The Rush Fallout for Huckabee: Fatal, or Missing the Target?

The Campaign Spot ^ | 12/21/2007 | Jim Geraghty

[Checkers]

After today, Rush Limbaugh is in reruns until January 3, the day of the Iowa caucuses.

Highlight from a moment ago: "The drive bys are doing everything they can to influence the Republican primary. Mike Huckabee has been getting a pass from the drive-bys... They don't want Rudy because they think he can beat Hillary. They don't want Romney because of the same thing. They don't want Fred Thompson because of the same thing."

Can a guy who's been slammed as hard as Mike Huckabee has by Rush Limbaugh, the most popular conservative radio talk show host in the country, go on to win the Iowa caucuses? Anybody think Rush will have dropped this issue by the third of January?

My instinct is to say, "no way, a thumbs down from Rush is fatal," but a guy on another campaign cautions me. "An Iowa pastor who has been talking up Huckabee isn't going to change his mind because Rush Limbaugh doesn't like him." He points out that a pastors and religous leaders deal with people who fall short of their ideals all the time; hearing that Mike Huckabee was too merciful in dealing with Wayne Dumond is not going to be a dealbreaker for them. They'll probably go, no pun intended, "there but for the grace of God go I."

So... if a certain significant chunk of Huckabee's supporters back him because he's the most vocal Christian in the race, not because of the conservatism of his record or policy stances.... if the moment comes where the race needs a Huck Slayer (as social conservatives thought the race might require a Rudy Slayer)... can anybody in the race go after Huckabee on that ground? Can anyone make the argument to that Republican plurality, "Okay, nevermind conservative policy choices - he's not the good Christian leader you think he is"?

Tough ground to fight on. Just thinking out loud here, can a rival point out the ethics questions from Huckabee's Arkansas days? Is Huckabee's "innocent" question about Mormon beliefs the act of a good Christian? Is there something borderline blasphemous to compare opponents' direct mail to a Biblical verse describing "weapons" deployed against the righteous, or comparing one's campaign fundraising to the miracle of loaves and fishes?

Would Jesus hire Ed Rollins?

[Ditter]

The Romney family is a handsome bunch, they remind me of the Kennedys only better looking. Unfortunately I don’t vote for or against a candidate because of their looks.

[no dems]

I still don’t get it with Huckabee, and, I certainly don’t understand his rise in the polls.

While I am not a Huck supporter, Fred's my man, let me try and explain Huckabee's rise in the polls.

First of all, as Dick Morris has said, in this age of the Internet, money can not buy elections anymore. (Reference Mitt Romney spending a gazillion dollars in Iowa and Huckabe spending a couple a million. Reference also, Ron Paul raising 6 million dollars in one day; yet he will only get about 4% of the vote.)

Secondly, Conservatives have been dying for a candidate. Rudy certainly doesn't feel the bill. McCain with his opposition to the Bush Tax Cuts and passing the damnable McCain/Feingold Bill, and his love affair with the likes of Ted Kennedy cannot fill the bill. Romney is a flip-flopper and now he's Bill Clintonesque with: "It all depends on what the meaning of 'I saw' is", with reference to "I saw my day march with Martin Luther King" (which never happened). He's a flipper and a liar and a hypocrite. And, my man, Fred, has just not gotten traction. Why, I don't know.
So, the Conservatives have united behind Huckabee.

[fatima]

Really he has 24,999,999 listeners .Ha I think not and he does not make president’s.

[OKIEDOC]

I still believe that Fred will rise from the politically dead and take us to victory in 2008.

If he dosen’t my second choice would be Duncan Hunter.

My third choice would be very hard to make.

But I tell you this I will not vote for any of the current front running Democrats.

So my third choice will be who ever the people unite behind and nominate as the Republican candidate.

[Checkers]

“I’m sorry. I still don’t get it with Huckabee, and, I certainly don’t understand his rise in the polls.”

You’re not the one who needs to apologize.

[donna]

Choose wisely:

Excerpt:
Now, here is where my plea for Mormons to simply tell the truth comes in. This is America. You can believe anything you want.

If you want to believe that God was once a human being, that Jesus was his physical son, that you can become a God yourself, that Jesus and Satan were brothers, you can certainly do so.

But tell the truth! If you believe it, be proud of it—don’t try to hide it.

Source

[Checkers]

“You stopped listening to Rush?

Geez, now he only has 24,999,999 listeners. Waaaaahhhh!!!”

I’m sure Rush is all broke up about this...

[Eric Blair 2084]

Have you ever been in a Turkish prison fatima?

[OKIEDOC]

If half of what his dissenters are saying about the Huckster is true then he will not make it all the way to being the Republican representative.

[SHEENA26]

I vote that we remove Iowa from the caucuses.

[no dems]

Condi bitchslapped the Huck today.

If she keep it up on sucking up to the Palestinians and selling Israel down the river, she's going to cause this nation that we all love, to be bitch slapped by God Himself. Read what God has to say about Israel, the seed of Abraham: "I will bless them that bless thee and I will curse them that curse thee". (Genesis 12:3)

At one time, I was a avid supporter in the "Draft Condi" movement for President. Thank God that, not a minute too soon, I saw her for what she really is, just another political whore.

[fatima]

No but I’m married does count:)

[Skywalk]

You believe that?

If anything, principled libertarians and conservatives have not been strong enough in standing by their ideology.

Populist ideas generally entail further state encroachment on the private sphere, which is the domain of a free people.

[Little_GTO]

Yes, Rush is in an awkward position.

All of the other high powered conservatives have chosen Rudy or Mitt.

Rush knows both of them are disasters.

If he chooses the one true conservative, Duncan Hunter, he will alienate the people he knows and respects, like William F. Buckley and Bill Bennett.

[chasio649]

At one time, I was a avid supporter in the “Draft Condi” movement for President.

---

That took guts to admit that! :D

[Yaelle]

But how much of a lying conniver can you be that being Christian will offset it for some voters?? Isn’t there SOME level of decency that voters will want to have for The President of the United States of America??? Do we have to be THAT forgiving??

[Eric Blair 2084]

yep, marriage is like a Turkish prison.

[Yaelle]

Rush delivers full throttle conservatism daily, along with a healthy amount of entertainment, and does NOT pop pills, though he was addicted to pain killers a few years back.

He gave Huck the kiss of death today. Rush knew EXACTLY what he was doing.

[roamer_1]

But to the Evangelicals, the Huckster is THEIR corrupt socialist

It is simply that they have no where else to go.

[chasio649]

he will alienate the people he knows

---

Nice point :)