Huckabee brings his celebrity back to Iowa, but his presidential pitch is still in the works

The Washington Post's Debrief Blog ^ | January 28, 2015 | Robert Costa

[2ndDivisionVet]

WINDSOR HEIGHTS, Iowa — When former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee walked into Walnut Creek Church here on Sunday night, fresh off his gleaming navy-blue bus, he was greeted by the crowd of suburban evangelicals as a visiting celebrity rather than a 2016 presidential candidate.

Waiting in line to get their copies of the Republican’s latest book signed, a handful of the attendees shared recollections of Huckabee’s spunky 2008 bid for the White House, when he won the Iowa caucuses and seven more states before bowing out.

But most of the conversations focused on Fox News, where Huckabee had been perched for six years, and how they missed his now-defunct weekend variety show. On the program, Huckabee — a bass-guitar player and former Baptist pastor — was part Ed Sullivan, part Pat Robertson.

“I do miss it,” he said as he scribbled away. He then winked and added, “But I didn’t leave just to have Saturdays off.”

For Huckabee, 59, the fame and wealth he has acquired since he last ran for president has enabled him to build a beachfront mansion in Florida and to become an unofficial cultural spokesman for the moralistic wing of the GOP....

[PapaNew]

The only thing that excites me about Huckabee is his recent reference to state nullification, but he needs to clarify that valid state nullification is for unconstitutional federal acts (not for what the Right does or doesn't want - that is back to the Rule of Man, the road to tyranny).

[2ndDivisionVet]

Read the article, he loves him some Common Core.

[Mastador1]

Maybe he should have stuck with pitching shamwow and the like.

[PapaNew]

I think you mean he loves Common Core. Yes, I know he stands for a lot of stuff I don’t like and that is flatly unconstitutional, like Common Core.

I guess what I’m saying is I’m glad to see people on the national scene talk about state nullification of unconstitutional federal acts. I’m not endorsing him as a candidate or anything, I’m just glad to see the subject broached.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Join Forces Against the Fed
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3251623/posts

[Democrat_media]

Huckabee is a marxist as his record as governor of Arkansas shows:
Huckabee is a marxist. and this article proves that:

http://topconservativenews.com/2007/10/conservative-huckabee/

Little do the evangelicals know that Huckabee is a socialist not a conservative at all but a con man.

[originalbuckeye]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why ANYONE would vote for Huckabee. He not even remotely Conservative.

[Uncle Miltie]

Huckabee: The Biggest Big-Government Conservative

If you liked George W. Bush’s brand of big-spending, big-government conservatism, you’ll love Mike Huckabee.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/12/11/huckabee-biggest-big-government-conservative/

[PapaNew]

I saw that. I’m glad, but as I’m sure you’ve seen me say, the politicians say whatever, and I’m sure Rand and Ted believe in this stuff, but the follow-through is up to the people before, during, and after the particular politician(s) are long gone. Politicians, good and bad, need to feel the heat and if they don’t cut government, throw the bums out.

[Democrat_media]

Huckabee is a marxist and a con man. He lies and tells people he is conservative. He's for amnesty, for big government , for common core etc.

He says he's such a good Christian. Is being a pathological liar part of that? no . he's a liar, a con man , a false prophet , a deceiver and that's anti-Christian . this Huckabee is pure evil.

[Longbow1969]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why ANYONE would vote for Huckabee. He not even remotely Conservative.

Your mistake is assuming many/most evangelicals are really all that conservative in the first place. Huckabee represents the Pat Roberston wing of the party, of which many of those folks are perfectly happy with big government if it does the things they believe in. For example, there are plenty of evangelicals that would like a crusade against porn and would seen no problem hiring 100,000 FCC regulators to comb the Internet for adult content sites they could shut down. Other evangelical so called conservatives would like to refight the contraception battles of the 50's and would not mind going on a banning spree if they could get away with it.

Huckabee is a folksy traditionalist on social issues, but a classic populist on others. He is no conservative. That doesn't mean he is a bad guy, just that he is not a real ideological conservative and there is no chance I'd vote for him in the primaries. Not that it would happen, but if he did win the GOP nomination I would have to vote for him against any Democrat candidate. I'd hate those options, but bad as the Huckster is he is still better than Hillary.