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?

[OKIEDOC]

For a guy running for this lands highest office the Huckster is really starting to piss off some really influential conservative voices.

With or without Rush’s blessing the Huckster can not win.

[inkling]

cHuckles decides to pick a fight with Rush one day before his final show of the year. Just BRILLIANT.

[MaestroLC]

These Huckabee supporters are acting like cultists. So if we question Huck on his policies, we are accused of being anti-christian and part of the ‘establishment’. Give me a break. This is a rehash of Perot days, and that led to Clinton. No thanks to Huck. I have serious problems with his policies. He’s a populist, not a conservative. His minions attack Rush, and I have yet to see Huck distance himself from the comments. That tells me he supports them. That is a disgrace.

[Porterville]

Rush is Right.

[mcjordansc]

He can win without Rush’s blessing. Rush does not have that much power. Most people understand by now that Rush is nothing more than a pill popping, thrice divorced hypocrite laughing all the way to the back because of the sheeple who continue to buy his line of b.s.

[commonguymd]

Fatal.

[PjhCPA]

that sounds like some typical, liberal bs...you can bite me

[PeteB570]

So?

I take it you don’t listen to him?

Chuckle, Chuckle

[Right Cal Gal]

I don’t know that Rush’s audience would vote yea or nay on Huckster simply on Rush’s say so, but at least they’re getting info on Huck that the Drive-bys aren’t giving them. There’s no way I’d vote for Huck during the primaries - NONE.

The MSM has a vested interest in trying to push the candidate on the GOP they think has the best chance of losing to any one of the absymal field of DEM contenders at present. Huck’s their only shot, or so they think. I’m not a big believer in polls - can anyone advise what the current polling on a Hildebeest v. Huckster outcome would be?

[pgkdan]

Rush does not have that much power. Most people understand by now that Rush is nothing more than a pill popping, thrice divorced hypocrite laughing all the way to the back because of the sheeple who continue to buy his line of b.s.

You are delusional. Rush is the most influential and important conservative voice in this country and if he wanted to he could have derailed the Huckster months ago.

[rockinqsranch]

Huckabee’s just a Media driven diversion to get the limelight off of Hillary’s stupid moves beginning about the time she pulled the first one. This is to give her a time out to reinvent herself period.

Huckabee ain’t the one folks. He’ll fade away as we see the reinvented Hillary pull the “Comeback Kid” crap.

Why Huckabee? Multiple reasons dealing with not only the above, but to denigrate the credibility of the Evangelical Christian Right.

It’s a setup.

[Badeye]

Its not just Limbaugh, Coulter has a devastating column up on her website concerning Huckabee as well.

[PAR35]

Dig through my old posts. Early on, I had completely rejected Huck, putting him down at the bottom of the barrel with Rudy.

Since then, Huck’s run a brilliant campaign, timing his endorsements well, rolling up most of the Christian right (well, what’s left of it), and ticked off a pile of country club conservatives.

Meanwhile, my top choice (Fred) has stumbled a few times, lost ground, and has not been particularly impressive since he announced. At this point, Fred has pretty much put all of his eggs in the Iowa basket, while Mitt, Rudy and Huck are set to keep going even if they don’t show well there.

At this point, it’s looking like it will shape up as a Mitt-Rudy-Huck race in March, so my choice will have to be between Mitt and Huck at that point.

[Talking_Mouse]

I’ve been trying to find out who is was who made the idiotic quote about Rush not thinking for himself. All the blogs say Huck ally or Huck supporter, but I have not been able to find a name. Can anyone tell me who made the quote?

[Badeye]

You couldn’t be more wrong.

[NeoCaveman]

Would Jesus hire Ed Rollins?

I somehow doubt it but Christie Todd Whitman, Ross Perot, K T McFarlane, Katherine Harris, and Michael Huffington all did....

[mcjordansc]

that sounds like some typical, liberal bs...you can bite me.

Nice comeback. I guess you would be a ditto head. I listen sometimes. I am not a liberal. I simply believe Rush is a blowhard and lost any moral authority he might have had years ago. Rush spends his time talking about a "drive-by media" when I think he participates in this more than any one else on TV or radio.

[Logical me]

And just what do you have to back your BS about Rush. Maybe you should listen to Rush instead of just spouting off.

[Maynerd]

Most people understand by now that Rush is nothing more than a pill popping, thrice divorced hypocrite laughing all the way to the back because of the sheeple who continue to buy his line of b.s.

LOL. Rush drew blood if Hucksters like you are screaming.

Huckabee combines the worst of the Christian right with the worst of populism. He is wrong on:

Immigration

Taxes

Spending

School choice

and as a bonus he's soft on criminals

Other than that he's just swell.