Posted on 01/21/2008 5:57:33 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
Mike Huckabee: McCain-lover, Mitt-killer
COLUMBIA, S.C.—For people reading between the lines, Mike Huckabee’s concession speech here Saturday night dropped some enticing hints that his presidential campaign now has an agenda other than getting elected president.
Huckabee’s new role: Mitt-killer.
The former Arkansas governor threw air kisses on primary night to winner John McCain, praising him for “running a civil and a good and a decent campaign.”
Huckabee did not mention Romney in his concession statement Saturday. But Huckabee and his aides have barely disguised their disdain for Romney, whose chameleon-like stance on issues and free-spending negative ad campaign have made him the most unpopular candidate among his GOP rivals.
Could Huckabee be angling for the number-two spot on McCain’s ticket, or a cabinet position in a McCain administration?
Now that the race is headed to a critical showdown in Florida, Huckabee is well-positioned to play the same spoiler role that Thompson did in South Carolina. Only registered Republicans can participate in Florida—no independents, who gave McCain a boost in New Hampshire and South Carolinia. These rules give more leverage to social conservatives, who are unlikely to back Rudy Giuliani under any circumstances but might be enticed into backing Romney if they had no Huckabee alternative.
“In Florida, McCain is desperate to keep conservative Republicans from coalescing around another candidate, and the best way to prevent it is to have the GOP vote fractured,” said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. “Huckabee knows that by keeping his candidacy alive, he’s potentially helping McCain win another split plurality vote. McCain knows it, too. Gratitude will follow—but whether that includes the vice presidency is anybody’s guess.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Ya think? McCain has been using both Huck and Fred to try to stave off Romney from the time he figured out he was going nowhere and had bad poll ratings. He is playing out his game plan. Fred will stay in and so will Huck.
This could be the frist presidential election where I’m too embarassed to put the candidate’s bumper sticker on my car.
I agree with you about Romney, altho I’m not sure how he’d deal with Pelosi.
I look at Mitt’s actions as governor dealng with a very liberal legislature, and Huckabee as governor dealing with a much more conservative legislature, and I see a huge difference - in Romney’s favor. Huckabee governed as a RINO/liberal and trashed Republicans in Arkansas, whereas Romney governed as a RINO/moderate and trashed Republicans less.
No Christian would do what Huckabee does - things like saying he “drinks a different Jesus juice”, call conservatives against illegal alien benefits anti-Christian, and on and on. Nor would a good Christian as he constantly tells us he is refuse to release his sermons, run away/lie about his record as governor, and on and on. He wants to govern as a theocrat, and I find that just as oppressive as being governed by a liberal who wants to “take things away for the common good”.
I will never reward a snake oil salesman like Huckabee with my vote.
You don’t think many dems switched? I did it in 1984 to vote for Jesse Jackson to help Reagan. I’m now getting a taste of my own medicine and it’s bitter. I used to think it funny and smart. I am now deeply ashamed.
Who is Huckabee sleeping with at Politico? They shill for him on a regular basis. Writing "chameleon-like stances" and "free-spending negative ad campaign" in an article about Huckabee but saying it about Romney is laughable in the extreme.
McCain is kind of prolife (in a typical McCain way). Adding Huckabee would shore up the evangelical SoCon and add some Southern cred. Not a bad move for him. Absolutely horrible for the country, of course. And, of course, McCain will not get the nomination.
“Could Huckabee be angling for the number-two spot on McCain’s ticket, or a cabinet position in a McCain administration?”
I thought that was the case until Mike Huckabee was at the Norris ranch on Sunday. Norris said that McCain is too old to be president and Huckabee didn’t refute this. If he was angling, I’m afraid he just did himself in.
So youre for Guliani? very Machiavelian of you..
“So youre for Guliani? very Machiavelian of you..”
Nope, just don’t see myself voting for a man who wears womens clothes, supports abortion, supports gun control and any other liberal cause he can find.
Was thinking Thompson but he’s not really in the race to win. Could the true Conservative please stand up?
A couple years ago I would have said Tom DeLay, but the media/Dems destroyed him, and he probably didnt help himself a whole lot either.
Still, he was a smart politician and principled and clear eyed. Not much of that going around these days.
I don’t like Huckabee’s tactics. I think he is a religious hypocrite. It doesn’t look like Huckabee is much of a Christian, when he deliberately trys to sink Romney. I think Huckabee is a nasty little person. He will never get my vote nor do I think will he go far politically. And, if he thinks McCain will reward him with some kind of political post, he is very much mistaken. McCain only rewards himself.
Sorry, it was 1960 when Kennedy got the nomination; Johnson ran on his own in 1964. My bad. I knew better I just wasn’t thinking.
THANKS FOR THE CORRECTION.
Sorry; see my correction in Post #53.
“Huckabee’s new role: Mitt-killer.”
Wow! Anti Romney FReepers will be jumping on Huckabee’s bandwagon by the hoardes. A regular dog pile!!
Still, hopefully, the Florida GOPers have more sense.
I knew what you were talking about. I was just having fun being a smart a$$.
Fred would help Romney more by dropping out.
ttt
I can’t see Thomson endorsing McCain...Down with McCain and his Suckup!
Maybe the quote should have come from Romans Like Romans 8:16-17. However you like most other “biblical” christians don’t know squat about what they refer to. The KJV of the Bible refers to us as JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus Christ. Now try to stay on topic of McCain selling the Conservatives up the river this time instead of going into a barrage of anti-mormon rhetoric please. This is a polite invitation not an attack.
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