Posted on 06/09/2005 3:48:05 PM PDT by El Conservador
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Imagine this: A man from Hope with a weight problem serves more than 10 years as Arkansas governor, makes cross-country connections through his leadership of the National Governors Association and weighs a run for the White House. Bill Clinton? Not this time.
Mike Huckabee, a Republican who took over as governor at the height of Clinton's Whitewater scandal — and who lost more than 100 pounds while promoting health in an unhealthy state — is being talked up for a presidential run after he leaves the Governor's Mansion in 2007 at age 51.
His new weight-loss book, "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork," reached as high No. 9 on Amazon.com, and he has gone on a New York-to-Los Angeles book tour that has boosted the former Baptist minister's national profile.
He also ran this year's Little Rock Marathon with Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa — which happens to be the site of the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses.
"This has not been some sort of diabolical master plan to raise my profile," Huckabee said. "I did not go out and lose weight and improve my health to raise my image. People who think that are giving me too much credit."
Marathon runner or not, if Huckabee were to enter the 2008 presidential race he could find himself miles behind other candidates.
"If he sees himself with a lot of support among religious conservatives, there are people out there already with national records working hard at that. You have Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, Sam Brownback in Kansas, George Allen in Virginia, all from that segment of the party," said Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Other possible nominees include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia; former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; Govs. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Jeb Bush of Florida (the president's brother), George Pataki of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts; Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee; and Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John McCain of Arizona.
If Huckabee were to win the nomination with support from religious and social conservatives, would have he have a platform that would be attractive nationally?
Goldford said Huckabee stands out with his anti-obesity program, but that issue probably wouldn't carry much weight in a presidential campaign.
"I don't know if people are out there searching in their souls for the Jenny Craig candidate," Goldford said.
Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, is not ready to rule Huckabee out. Southerners have lived in the White House since 1989, and for 20 of the past 28 years. And since Jimmy Carter, every president except the first President Bush has been a former governor.
During a book-tour stop in New York, Huckabee appeared with Clinton to promote good health, but said he and Clinton never talked presidential politics. Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is also a potential candidate in 2008.
Next month in Iowa, Huckabee will take over the chairmanship of the National Governors Association, a group Clinton headed in 1986-87.
The chairmanship "can allow a governor of a medium or a small state to build credibility and have a say on issues they wouldn't otherwise be involved in," said Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Goldfarb said he doesn't believe a place called Hope, where Huckabee was born in 1955, can work presidential magic again.
"That might get him three seconds at a campaign stop," Goldfarb said.
AR Freepers forgive me, but I wouldn't stand another guy from that place as President.
Hope not again.
And a runner to boot....But at least he doesn't use his sport to run to McDonalds, or to run from his wife.
I wouldn't mind seeing our former Governor (John Engler) run for president if he were going to be the belt tightening, welfare slashing republican he was when he became Michigans governor.
Huckabee would have the same advantage Clinton had in 1992.
Both were in bed with the Little Rock business community (for the most part) during their tenures.
Alot of that money that elected Clinton, solicited through factors in Little Rock, and the same would happen with Huckabee, because one thing about Southern presidents, much more so than those from other parts of the country. Southern presidents will favor appointing people from their region, and specifically their state. Little Rock of course, loves that idea, because they'd love nothing more than to put the country (and all the economic windows it opens for them) back in the hands of an Arkansan.
Is he conservative enough, and can he be viable and are there skeletons in his closet?
The other problem with Haley Barbour is right now, he has about the approval rating that Riley has in this state. Barbour has had to make tough choices as governor, and Mississippi was never a state to give a pol the benefit of the doubt.
And for the record, Governor Pataki isn't just boring, he is liberal, I can name half a dozen democratic governors and senators who could easily run to his right....several of whom are going to run for prez in 2008.
They mentioned Allen.
LOL. Huckabee won't carry Arkansas.
or to run from his wife.
Considering who BC is married to, do you blame him?
I agree. Im not ready for another Governor from Arkansas!
I don't think Romney being a mormon will be as big a deal as you think... it might even raise interest among social conservatives.
Huckabee plan would give aid to illegal aliens
Debate immigration issue, not each side's integrity (Mike Huckabee Alert)
Riley isn't doing well?
I am not familiar with Arkansas politics, but Huckabee is articulate, knowledgeable, and a leader. IMHO he is impressive and would make a good Presidential candidate.
Mike Huckabee is a great Christian man, and definitely a friend of FR.
I never understood his support of (now Senator) Lamar Alexander in '96, but it is hard to find any fault with his principles or his record.
Does he have a chance? It would sure seem to be a long one, but hey, who knows what might happen...there is hardly a frontrunner in sight.
The candidates listed here all have problems...a good slug of them are liberals, and even the conservatives have a few glitches.
George Allen is pro-life, unless the unfortunate child in the womb has not commenced brainwave activity. Weird.
Always liked Sam Brownback. His record internationally when it comes to religious liberty issues is stellar, and his pro-life credentials are unimpeachable. But a fellow FReeper just today educated me on how bad his record on border and immigration issues. Bummer...
Don't like Frist. Too aloof. Too patrician. Too weak as a leader, IMO.
Jeb Bush has the dynastic problem, and lost me totally when he didn't use his constitutional executive authority (upholding Article One, Section Two of the FL constitution) to save Terri Schiavo.
And he's right there with his brother on immigration. He's spent a good deal of his time schmoozing south of the border.
Also, last week he sent a laudatory letter to CAIR before that bunch of terrorist apologists had an event in Orlando.
No more Bushes, thanks.
So, while I remain a man without a candidate for '08, the Governor of Arkansas holds up well in the suggested field.
Huckabee bttt!
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