How Huckabee Could Stop President Palin

Frum Forum ^ | November 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 am | David Frum

[onyx]

“A nightstick the size of a telephone pole and the muscle to wield it effortlessly.”

Mike Huckabee, who knows a thing or two about insurgent campaigns, sees the power of the Palin candidacy. Taegan Goddard links this morning to the Des Moines Register:

Mike Huckabee told the Des Moines Register that Sarah Palin would be a strong contender for president should she decide to run.

Said Huckabee: “No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in. You know, she may run away with it. And that’s one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for.

Huckabee’s words are more than an observation. They are a warning. And they are a warning especially to be heeded because they come from the one politician who can probably do most to stop Palin, the candidate best positioned to win Iowa.

Huckabee himself is also persona non grata with party leaders, because of his repeated criticism of Wall Street and Wall Street minded GOP insiders.

But Huckabee is a very different cat from Sarah Palin. He’s smart and policy-minded. And while he expresses a strong social conservative message, he does not play the politics of division, disparagement, and resentment in which Palin specializes.

In the days of party conventions, the answer to the Palin problem would have been obvious: party leaders would assemble and force the mutually mistrustful Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee onto the same ticket.

In modern times, the game is played differently, but the structure of the situation remains the same: an early Huckabee pact with a candidate acceptable to Republican donors (if not Romney, then Tim Pawlenty or even Jeb Bush) would command enough clout to push Palin off the stage.

If not, all bets are off. As I think about it, that’s one of the big problems with the candidacies of a Thune, a Daniels or a Barbour: They will need Huckabee as much or more than Romney does.

Yet Huckabee is also a re-elected governor, plus he won the second largest haul of delegates last time. Why should he defer to any of the lower-polling governors? And who will make him?

“A nightstick the size of a telephone pole and the muscle to wield it effortlessly.”

Mike Huckabee, who knows a thing or two about insurgent campaigns, sees the power of the Palin candidacy. Taegan Goddard links this morning to the Des Moines Register:

Mike Huckabee told the Des Moines Register that Sarah Palin would be a strong contender for president should she decide to run.

Said Huckabee: “No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in. You know, she may run away with it. And that’s one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for.

Huckabee’s words are more than an observation. They are a warning. And they are a warning especially to be heeded because they come from the one politician who can probably do most to stop Palin, the candidate best positioned to win Iowa.

Huckabee himself is also persona non grata with party leaders, because of his repeated criticism of Wall Street and Wall Street minded GOP insiders.

But Huckabee is a very different cat from Sarah Palin. He’s smart and policy-minded. And while he expresses a strong social conservative message, he does not play the politics of division, disparagement, and resentment in which Palin specializes.

In the days of party conventions, the answer to the Palin problem would have been obvious: party leaders would assemble and force the mutually mistrustful Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee onto the same ticket.

In modern times, the game is played differently, but the structure of the situation remains the same: an early Huckabee pact with a candidate acceptable to Republican donors (if not Romney, then Tim Pawlenty or even Jeb Bush) would command enough clout to push Palin off the stage.

If not, all bets are off. As I think about it, that’s one of the big problems with the candidacies of a Thune, a Daniels or a Barbour: They will need Huckabee as much or more than Romney does.

Yet Huckabee is also a re-elected governor, plus he won the second largest haul of delegates last time. Why should he defer to any of the lower-polling governors? And who will make him?

“A nightstick the size of a telephone pole and the muscle to wield it effortlessly.”

Mike Huckabee, who knows a thing or two about insurgent campaigns, sees the power of the Palin candidacy. Taegan Goddard links this morning to the Des Moines Register:

Mike Huckabee told the Des Moines Register that Sarah Palin would be a strong contender for president should she decide to run.

Said Huckabee: “No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in. You know, she may run away with it. And that’s one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for.

Huckabee’s words are more than an observation. They are a warning. And they are a warning especially to be heeded because they come from the one politician who can probably do most to stop Palin, the candidate best positioned to win Iowa.

Huckabee himself is also persona non grata with party leaders, because of his repeated criticism of Wall Street and Wall Street minded GOP insiders.

But Huckabee is a very different cat from Sarah Palin. He’s smart and policy-minded. And while he expresses a strong social conservative message, he does not play the politics of division, disparagement, and resentment in which Palin specializes.

In the days of party conventions, the answer to the Palin problem would have been obvious: party leaders would assemble and force the mutually mistrustful Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee onto the same ticket.

In modern times, the game is played differently, but the structure of the situation remains the same: an early Huckabee pact with a candidate acceptable to Republican donors (if not Romney, then Tim Pawlenty or even Jeb Bush) would command enough clout to push Palin off the stage.

If not, all bets are off. As I think about it, that’s one of the big problems with the candidacies of a Thune, a Daniels or a Barbour: They will need Huckabee as much or more than Romney does.

Yet Huckabee is also a re-elected governor, plus he won the second largest haul of delegates last time. Why should he defer to any of the lower-polling governors? And who will make him?

[onyx]

UGH. So, the Huckaboob is taking polls!!!

[BigSkyFreeper]

Read the poll at The Blaze. Here's the link and their headline.

Obama Losing to Romney in 2012 Presidential Poll; Palin Would Win GOP Primary

I watched a discussion over the weekend on C-SPAN, held at AEI and one panelist said that any one person the GOP puts up against Obama would win.  The study suggests that the American people do not want a continuation of the Obama agenda for another term.

2010 is a precursor to what will likely happen in 2012.  The Democrats will likely lose more seats in Congress because many of them are the seats that they took (running as Conservatives) from the Republicans in GOP-leaning areas of the country in 2006 and 2008.

The Obama agenda has put the Democrats in the political wilderness here in South Dakota in the Legislature.  South Dakota's new legislature looks like this:

In the Senate there will be 29 Republicans and 6 Democrats.  Over in the House, there will be 51 Republicans and 19 Democrats.

[Netizen]

The thing with all the Romneyiacs, and the McCainiacs, and the Hucklers, is that the first thing they think about when they think 2012 is how to stop Palin. All Palin thinks about is how to stop Obama.

That's it in a nutshell. I think its because the GOP establishment is trying to stop her and they work though the others.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I’m an Insider Extreme member too! LOL :)

[tommix2]

It seems so as you are mocking Huckabee for being obese on one hand and showcasing Palin’s looks as a key reason for electing her on the other.

So wat's the matter with that. LOL

[tommix2]

I think Lily4Jesus was being sarcastic not judgemental. And maybe you are tongue in cheek also.

[scott7278]

I think he’s a Christian socialist masquerading as a populist. He doesn’t talk like Palin does when it comes to freedom and liberty. He would like to do what Obama is doing, but he would redistribute money to good causes instead.

I’m a pastor who would love to run for political office one day. Huckabee failed the people by acting as a pastor instead of the chief law enforcement officer of Arkansas. The presidency is not a place where we try to “understand” lawbreakers - you simply execute the law. Those arguments should be left to the courts.

Clemency and pardons are to be used only in cases where a jury clearly failed. It takes humility to depend on their decision, and not overturn convictions on compassionate grounds.

This point is important, because the president needs to be a lawman in today’s world. I don’t see Huckabee doing that.

The next president needs to be serious about terrorism. Gitmo needs to be cleared out by having military tribunals and executing the guilty. Those who are left will be deported. If no one wants them, leave them in the middle of nowhere out of this country.

Build a fence, and begin a massive crackdown on illegal immigration. Declare them lawbreakers, and speed up the process to get them out as quickly as possible. If caught again before the fence is completed, sentence them to hard labor that will make them hate life here. Then send them back.

Prison should be just that - a life of misery. A place no one wants to go and no one wants to return. No TV, no radio, no exercise equipment to make them more beastly - just a room with a bed, a toilet, books, and three meals a day.

Rapists should have their bank accounts drained and assets liquidated to be given to the victim, and then executed. Same with child molesters. Clear out death row. Two appeals and done.

Get rid of DHS, BATF, TSA and the Department of Education. Restructure the FDA to allow for more competition between drug companies, and break up the monopolies. Get drugs to the market faster.

Institute tort reform - loser pays. Incarcerated people lose the right to sue while in prison over frivolous matters. No one can be sued for employing self defense, even if loss of life occurs.

10% flat tax across the board, no corporate taxes, no death taxes, no capital gains taxes - nothing except the flat tax.

Immediate audits of Medicare, Medicaid and the Federal Reserve - then abolish the Federal Reserve and turn monetary matters over to Congress. They should also have direct oversight of the EPA.

Executive orders should only be considered internal memos to federal employees and agencies concerning directives for them - they have no authority outside of this. Eliminate all welfare programs and bring Congress’ role to the level of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

With the massive spending cuts, pay off our debts and balance the budget.

Remind the world why we are exceptional - our God, our way of life, our traditions - and why we defend them at all costs. To that end, we pledge that we will no longer fight politically correct wars: you come against us, we utilize the full strength of our armed forces to wipe you out. End of story. And if, heaven forbid, that time comes, we do it.

Send the warning that if Iran, North Korea, or Syria commit a terrorist act or conspire to commit a terrorist act against our interests, all three regimes will be eliminated.

I don’t think Huck has it in him.

[onyx]

That makes sense and that's why there's such an assault on Sarah Palin, because she won't play ball with the establishment GOP or the punditry. She has no use for either.

Both groups want voices and seats in the new administration and with her, they get nothing and none.

She's too honest and too independent and when she said "corrupt bastards" she didn't mean just the "corrupt bastards" in Alaska. She knows Washington, D.C. is filled with corrupt bastards in both parties.

When she wins the general election, I would love to see her new press secretary be, the one and only.... El Rushbo!

Even for just one year! Wouldn't that beat all?

LOL.

[onyx]

Maybe you’re right, but you’re the only one who took her comment that way.
It would be GOOD if you’re right.

[tommix2]

She's too honest and too independenThey know she can not be bought.

[BigSkyFreeper]

If Governor Fatbody didn’t want to be made fun of, maybe he shouldn’t have sent that as a Christmas card.

[BigSkyFreeper]

It’s possible! Rush said he’d consider a position in a Palin administration if he was asked. I think he’d be a great Press Secretary, then he can tweak the media every day like he does on the radio. LOL

[wiggen]

That sentence about Wall Street stunned me. Every bodies favorite whipping boy? The same Wall Street that until this last election gave the majority of their donations to Dems?
The second line you highlighted is almost as bad. Politics of division. Every candidate tries to appeal to the broadest possible division but they all always have that core base that identifies with them to the exclusion of all others. Every campaign begins with,”this is my base” and is by its very nature divisive.
One last thing is when Frum throws out names at the end. Lets face facts. The Bush name would be as divisive as any we could possibly have on a ticket.

[dalereed]

I’d be happy to send him 10 bags of crap!

[tommix2]

If Palin runs, and I believe she will, she will run for what she believes in, for the American People and for love of countryExactly, and we must get this insight out to all the intelligent voters. If people understand this, they will elect Sarah Palin.

[McGavin999]

So we don’t have a President of the United States anymore? We just have a President of Iowa and New Hampshire? I’m getting sick to death of this.

[4Runner]

Frum is the author of six books, including two New York Times bestsellers: The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush (2003), and co-author with Richard Perle of An End to Evil: How To Win the War on Terror (2004). His newest book is, Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again, published by Doubleday on December 31, 2007 and released in paperback in January 2009.

Frum is a regular commentator on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” program and writes regular columns for Time magazine, CNN.com, The Week, and Canada’s National Post.

In 2001-2002, David Frum served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. In October 2005, Frum founded and served as chairman of Americans for Better Justice, the lobbying group that led the opposition to the nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2007-2008, he served as senior foreign policy adviser to the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign. Frum is a member of the board of directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Frum’s first book, Dead Right (1994), was described by William F. Buckley as “the most refreshing ideological experience in a generation,” and by Frank Rich of the New York Times as “the smartest book written from the inside about the American conservative movement.” In 1996, The Wall Street Journal acclaimed him as “one of the leading political commentators of his generation.” The Daily Telegraph’s 2007 and 2009 surveys named Frum as one of America’s 50 most influential conservatives.

David Frum was born in Toronto, Canada in 1960. He received a simultaneous B.A. and M.A. in history from Yale in 1982. He was appointed a visiting lecturer in history at Yale in 1986; in 1987, he graduated cum laude from the Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Federalist Society.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Don’t forget about Governor Huckabee’s early release of prisoners, including the early release of a man that, afterwards, shot and killed several cops.

[Rummyfan]

Huck the Schmuck is dead-in-the-water for 2012. Everyone has seen through this supposed GOPer who is really just Clinton Lite.

[onyx]

LOLOLOL.