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Huckabee endorses underdog in N.C. Senate race (Huckster working to split the conservative vote)
thehill.com ^ | 1/16/14 | Cameron Joseph

Posted on 01/16/2014 10:05:54 AM PST by cotton1706

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is endorsing Baptist Minister Mark Harris (R) in North Carolina's Senate race, giving him a boost against the GOP establishment's preferred candidate.

State House Speaker Thom Tillis (R) is the preferred candidate of establishment Republicans, but Harris hopes to consolidate social conservative support in the GOP primary, and Huckabee's endorsement is his highest nod to date.

The former presidential candidate, fellow Baptist minister and social conservative leader praised Harris, who led the fight to ban gay marriage in North Carolina, as a "true conservative" in the race.

The endorsement further boosts the chances that Tillis will have a tough fight for the GOP nomination, potentially hurting Republicans' efforts to defeat Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), a top GOP target. Republicans have hoped that Tillis can avoid a tough primary and win the race without having to compete in a runoff election for the nomination.

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Hagan is viewed as highly vulnerable in the race, but a messy GOP primary could boost her chances at reelection. Huckabee seemed to take a veiled shot at Tillis, who has so far struggled to unite North Carolina Republicans behind his campaign. Greg Brannon, a Tea Party favorite who has the endorsement of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), is also in the race, as are three other candidates.

"As previous campaigns have shown in North Carolina, you can't select a candidate that divides people, you must select the candidate that unites people," Huckabee said in the statement released by Harris's campaign. "Mark is the only candidate who has the lifelong experience as a public servant that has helped guide people from all walks of life through every problem you can imagine."

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: 2014endorsements; 2014midterms; elections; gopprimary; nc2014
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To: cotton1706

Huckabee would never endorse Brannon, and really can’t endorse Tillis, since he got heavily stung by “endorsing” Lindsey Graham in neighboring South Carolina.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who really cares who that fat a** hillbilly endorses?


21 posted on 01/16/2014 11:49:56 AM PST by Din Maker
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To: House Atreides; All

I wish it was a 50% requirement or run-off like we have in Texas. Any incumbent can get 40%. I know this is NC we’re talking about, but what does one have to get in SOUTH CAROLINA to avoid a run-off? Anybody know?


22 posted on 01/16/2014 11:55:04 AM PST by Din Maker
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To: Din Maker

Din,

The incumbent is a Democrat (Kay Hagan). The 40% figure to avoid a runoff applies to the Republican primary where there are a number of challengers. We want to make sure the GOPe horse in the race is kept below 40% so he can be defeated in the Republican run-off to select Hagan’s challenger.

In South Carolina, Little Lindsey Graham must be kept below 50% in the Republican primary to avoid a run-off. Hopefully he won’t make it.


23 posted on 01/16/2014 12:01:53 PM PST by House Atreides
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To: ilgipper
Huck did good with his Akin endorsement and then standing up to say Akin shouldn’t get out of the race when he made the biggest political goof in 30 years.

It was Mike Huckabee and Michelle Bachmann both endorsing Akin, Palin and the tea party were against him.

24 posted on 01/16/2014 12:02:56 PM PST by ansel12 (Ben Bradlee -- JFK told me that "he was all for people's solving their problems by abortion".)
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To: House Atreides

“...Little Lindsey Graham must be kept below 50% in the Republican primary to FORCE a run-off....”

Error corrected in caps.


25 posted on 01/16/2014 12:03:25 PM PST by House Atreides
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To: cotton1706
Let me see if I got this straight. Huckabee is supporting this guy as a "true conservative" in the race, implying that the other guy isn't a "true conservative".

Isn't this the same Huckabee who a few days ago was preaching to us about deciding who the "true conservatives/republicans" are and aren't?: "And one term that I’d like to see outlawed from the vernacular of the party is RINO. It stands for ‘Republicans in name only’ and it’s a pejorative term that questions the authenticity and orthodoxy of someone’s party purity. I’ve been called that myself, even though I fought in the trenches of Republican politics for over two decades. Even so, I would never pretend that I’m lord over determining who the real Republicans are," Mr. Huckabee concluded.

So, which is it, Mike?
26 posted on 01/16/2014 12:05:05 PM PST by GLDNGUN
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To: ansel12

“It was Mike Huckabee and Michelle Bachmann both endorsing Akin, Palin and the tea party were against him.”
*****************************************************************
Yes, Sarah Palin endorsed Sarah Steelman in that primary race instead of Akin. If Steelman had won the primary, she’d be SENATOR Steelman now helping out Ted Cruz.


27 posted on 01/16/2014 12:06:32 PM PST by House Atreides
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To: House Atreides

“Yes, Sarah Palin endorsed Sarah Steelman in that primary race instead of Akin. If Steelman had won the primary, she’d be SENATOR Steelman now helping out Ted Cruz.”

And also, with Steelman as the nominee in Missouri, there wouldn’t have been any silly rape question for either the Missouri nominee OR the Indiana nominee and SENATOR Mourdock would be helping Steelman and Cruz.

But we can argue about this stuff forever. The media with the help of the republican establishment will do whatever it takes to destroy conservatives. But moderates like McCain, Romney, Dole and the Bush family can come back over and over.


28 posted on 01/16/2014 12:10:12 PM PST by cotton1706
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To: Din Maker

huckster is a paid vote splitter.

essentially a caucasian jessie jackson for the evagelical sucker crowd.


29 posted on 01/16/2014 12:20:53 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: cotton1706

“...And also, with Steelman as the nominee in Missouri, there wouldn’t have been any silly rape question for either the Missouri nominee OR the Indiana nominee and SENATOR Mourdock would be helping Steelman and Cruz....”
************************************************************
Oh yeah, I had forgotten that Mourdock became a “copy-cat” moron doing his version of Akin’s idiocy. I somehow think the Senate Conservatives Fund this cycle is doing some informal training (e.g., how not to fall for the media’s entrapment tricks and how to avoid sticking your foot in your mouth) of potential endorsees before formally endorsing them.


30 posted on 01/16/2014 12:24:15 PM PST by House Atreides
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To: Red Badger

yea tell that to the Mo. republicans that supported that fool Akin - he got hucks endorsement. Everyone forgets how liberal huck was as the gov of Ak - just after Klinton.


31 posted on 01/16/2014 12:27:00 PM PST by q_an_a (the more laws the less justice)
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To: cotton1706; Servant of the Cross

Huckster is a damnable phony….do any Freepers still fall for his flapdoodle?


32 posted on 01/16/2014 12:44:59 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: longtermmemmory
essentially a caucasian jessie jackson for the evagelical sucker crowd.

Cross?! This is not a cross!!! What are you talking about?!!

(but ... if you like a politician who's part Jimmy Swaggart and part Jim Nabors, it's a cross!

33 posted on 01/16/2014 1:11:45 PM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Viennacon; fieldmarshaldj; cotton1706; AuH2ORepublican; BillyBoy; Clintonfatigued; ...

Yes, unlike most states though the threshold is not 50% (plus 1) but 40%. If any candidate tops 40%, then no runoff.

Primary runoffs in southern states are a vestige of the time when RAT primaries decided all winners. I wish every state had them. I think maybe 45% would be ideal, few candidates that top that but come in under 50% fail to easily win the ensuing runoff. 40% could still let a RINO win a divided field.

Anyway are we sure Tillis is that bad? I’ve seen at least one freeper say he’s not (and question Brannon’s Paul ties) despite being the choice of the dreaded establishment. What taxes did he raise that I keep hearing about?


34 posted on 01/16/2014 4:28:20 PM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: Impy

It was mainly toll roads and river tolls etc that Tillis was involved in. He was also embroiled in some scandal that ended up with him getting censured by the local GOP, and in addition he played corporatism with some telecoms companies in the state.

The guy is bad, and the big red flag is Rove’s early involvement to try and boost Tillis. Go listen to some of Brannon’s speeches. The man is cast-iron.


35 posted on 01/16/2014 4:35:04 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: Viennacon; campaignPete R-CT; fieldmarshaldj; cotton1706; AuH2ORepublican; BillyBoy; ...

Hmm, Dewcrist almost got 45% (44.67%) in Texas, I guess 50% is best.


36 posted on 01/16/2014 4:38:08 PM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: cotton1706

Bang on. I hope Missouri conservatives never make this mistake again. Akin was a deathtrap waiting to spring, which is why McCatskull funded him. I don’t have a doubt that had that whole ordeal not happened, Mourdock and Steelman would be senators.


37 posted on 01/16/2014 4:38:33 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: Impy

Tillis is decidedly weaker than Dewhurst. Mainly because Dewhurst was reasonably popular in the state even with conservatives. Tillis has no such good marks from the people of NC.

I’d also guess Dewhurst had a lot more personal wealth to use in the campaign. Tillis needs Rove’s bucks.


38 posted on 01/16/2014 4:42:35 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: Viennacon; campaignPete R-CT; fieldmarshaldj; cotton1706; AuH2ORepublican; BillyBoy; MitchellC; ...

Well it looks like a huge undecided vote in the race and a badly divided field so I don’t think anyone will get 40%.

Recent PPP poll has Tillis in front with just 19%, Brannon and some lady named Heather Grant tied with 11% in 2nd place, Huck’s boy with 8% and some guy named Bill Flynn with 7% (several minor candidates getting even less than that)

Anyone have a take on Grant or Flynn? Grant is nurse and Flynn a radio guy. Given how much support Brannon and Harris have I’m surprised to see this Grant lady tied for 2nd.


39 posted on 01/16/2014 4:47:50 PM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: Impy

I question the poll’s accuracy. A straw poll in one particular county recently had Tillis at about 2%. The man doesn’t campaign, he just fundraises with Rove. Meanwhile Brannon has criss-crossed the state, working his butt off.


40 posted on 01/16/2014 4:53:40 PM PST by Viennacon
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