazy and Stupid guy wins.

[sendero]

14. since he won last time..

... I'd agree :)

[FormerDittoHead]

11. The Huckster supports the "FairTax" - which goes on my automatic shit list. n/t

[MrCoffee]

13. my worst nightmare...Republican nominee Mike Huckabee

they can package this guy perfectly to win moderate "independents".

[immoderate]

23. Yeah. He's a blank slate, nationally!

Not everybody sees the evolution thing as a deal killer the way we do. Independents might excuse that particularly since he's a minister.

--IMM

[SteveG]

15. He also pardoned Keith Richards

for an old traffic violation. He also has a Band (blues and rock n roll) called Capitol Offense. Oh, and he has a sense of humor.

While I think Huckabee is completely wrong on the issues and would be a complete disaster as President, he is the one Republican I could most like having as a neighbor.

[Mojorabbit]

26. Ditto

and I think he is the one to watch as a sleeper candidate.

[TwilightGardener]

19. No--they don't like him very much. He's got a lot of flaws as an R

primary candidate, and if most conservatives don't care that Fred Thompson doesn't attend church regularly (and he's leading some polls), then they won't give a rip about the preacher-man. Huckabee is finished, and he knows it. He's running for VP or Arkasas Senate now.