Liking Mike (Even if he loses, Huckabee wins)

Creators Syndicate ^ | 2/14/08 | mark shields

[meandog]

Most people who run for president, by definition, lose. And most of those unsuccessful candidates depart the presidential contest with their reputations and their influence diminished.

Republican Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor — whose chances of winning his party's nomination are closer to none than to slim — will be a conspicuous exception. He will leave the race more popular and more influential than he entered it and with the real potential of becoming the most important evangelical leader in American political life.

Religious and cultural conservatives have been both the foundation and the foot soldiers in recent national Republican victories. But their most prominent political figures have, for the most part, been self-selected, instead of elected. The late Rev. Jerry Falwell and now James Dobson of Focus on the Family come to mind.

Pat Robertson did run for president in 1988. His high-water mark was a surprising second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses behind Bob Dole and ahead of that year's eventual nominee, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. Eight years later, communicator Pat Buchanan upset Bob Dole in the New Hampshire primary, but quickly faded. Neither Buchanan nor Robertson ever held or sought any other elected office.

[meandog]

"Mike Huckabee will come out of the 2008 campaign without the nomination but with the enhanced earning prospects, popularity, influence and stature."

[iowamark]

Shields: Huckabee “wins” because the liberal media loves him. He gets his own show on MSNBC and denounces the Republicans every night.

[Brilliant]

I would suggest that Huckabee think in terms of the Senate instead of the White House.

[houstonman58]

"He will leave the race more popular and more influential than he entered it and with the real potential of becoming the most important evangelical leader in American political life."

If political stunts and grandstanding are how the "evangelicals" get their leaders, God help them. You just know this man has ulterior motives by hanging around in a race that he lost long ago.

[RichardMoore]

Huckabee has the support of the CFR, having one of their top guys as an advisor. That would seem to mean that he won’t be going away. His dump the IRS campaign would strike a strong note with many voters, like myself. After McCain loses, and he will, Obama should make a very interesting target for all sane people and should be ripe for dumping in 2012. If we live that long.

[detective]

Why is it that all these liberal Democrats who want the Republicans to lose and want the conservatives to be destroyed keep praising Huckabee?

[RC2]

People, normally, don’t like to be associated with a looser. They will desert him.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

"Mike Huckabee will come out of the 2008 campaign without the nomination but with the enhanced earning prospects, popularity, influence and stature."

And don't forget, one heck of a book tour. ;-)

[longtermmemmory]

the only strenght huckabee will leave with is abeing a “good christian” socialist the DBM can trot out to bash conservatives.

He finished his future beyond his state offices.

[the808bass]

If political stunts and grandstanding are how the "evangelicals" get their leaders, God help them. You just know this man has ulterior motives by hanging around in a race that he lost long ago.

The thing about identity politics is that it cuts both ways. If another evangelical ran with his Christianity on his sleeve, the evangelical vote would be divided. Perhaps next time, a tattooed evangelical comedian who programs video games can run against Huckabee.

And of course he has ulterior motives. He is an affirmation addict and jumped aboard the cult of personality train months ago.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Of the candidates running, Huckabee and McCain were my least favorite, but I cannot deny the appeal Huckabee has amongst the evangelicals.

Some even say he is a great orator, but it must be something about people from Arkansas, because I could never make it completely though a Clinton or a Huckabee speech. I freely admit, after his ad stunt, the cross stunt, and then reading about the atrocious behavior of his son regarding the cruelty to a dog, and Huckabee’s defense of it, I don’t know who turns me off more, him or McCain.

But Huck must have that certain je ne sais quoi that attracts people and for some reason I’m immune. Anyway, that’s just my two cents on Huckabee. I’m not trying to be insulting, I know people really like him and good for them. He’s just not for me.

[oldbrowser]

If political stunts and grandstanding are how the "evangelicals" get their leaders, God help them. You just know this man has ulterior motives by hanging around in a race that he lost long ago.

The "conservative coalition" is disintegrating into special interest groups. Huckabee is establishing himself as the leader of the evangelicals.

This is probably a good thing because he will be able to bring them back into the fold if he is offered the right incentive.

[rhombus]

I freely admit, after his ad stunt, the cross stunt, and then reading about the atrocious behavior of his son regarding the cruelty to a dog, and Huckabee’s defense of it, I don’t know who turns me off more, him or McCain.

And don't forget this lovely stunt...”Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?” -- Mike Huckabee.

The best you can say about this statement is that he's just ignorant... and that's the best thing one can say.

[Wallace T.]

Wisconsin has its primary on Saturday, February 16th, and it looks like McCain will win here, since polls show him with a 20 point lead. Wisconsin’s main Christian faiths are Lutheran and Catholic, reflecting the largely Germanic heritage of the state. Huckabee has not broken out of the evangelical “ghetto” thus far. His strongest performance in Midwestern states like Michigan and Iowa have been in areas with strong Baptist, Christian Reformed, or charismatic beliefs. His weakest performance in Southern states have been in college towns and larger cities, where evangelicals are not dominant, and rural areas dominated by Catholics (South Louisiana) or mainline Protestants (upper Shenandoah Valley and Tidewater areas of Virginia).

[Prospero]

"...the most important evangelical leader in American political life." Shields' man-crush on Huck is a Hoot. I don't know where to start, whether to even bother attacking Shields' conclusion when we know Christianity and evangelism are so ridiculously misunderstood and underestimated by such people as Shields that anything they might feel compelled to say about such matters always comes out as straight-faced, dumb as a bag of hammers.

Or to imagine Huckabee taking over the 700 Club hosting duties, which I can't seem to square with a round socket.

I'll just stick with Shields being dumb as a bag of hammers, and dead wrong on any learned conclusion he has spoken about on television regarding Conservatism, Christianity, Middle America, you name it. He is astoundingly wrong so often, and he has such a face for radio, that I can't understand what act of kindness he has to regularly perform to keep his job.

[coramdeo]

As an evangelical, I can only say if Huckabee emerges as the face of evangelicals God help us all. He is actually quite polarizing, with a fair number of evangelicals like me embarrassed and offended by him - not that he identifies himself as an evangelical, but that he does so and then runs a campaign that is so contrary to biblical principles.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

I had completely forgotten about that. I guess freedom of religion only applies to what he would approve.

I shouldn't be so negative, I'm sure Huck has his positives, but I just don't see them.

[Minn. 4 Bush]

“And don’t forget this lovely stunt...”Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?” — Mike Huckabee.

The best you can say about this statement is that he’s just ignorant... and that’s the best thing one can say.”

The guy totally turns me off. I could talk myself into pulling the lever for McCain, but if The Huckster’s on the ticket, I doubt it.

[Minn. 4 Bush]

I think your analysis is correct. Wisconsin will somewhat mirror Minnesota where Romney handily beat McCain and Huck trailed in at #3.

I would think that McCain will fair much better than Huckabee.

[rhombus]

The guy totally turns me off. I could talk myself into pulling the lever for McCain, but if The Huckster’s on the ticket, I doubt it.

You're not alone. I don't think Huckabee did evangelicals very much good in the long run.