Can Huckabee Win The Religious Vote This Time Around? He Might Need To Rethink His 2016 Strategy

Bustle ^ | May 5, 2015 | Melanie Schmitz

[2ndDivisionVet]

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has officially entered the race. On Tuesday, Huckabee announced that he would be seeking a 2016 White House bid, joining a rapidly growing field of GOP contenders, including former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and previous Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, both of whom announced their intentions earlier in the week. With all the fanfare surrounding Huckabee’s announcement though, many have expressed worries he just isn’t the political heavyweight he once was — more importantly, they predict that Huckabee won’t be able to win the religious vote a second time around.

The governor’s first failed bid in 2008 was a vastly different competition, as The New York Times pointed out on Tuesday. During his first run, Huckabee profited off of the shortcomings of his fellow Republicans, John McCain and Mitt Romney, who suffered from being too moderate and too Mormon, respectively.

This time around, the field has changed. With far right Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of an evangelical pastor, and party favorite Scott Walker, the son of both a pastor and a Sunday school teacher, likely present in this year’s running, Huckabee will have a difficult time carving out his own niche. It used to be enough to simply say, “I’m the religious candidate!” Now, Huckabee will have to prove why his brand of Christianity is more worthy of a partisan vote than his GOP opponents....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Comments?

[doc1019]

NO ... WAY ... IN ... HELL!

[ansel12]

I think that Cruz has already prevented that, Southern Baptist Cruz and his Southern Baptist minister father, and his better politics, is a force that wins the Christian conservatives.

Christian conservatives are not in the fix they were in, in 2008, when it was Huckabee, Mormon Bishop Romney, and John McCain.

[Salvation]

I don’t think so.

[stars & stripes forever]

Apparently Huckabee’s game plan is to run personal attacks on his opponents. That is a big turn off for Conservatives. He lost the primary the first day of his candidacy.

Maybe there’s still time for him to get his gig back at FOX NEWS. He could interview TED CRUZ.

[Yaelle]

If lying is his religion, then maybe, but I do think Hillary has him beat there.

[Husker24]

What I find more disturbing than his RINO views ,is the fact that his quest for power is so important to him that he has to continue running over and over and over again. He reminds me of Hillary in that way. Her whole reason for existence seems to be about amassing more power over people.

[FredZarguna]

I honestly believe that Jeb Bush's team is so clueless that they think this stalking horse is going to be able to drain enough religious conservatives from real Republicans that his "candidacy" will be helpful to them.

Don't see any other reason for the Huckster to be "back" in the race.

[bluejean]

Nah. Nice guy but a too soft and cuddly (figuratively speaking), like the Charmin teddy bear. This is NO time for teddy bears. We need grizzlies.

[DemforBush]

“With far right Texas Sen. Ted Cruz”

Gosh, I wonder what party Mzz Schmitz identifies with? /sarc

As for Huck...stick a fork in him. It’s not 2008 or 2012 anymore. Conservatives have never had a better, deeper field of choices than now. We don’t have to settle this time, and while I think Huckabee is a good man, he’s not the guy to lead conservatives to victory in 2016.

[ncalburt]

I agree.
This idiot is a Jeb Bush paid for Stalking horse strategy .
Huckster is a Con Artist with expensive taste.
He built a massive palace in the FL panhandle from I suspect McCain’s wife stalking horse funds .
A greedy con like Elmer Gantry who needs to go away.

[garjog]

I know a lot of you guys despise Huckabee, but he gave a pretty good speech today. Worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbSAcwbPT94

[latina4dubya]

nope... gosh—i want him to go away and stay away... enough already... i felt the same way about John McCain in 2008... go away!!!

[QuisCustodiet1776]

The real question is - can Huckabee and Carson peel off enough votes from Cruz to give the nomination to Jeb.

Arrgh.

[mlizzy]

We don’t watch Huck’s show too much, but when we do, we enjoy it. His encouragement in supporting Chick-fil-A was ridiculously successful. I would imagine this will lend support to him as well [from social conservatives; the religious vote].

We’ll keep reading, praying, and learning about Cruz.

Does anyone think Jindal might still throw his hat into the ring? He’s been the [brilliant] guy we have wanted in the bout all along.

[greatvikingone]

Common Core makes him toxic. We don’t need any more big government leaders.

[silverleaf]

I for one am sick to death of politicians who change their “strategies” because they haven’t got unchanging principles

[rrrod]

Clearly a vote for the huckster is a vote against Walker Cruz......

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


FLORIDA American Patriots,


You’re invited to the “Launch Ted-Cruz-2016 FLORIDA Campaign” event scheduled for Saturday (18 July 2015).

All Ted Cruz 2016 supporters in Florida are invited to attend. The goal is five people from each of Florida’s 67 counties.

Forward this e-mail invitation to every Conservative that you know in Florida.

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The Facebook page graphic below shows the time and location.

If you would like, you can RSVP at the Facebook page. Doing so will allow you to communicate with others that are planning to attend.

Facebook Page:

Launch Ted-Cruz-2016 FLORIDA Campaign to Warp Speed !



Meeting Purpose:

1) Hopefully meet the “Florida Coordinator” for the Ted Cruz 2016 campaign.

2) Connect Names and Faces with the Ted Cruz 2016 Florida campaign.

3) Solicit volunteers to coordinate activity on a County-by-County basis.

4) Facebook Pages will be pre-set-up for each Florida county.

5) Discuss “proposed” state-wide activities:

A) Rallies
B) Saturday (2015-09-12) “Overpasses for Ted Cruz 2016”
C) Your great ideas !


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[raccoonradio]

>>he just isn’t the political heavyweight he once was

Very true--hey, pinstripes make you look thinner, Mike