Huckabee's Rise and Rise

The Washington Post ^ | 12/10/2007 | Dan Balz

[dano1]

The most surprising conversations running through Republican circles this week are all about Mike Huckabee. As one veteran strategist put it in an e-mail message Monday morning, "I -- and I would suggest damn few others -- never anticipated you even asking [about Huckabee] this late in 2007."

Huckabee's rise is real, the result of months of dissatisfaction on the right with the rest of the Republican field. His success in Iowa, where he has dislodged Mitt Romney atop the polls, and in other early states, represents what another strategist calls "the revenge of the social conservative" wing of the party.

"It's the night before the prom," this strategist said, "and they've been sitting by the phone for a year, waiting for a date." Huckabee has come calling and they are responding.

Huckabee's rise is real for a second reason. He fills another vacuum in the Republican field -- which is that of a strong, southern conservative candidate. In 2005 and 2006, that role was to be filled by Bill Frist, the former Senate majority leader from Tennessee, or former Virginia senator George Allen. Fred Thompson thought he would be that candidate, and for several months last summer he was -- until he entered the race.

Thompson's campaign has fizzled from lack of energy, lack of a clear message and lack of visibility. It is no accident that Huckabee's rise has come at Thompson's expense, but to succeed, strategists say, Huckabee cannot allow Thompson back into the competition anywhere.

The big question is not whether Huckabee is real but whether he can make it all the way to the nomination. Will he ultimately prove to be a skillful spoiler, or a candidate with broad enough appeal to unify a party that is badly fractured?

[org.whodat]

the little girl is an open borders lefty. thats why she is pushing huckelclown.

Almost had it correct I think its illegal has a criminal record. LOL

[Route66]

Thompson's campaign has fizzled from lack of energy, lack of a clear message and lack of visibility. It is no accident that Huckabee's rise has come at Thompson's expense, but to succeed, strategists say, Huckabee cannot allow Thompson back into the competition anywhere.

There is nothing wrong with Fred's energy and his message has been clear and substantive. But they are right about his lack of visibility. The media has seen to that.

The interesting and mostly true admission is that Huckabee cannot allow Thompson to gain on him at all because if Fred is perceived as having a chance, the Huckabee house of cards will collapse as quickly as it rose.

I think there are people who really want to continue to like Mike, but the weight of his baggage is going to make that harder and harder to do in the weeks to come.

[org.whodat]

With just a little effort on our part, McCain can come out gangbusters!

McLaimis is as bad as the huckster.

[FreeReign]

Thompson's campaign has fizzled from lack of energy, lack of a clear message and lack of visibility. It is no accident that Huckabee's rise has come at Thompson's expense, but to succeed, strategists say, Huckabee cannot allow Thompson back into the competition anywhere.

The WP pushes the Hope Huckster...and then they opening brag about the reason, why.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

What many Fred supporters fail to understand is Senators often make lousy Presidential candidates for a couple of reasons. The country club, and compromise atmosphere, which is the U.S. Senate. Very different than the energy and vibe needed on the campaign trail to grab the voters

[Mariner]

If the socons have enuff juice to get Huck nominated, there'll be 3 parties in 2008.

They'll go to the prom alright...but they'll lose all of their friends in the process.

If this is what the socons have to offer the GOP: Blind Support to a Southern Preacher...then I want another party or new allies in the GOP.

In fact, this guy is so unfit I can't believe MOST socons support him.

[FreeReign]

What many Fred supporters fail to understand is Senators often make lousy Presidential candidates for a couple of reasons. The country club, and compromise atmosphere, which is the U.S. Senate. Very different than the energy and vibe needed on the campaign trail to grab the voters

Governors from Hope Arkansas often make lousy Presidents.

[dano1]

There was a major poll out today which found that Fred's support has dropped to 7% nationally.

IMHO, if Fred had only shown half the enthusiasm on the campaign trail as the typical FredHead does on FreeRepublic, Thompson would still be in first place nationally, (instead of like fifth where he is now). But to be fair to Thompson, I guess starting at the top would tend to give one a sense of false security.

[Elyse]

I think the only reason that Huckabee is rising is because suckers are lining up to buy his Fair Tax snake oil.

[mossyoaks]

Except McCain has never pardoned murderers & rapists.
Or voted to raise taxes - ever!
McCain has served his country for over 20 years in the Navy.
And he was a POW. And CO of the largest squadron in the U.S. Navy. (How many bombing missions has Huckabee flown??).
And a Congressman. And a Senator (for over 20 years!).
He has tons of experience w/ Social Security, Medicare, and Health Care, and more.
McCain’s been to Iraq SEVEN times (how many for Huckabee??).
And he has 2 sons on Active Duty.
McCain has actually been involved in confirmation hearings for SCOTUS justices.
McCain has run a national campaign before.
He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy - a top engineering school where LEADERSHIP and HONOR are integral parts of the curriculum.
McCain has four former Secretaries of State endorsing him (among others). And he is already familiar w/ world leaders.
McCain is reaching out to the youth in our country - even taking questions LIVE on MTV - that took some guts.
McCain has a long history of fighting pork barrel spending in Washington.
And let’s see - Huckabee has how much National Security experience?? Oh that’s right, zilch!
And as far as I know, McCain was never 100 lbs. overweight!

I don’t think you can compare McCain & Huckabee!

[MinorityRepublican]

Media is against Fred Thompson. But if he overcomes this hurdle, he'll be in great shape by the Super Tuesday in February.

For me, I like Mitt, Rudy and Fred. Huckabee is not bad either but I do not think he will appeal to independent voters in the general election.

[MinorityRepublican]

Bingo. Media is taking Fred Thompson out. For a while, I even bought into the notion that Fred’s lazy but that’s what MSM wanted us to think.

[wardaddy]

he’s open borders....and a nanny stater

and a race baitor when it suits him

if I wanted that I’d vote for Ed Gillespie again

[Williams]

Nixon was incredibly popular and won in a huge landslide in the middle of a horribly unpopular bloody war and in the face of a liberal onslaught.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Bud Light presents: "REAL MEN OF GENIUS"

(Real men of genius)

Today we salute you, Mr. Mike Huckabee paid FR campaign shill!

(Mr. Mike Huckabee paid FR campaign shill)

What does a liberal Republican do when he is afraid to face grass roots conservatives himself? He pays his coffee and errand boy minimum wage to do it for him...

(skim milk with three sweet and lows)

Sitting in a cubicle at campaign headquarters you search Conservative websites like the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Salon, CNN and Daily Kos looking for favorable articles about the Huckster to post on FR

(oooh, here's one from DU!)

Armed with nothing but talking points from Hucks' website, you attempt to convince conservatives that your candidate is not a Christian socialist or a pro-life Democrat...

(Jesus would want amnesty for illegals)

When FReepers say Huck is a fiscal liberal, algore loving environmental wacko, open border amnesty pusher, nanny state smoker banner you provide the brilliant original response...a link to his campaign website

(copy, paste, copy, paste)

Conservatives? We don't need no stinkin' Conservatives!

(Highly overrated)

All we need is a leftist who is pro-life, has an R next to his name, and talks about Jesus.

(Praise the Lord!)

So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, oh Karl Rove of the blogosphere, because when a FReeper runs for office, we'll be calling you...

(Mr. Mike Huckabee paid FR campaign shill)

Bud Light beer. Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri.

[KevinDavis]

LOL!!!

[hinckley buzzard]

any other candidate that has gone from single digits, to front runner in such a short amount of time, only to sink back into oblivion just as quick like many here are predicting?

Gene McCarthy in 1968, carried the flag against LBJ, soon thereafter, aced out by opportunistic Bobby Kennedy and basically a no-show by convention time. Of course it was a different, and simpler world, back then.

[nicmarlo]

http://opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010782

Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once “his No. 1 fan.” She was bitterly disappointed with his record. “He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal,” she says. “Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don’t be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office.”

Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. “He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles,” she says. “Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a ‘compassionate conservative’ are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.”

[County Agent Hank Kimball]

"I don’t think you can compare McCain & Huckabee!"

-----

First, I don't support Huckabee. Far from it....he's disgusting me more by the day.

(INSERT OBLIGATORY NOD TO MCCAIN'S MILITARY SERVICE HERE)

But I'll bet I can put together a list of things Huckabee hasn't done. Let's see.....

-I'll bet he's never spearheaded a federal law to ration political speech.

-I'll bet he's never conspired with leftist democrats to block a plan to get conservative judicial nominees through the senate.

-I'll bet he didn't spout Democrat talking points in opposing Bush's tax cuts as "tax cuts for the rich."

-I'll bet he never waged a personal vendetta against the nation's Secretary of Defense in wartime.

-I'll bet he never sanctimoniously criticized the CIA for "waterboarding," even though top CIA officials have said it was instrumental in getting Al Queda bigwigs to spill information. (INSERT SECOND OBLIGATORY NOD TO MCCAIN'S MILITARY SERVICE HERE)

-I'll bet he never talked with JOHN FREAKING KERRY about being his running mate in 2004.

-I'll bet he never tried to push an amnesty bill for illgal aliens through the U.S. Senate over the objection of almost every one of his GOP Senate colleagues.

Nope. The Huckster never did all that. Then again, he hasn't been around as long as McCain - though he does have the same uncanny knack of getting adoring MSM coverage while pretending to be a conservative.

They're both frauds.

Hank

(ps, John McCain was a war hero. I may have forgotten to mention that. Hank)

[Grateful One]

Never anticipated that I would have the opportunity to choose between two delicious scenarios—one being the slow destruction of a daddy-hating wannabe Marxist who would destroy all that I cherish (and which others have died for in great numbers) and the other being to relish in the public rejection of yet another media propelled fraud.

Some nights are truly better than others!