Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Huckabee's Back in the Race? -- Why? "My goal is to help John McCain get elected." - Mike Huckabee, May 14, 2008by George Dance
(libertarian)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
[UPDATE, May 15 - My original May 14 article reported that Mike Huckabee had in fact resumed actively campaigning for President. The total lack of corroboration from any other media, or even Pastor Huckabee's web page -- and comments like some of those below -- now lead me to believe that Mr. Horowitz made the original story up. I have changed the article in light of this, to remove any false claims of fact.]
May 14 -- A few hours ago, the Wenatchee World Online posted an interesting scoop by syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz:
WASHINGTON (Any Moment Now) ... former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee announced here today that he is re-entering the race for the White House. Speaking at the National Press Club this afternoon, Huckabee ... declared that the outcome of the Republican nomination battle remained very much in doubt....
Huckabee, 52, pointed to upcoming Republican primaries in Idaho (May 27) and New Mexico (June 3) as particular breakthrough opportunities, and vowed to remain in the contest until a nominee is officially selected. When that time comes, he made clear, he expects to be that nominee.
"Idaho is going to be the turning point. The whole world will be watching Idaho."...
Spokesmen for McCain declined to comment on the record about this new pothole in what had seemed a smooth path to the nomination. Sources close the campaign [sic], however, were said to be flabbergasted by Huckabee's sudden re-emergence as McCain was already well along in his pivot toward the general election....
Said one GOP strategist, "I've never seen anything like it."
On May 12, U.S. News & World Report announced that "Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and defeated contender for the GOP presidential nomination, is currently at the top of John McCain's short list for a running mate. At least that's the word from a top McCain fundraiser and longtime Republican moneyman who has spoken to McCain's inner circle."
Just earlier today, blog Third Party Watch reported Huckabee telling SIRIUS-TV talk-show host Andrew Wilkow: "My goal is to help John McCain get elected."
And now Pastor Huckabee is running for President again? What is going on?
There are two obvious things that would prompt a Huckabee re-entry: (1) The sudden media boom for Ron Paul, and (2) the results of yesterday's primaries.
(1) The 'anti-McCain narrative' that I wrote about on Sunday continues to break open in the media. Here is a typical example, from an ABC News story from today:
Sen. John McCain, taking a victory lap as the presumptive Republican nominee, happily poked fun at his only remaining opponent. Asked during an appearance on "The Daily Show" last week which of the two Democratic nominees he preferred to run against in the general election, McCain quipped, "Ron Paul." But Paul might get the last laugh during McCain's coronation at the party's convention in early September....
In recent primaries, as many as 25 percent of Republican voters chose a different candidate, with many pulling levers for Paul and former GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, who snagged 27 percent of the vote in the Pennsylvania primary....
Paul's grass-roots movement of enthusiastic supporters is reportedly planning a minirebellion at the convention to push its anti-war, anti-tax agenda.
In state conventions in Maine and Nevada, Paul's forces battled McCain's delegates to the brink. While they won't have the muscle to challenged McCain in the national convention, they can be an annoying sideshow when the spotlight is supposed to be solely on the candidate.
Huckabee has endorsed McCain, but some of his evangelical supporters remain skeptical about McCain's claim to be a social conservative....
And former GOP Rep. Bob Barr, who won acclaim in conservative circles for leading the drive to impeach President Clinton, just announced his run for the presidency on the Libertarian Party ticket.
The party commands few votes, but Barr has the potential to draw away Republican voters and be a spoiler in battleground states as Ralph Nader was accused of doing to Democrats in the 2000 election.
Suddenly, Ron Paul is major news. Even NPR hopped on the bandwagon today, airing this story about his current #1 bestseller, The Revolution: A Manifesto.
(2) Two Republican primaries were held yesterday, in West Virginia and Nebraska. In the first, four of the Fox News Five -- McCain, Huckabee, Romney, and Giuliani -- were on the ballot, along with Paul of course. The results: McCain 76%, Huckabee 10%, Paul 5%, Romney 4%, Giuliani 2%. Meanwhile, in the second -- the first ballot that listed only Paul and McCain -- McCain received 87%, and Paul 13%.
The Nebraska result is, on the surface, good news for McCain -- the first time he has broken 80% in a primary, ever -- and that is how the Boston Globespun the story. But it is also fairly good news for Paul. This is his second-highest vote, in fact only the second time he has broken double digits, in a primary. Not the best result, but certainly a reason to press on.
Which gives reason for the McCain camp. If Paul continues to get double-digits, stories like the ABC one will continue to circulate until the convention. These stories can only increase doubts and uncertainties about McCain's campaign -- and if the result is an even higher percentage for Paul, they will only increase.
While the Paul boom comes too late to stop McCain from winning the primaries, it may, if it continues, be enough to spark the delegate revolt that ABC hints at above. If Operation RonDemption works, and Paul beats McCain in Idaho, such a revolt would become likely. ("The whole world will be watching Idaho.")
In that context, it becomes reasonable for McCain to ask Huckabee to resume his suspended campaign, and for Huckabee to agree to be a good soldier and do his duty. His duty, as I see it, would be (1') to take the media attention off of Paul, and even more importantly (2') as in WV, to keep anti-McCain votes from going to Paul.
Huckabee, in short, would be playing spoiler for McCain again. The first time was in Iowa, where he beat Mitt Romney and by doing so kept McCain competitive in New Hampshire. (After which, when Huckabee got too competitive and threatened to win SC, too, McCain had to use Fred Thompson as a spoiler against him.) It only makes sense for the McCain camp to drag him out one more time, to use as a spoiler against Paul.
And it would only make sense for Huckabee to agree. By drawing anti-McCain votes, and media attention, from Paul, he will be doing his duty and cementing his status as McCain's running mate. However, he would also be cementing his status as the candidate that, if the anticipated delegate revolt happens, the anti-McCain forces turn to and nominate. Presidential candidate or running mate: either way he wins.
Which, to my mind, would fully explain Pastor Huckabee's reappearance in the race.
-
Did you like this article? If you did, Thumb It! 32 thumbs so far
The views expressed in this
article are those of George Dance only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. George Dance is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
If this turns out to be true and not a hoax or idle prediction, then this could actually be a good sign. Not that Huckabee is trying to screw Paul over, but the fact that they are actually seriously scared of the chance of a brokered convention and perhaps, moreover, the thought of the Paulites tearing up their beloved platform of war.
Assuming that's correct, we must start taking counter actions to make sure that the Paul delegates' plans aren't usurped by Huckaberry. More ominously, Romney has been in a countrywide tour of the state conventions, so who knows how he might react. Should be interesting.
If this report is true then Huckabee will only hurt his future... It was Paul who choose to oppose McCain and now that Hucakbee has endorsed McCain it only undermines Hucakbee.
Regardless of his reasons to join the race again and if history has showed us anything.... They will focus only on McCain and Hucakbee and Paul will receive little if any media attention. The media is corrupt and so are both parties.
Instead of Spector calling for reviews of baseball why not a hearing on the corrupt media?
But Ron's new book and take steps to effect change.
By the way have you seen any McCain inspired canidates? Or how about any Hucakbee inspired options? So far Paul has supported 3 in the race but according to other sources there as as many who are running to opppose the old guard.
In the next two years I predict as many as 200 Ron Paul Republicans will run for federal office and our nation will win for having voted for them.
By the way I'm also very proud of Chuck Baldwin entering the race as well. Chuck supported ROn's run for office and a few weeks ago obtained the "C" nomination.
I suspect that Huckabee will take more votes away from McCain than Paul. If Huckabee really got back into the race to spoil Paul's numbers, I think this could backfire. What I would like to see is a debate among McCain, Huckabee and Paul. What Paul needs to do is bring up HR1955, the Patriot Act, Executive Orders, Signing Statements and other legislation which are destroying the Constitution, intentionally or otherwise. And then, get into an economic discussion with these two clowns... Paul would destroy McCain and Huckabee.
If this is not true I will never read Nolan Chart again. From the reporting on an unknown Phantom called "Dr." Steve Parent and creating a Folk Hero of a man with many "question marks" to the false info in some other article I cant remember.
If this is not true then you just lost a reader. Thank you guys
Come on, this is a satire piece. The author, Rick Horowitz, is a satire columnist.
You Ron Paul people need to get reconnected with reality. I'm sorry, but although Ron Paul has some great ideas, he's off-the-charts wacky on others, and so are many of his fans. Get rid of the conspiracy theory nonsense.
I do not suspect Huckabee will jump in again, except if he has received confidential reports on McCain's health, which does not seem good, I heard. The Dems are signing a petition: rumor is that McCain has only a few years to live with his cancer...
Anyway, WV has not much internet access, so not easy to spread the message there, while Nabraska more, that is why Paul fared better in Nebraska, even with no media coverage and minimum campaigning there. He is campaigning in Kentucky.
"Idaho is going to be the turning point. The whole world will be watching Idaho."...
The world and the nation was watching the Nevada convention too, but that didn't prevent the GOP leadership from abruptly and unethically canceling the convention when it was apparent that Ron Paul had the majority of supporters and delegates.
They chose to take away our right to vote for the candidate of our choice rather than see Ron Paul win the Nevada delegates, So they adjourned, walked out, and abandoned the convention. Are they supporting McCain or the ghost of Stalin?
Then, when Ron Paul and John McCain supporters stayed to try to reconvene (couldn't be done because we didn't have a quorum of two thirds of the delegates) the GOP leaders and followers turned off the lights in the room still filled with hundreds of people. A safty hazard to be sure, especially with the series of recent earthquakes in Reno.
The Nevada GOP leadership showed the nation and the world that they are more than willing to cancel our right to vote. So much for being a shining example to the world about how a Republic or Democracy should be run.
Will the GOP leadership in Idaho let the people vote for the candidate of their choice or will they pull a similar stunt?
We'll be watching.
"Idaho is going to be the turning point. The whole world will be watching Idaho."...
The world and the nation was watching the Nevada convention too, but that didn't prevent the GOP leadership from abruptly and unethically canceling the convention when it was apparent that Ron Paul had the majority of supporters and delegates.
They chose to take away our right to vote for the candidate of our choice rather than see Ron Paul win the Nevada delegates. So they adjourned, walked out, and abandoned the convention. Are they supporting McCain or the ghost of Stalin?
Then, when Ron Paul and John McCain supporters stayed to try to reconvene (couldn't be done because we didn't have a quorum of two thirds of the delegates) the GOP leaders and followers turned off the lights in the room still filled with hundreds of people. A safty hazard to be sure, especially with the series of recent earthquakes in Reno.
The Nevada GOP leadership showed the nation and the world that they are more than willing to cancel our right to vote. So much for being a shining example to the world about how a Republic or Democracy should be run.
Will the GOP leadership in Idaho let the people vote for the candidate of their choice or will they pull a similar stunt?
Martha: Thank you for pointing out that (Any Minute Now) was supposed to be a date. That did go by me - I thought it was either the column title or the syndicate. In fairness, I've added that back into the quoted portion of his column.
Martha: Thank you for pointing out that (Any Minute Now) was supposed to be a date. That did go by me - I thought it was either the column title or the syndicate. To be fair, I've added that back into the quotation.
Honestly, though, satire or not, the fact remains that Huckabee could still do this anywhere from now up to the convention. He's obviously got a well of support still, and not all of it is servicing Paul. That's the troubling part.
You people who believe that Huck is getting back in the race would believe anything.
If you even new a little about Huckabee you would know he would not do that.
THIS IS A HOAX !!!
Come on, this is a Ron Paul Hoax. Paulees are just trying to mess with the process and be dishonest. Not american at all.
"You people who believe that Huck is getting back in the race would believe anything. If you even new a little about Huckabee you would know he would not do that."
Nonsense; it would fit his character to a T. The Huckster's been playing it both ways since Iowa. I predict that he'll still be doing that at the convention: he'll be on the ballot, but, if that doesn't work out (if he gets eliminated), he'll endorse McCain yet again.
That's why I believed Horowitz's article; given the Huckster's character and the conditions I spelled out in my article above, what it described sounded perfectly plausible. (The dialogue so was true-to-life as well).
Want to comment on this
article? Leave your comment here. Your email address is
required to track your comment. However, we will neither
publish your email address nor distribute it to other
organizations or persons. The only reason we might use
it would be if we needed to contact you regarding your
comment. All comments are subject to our
terms of use policy.
