Feb 22 2008
Huckabee’s Delusions
Mike Huckabee has gone from interesting candidate for future GOP Presidential options to someone who simply can’t let go of the microphone and step back for a bit. His current concept is to create the same train-wreck the Democrats are heading towards at their convention:
From WOAI Radio comes an article claiming Mike Huckabee is placing his hopes on forcing a brokered convention by winning in Texas and Ohio, thus denying John McCain a walk-way victory for the primary.
Note these are his hopes, not the hopes of the GOP or the nation. The difference between the Dems and the GOP is both dems have good arguments on why each of them reflects their party. While Obama has lots of state wins, he has not won the big blue states that represents the dem core base. His wins are in red states with little chance to go blue. In addition Clinton and Obama are basically tied in terms of support on their side of the aisle.
The same just is not true for Huckabee, who represents a frustrated minority who have yet to come to grips with the minority status they created for themselves by lashing out and those who disagreed with them. Just check the path of the Gallup Tracking poll to see how silly Huckabee’s ‘hopes’ are:
3 to 1 opposition doesn’t warrant a brokered convention. Is Huckabee simply asking for the GOP purity wars to continue? For what purpose? Mike, stay in as long as you want, just don’t ask the conservative movement to self-destruct to make all your dreams come true – too much is on the line this year.
The good news is that Huckabee’s running out of excuses. “Giving voters a choice” was a quasi-good line that explained his staying in, but it’s clear that doesn’t cut it even with him anymore. Looks like if he loses on March 4, allowing McCain to finally cross the delegate finish line, then by Huck’s own logic there will be no reason for him to stick around.
This also illustrates why Huck is a not-ready-for-prime-time player. It’s astounding that he has so little message control that he would go to some 2-bit radio station and blurt out his most sensitive campaign strategy, especially a strategy that is going to make him look like a dirty conniving little weasel of a candidate. Not only will he lose the primary, he can now kiss goodbye any future role for himself in the McCain administration or in the GOP generally. (Unlike Mitt Romney!)
Interesting how some people lose well (Romney, Giuliani) and some go down hard and ugly. Huck was right about one thing which he said a couple days ago – these moves are killing his political career for good. After March 4, he’ll be nothing but an answer in some future political trivia game.
Huckabee’s goal it to end up with more delegates than Romney in the convention. That way, he can make the claim that he should be the next nominee for the GOP, not McCain.
It’s just more “stop the Mormon” stuff.
Huckabee knows the chances of a brokered convention are slim to none. He uses this to get a few more voters out.
One thing missing from your post is tha since Super Teusday Huckabee has not gone negative on McCain. He has not unfairly attacked him.
I live in a media area that also braodcst to Texas. Huckabee will spend it all on Texas. He can’t give his money to MccCain. So if I can hear the conservative and Republican message or at least its out there among the LIberal message of Obama and Hillary all power to him. If he can people out there to pull a republican lever go it. IF they do it now they are likely to it in NOV.
THe social conservatives needs to be jazzed up for the general and he is helping do that. He will become a great advocate and surrogate for McCain in the general.
So far it is a win win for McCain and Huckabee
I think it has to do with the whole King making thing, he wants influence.
WWS:
I am curious why you thnk that. Do you really think the McCain people fear this move by Huckabee. DO you really think that most Huckabee people think it is viable?
I am a Huckabee supporterws and after we lost VA I knew it was pretty impossible.
MIke Huckabee is handling this campaign with grace and with respect to McCain. I am more concerned about Huckabee being an effective force in being a surrogate for McCain in the general. and so I hope he is well known after March 4th. Again people seem to have been missing the whole spirit of his campaign after SUper Tuesday.
Also Huckabee has another effect. THe longer he is in it the more wind it sucks out of the rumblings of the extreme to go third party. It is likley top be over March 4th and all McCain has had to do is show up in the states that have primaries and run a few ads(something I hope he would do anyway).
Again just trying to see how Huckabee’s low budget affair of a campaign while McCain crusies to magic number is a bad thing. Or are people just repeating the breathless headlines that pundits are putting out that are looking for nay sort of controversy
BigLSUFan,
That is an excellent observation on how Huckabee is letting the steam out from the ‘true’ conservatives. It does seem to be working out that way. But he really shouldn’t have pushed for a broken (typo intended) convention.
Even if it was brokered it would be the end of the world. LEts face it if it was brokered McCain would still get it easily and it would be a formality. I mean at least it would would give us publicity and every time the GOP has gone brokered they have won in the fall.
That being said I think it is clear that Huckabee is networking and looking ofr the future. It should be remembered for most of this election cycles he has been viewed or least promoted by his opponents as a Christian Socialist(Mr Lopez at the COrner) and the CLub for Growth crowd. SO in a sense he needs to rehab his repuattion
I am a Huckabee supporter but I know this is pretty much over March 4th. In fact the NYT piece was the worse thing that could happen to Huckabee. It just sucks oxygen out of the room for him.
You do a put a good spin on it, LSU fan. (hey, I’m an LSU fan myself!) I was reacting to his wishes for a brokered convention, which I don’t think is either realistic or a good thing. You make a good point that he hasn’t gone negative on McCain.
It’s not about whether he’s gone negative on McCain.The post was about whether it was not cool for the GOP.He’s hanging around for his own good.Stingy.
I think this hurts Huckabee’s chances for any future run down the road.
The sooner McCain reaches that ‘magic number’, the better–as far as I’m concerned.