GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
Mike Huckabee reminds us why he is not the man for the job.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Republican Mike Huckabee responded to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association by suggesting it was Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him. Hearing a loud noise and interrupting his speech, Huckabee said: “That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He’s getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he-he dove for the floor.”
There were only a few murmurs in the crowd after the remark.
Neat.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I was waiting to hear Huck receive a phone call from God.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
All the CQ politics VP polls in the world won’t get him the nod now. Thank goodness. I feel a bit like I felt when George Allen said Macacca. I simultaneously thought, “Well, now we might get a nominee who isn’t disastrous. But, we lose a senate seat and the GOP’s image is hurt in the mean-time; so a mixed bag”.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
i dont really get the joke. i know its not funny, but in what way was he trying to be funny? and why is this disastrous for huck? are people going to interpret as an asassination joke?
May 16th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
bored at work,
It’s disastrous for Huck, because it is an assassination joke, of sorts, and you DON’T even joke about assassinating black presidential candidates in America; it seems far too possible for alot of Americans. It’d be a bit like joking about the Holocaust, in reference to a Jewish candidate.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Matthew, you are right as usual.
And secondarily, it was an insult to his audience. Anyone who knows a NRA member knows that they do not consider gun violence of any type — aimed at an African-American presidential candidate or otherwise — to be a laughing matter. I have a friend who is armed to the teeth and who is a lifetime NRA member. He will not tolerate any jokes about gun violence or the aiming of even toy guns at other people.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
BTW,
If Huckabee had said this at that NRA gathering last year where all the candidates spoke, it’s quite likely Mitt Romney might be the nominee now and not McCain.
A remark like this could well have sunk him in IA, which Mitt would then have won. That win might have given him enough momentum to win NH, knocking McCain out of the race. He would still have won MI and with wins in the 1st 3 contests, would have ran away with it.
Ah well.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I always feel stupid when I fail to realize something obvious and I did not at all consider how it would impact his VP chances - but neither did any cable chatters who reported the story.
I do think its tasteless but it was not at all intended to be offensive and certainly not related to race.
But here is a question I have: why are Romney and Huckabee addressing the NRA?
May 16th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Sure, crucify Huck because a joke fell flat. Like it or not, the corny jokes are Huckabee’s style. His comment doesn’t come close to Allen’s gaffe. It’s also not as bad as an F-U by a sitting vice president or a republican nominee and you know it. I find it hard to believe that the American public is looking for a reason to hate Huck as much as you folks. Still, speculate all you want; McCain will pick whomever he wants regardless of your opinion.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Pablo,
Because they’re auditioning for Veep. I have a feeling that Huck’s audition tape is going to get lost in the mail now.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
It seemed to me that he got plenty of laughs.
If McCain was going to pick Huckabee then this would make little difference. It was probably Huckabee’s sense of humor that endeared McCain to him anyway. If you are looking for a way to ax Huckabee off the short list, this is not it.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Huckabee has the best pro-2nd Amendment credentials of any of these hacks anyway. And, if you guys cared to listen or read his speech, he embodies the greatest understanding of conservative principles of them all.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Oh come on. This had nothing to do with assassination. It was all about a fear of guns, joking that Obama is afraid of them and so for gun control.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Yay! No Huck for VP… I guess we all just dodged a bullet too.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
13 —
May 16th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Matthew, you’re laughable sometimes… Even though we love you.
Go to the Breitbart clip, even the Obama supporters who are commenting are saying “WTF? Why is this a big deal?” Provided he comes out and clarifies and apologizes for any offense, I don’t see this hurting him long term.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
While I know this is all in good humor, it was a REALLY bad joke, will be misinterpreted by the Dems, and will appear in lots of campaign ads should Huckabee get the nod. It also shows a certain lack of judgement, as he should have know how that would have been interpreted. He could have easily phrased slightly differently, like “That was Barack hitting the floor…he just realized that he’s the only one here without a gun…I guess now he knows how crime victims in DC feel.”
SHOULD we hold an innocent slip of the toungue against him, maybe not. But WILL people hold this against him…you bet.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I do not think that this joke effects, Mr. Huckabee’s chances at being VP, it will probably go to somebody like Mr. Pawlenty anyways. while it may not be the best joke, those who think that it was in bad taste perhaps need to get a life. I think Mrs. Clinton told far worse jokes about Mr. Obama.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Only Democrats who are without humor won’t get over this.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
A joke is a joke and that is the end of it.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Obama wisely refused to comment at all and the media is treating it as not a laughing matter.
My concern all along has been that as the rhetoric increases the likelihood of some nut doing something stupid also increases. For the first time in my life I have been praying for the safety of candidates and their families.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Nah.. doesn’t hurt Huck’s VP chances…
May 16th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
[...] Mike Huckabee is doing gun owners no favors by making idiotic jokes at the annual NRA Convention, Remington has used the Convention to announce the creation of an AR-15 [...]
May 16th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
“Nah.. doesn’t hurt Huck’s VP chances”
Please explain…I’m not saying it SHOULD effect his chances, but I can already see the attack ads in my head. This will be shoved in our face over and over again if this guy is the nominee, and it’s such a bad joke that a lot of people will get turned off by it.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
“why are Romney and Huckabee addressing the NRA?”
Because, both are now major players in the GOP - and both will likely be on the ballot in the next open GOP race.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Bad, bad joke, Huck.
Suggested improvement in response to all the backstage commotion:
“Dick Cheney must have found another lawyer in his crosshairs.”
May 16th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
It’s not going to hurt his chances because it’s not a big deal…
May 16th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Some of you think this is no big deal. I hate the idea of Huckabee on the ticket, and I’m breathing pretty easy after this. It was completely idiotic of him.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Wow! A disasterous unforced error!
May 17th, 2008 at 1:10 am
New Book - A Moron in the White House!
What would it take for America to be ready for this? What could we have done to possibly deserve it? Quick, sacrifice the virgins!
May 17th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Most of you who think it will hurt Huckabee’s VP chances are acting on a hope, not realistic analysis. Bottom line, it was a joke which apparently fell a little flat, but still had some laughter. And he has apologized, with no flim=flam — an honest apology.
He was — and definitely is — on a short list. If he was on top, as U.S. Reports infers, then that is where he still is.
Sorry guys — I know you hate him, but you are all going way off base.