GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
SGS, in a comment over here, stated that Mike hasn’t done “anything” since losing to McCain on March the 4th. He apparently overlooked the impact of his speech at the Texas GOP convention. Mike had by far the biggest applause of the event, easily wining over the Newt/ Cornyn/ Perry/ Hutchinson speeches by wide margins.
Texas is the largest conservative state in the union - And he brought the audience to their feet more than any other speaker.
Mike is still campaigning for Republican candidates all across the country, and will possibly be hosting his own Fox News show come this fall.
In case you missed it, here is Mike’s speech from the Texas GOP Convention in June.
Read past the fold to see the videos…
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
July 14th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Huckabee is a great conservative leader in the who would reenergize the Republican party.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Huckabee should be VP. McCain’s poll numbers would shoot up.
McCain / Huckabee has outpolled McCain / Romney many times, according to the polls featured here on Race 4 2008.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Mike’s a great conservative. But when has to articulate or defend a position he can’t defend us and plays the sympathy card. You know. The populist versus the capitalist card. Yuck! That’s frigthening to me.
He’s a spineless GOP politician we have seen a million times.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I listened to most of Huckabee’s Iowa convention speech.
I was disappointed that he made jokes about Romney flying first class while he was in coach.
At the end, he has a long list of his ideas about what Republicans are. Things like how they’re more likely to watch CMT than MTV, more likely to watch Touched by and Angel than Desperate Housewives.
I have no love for Huckabee’s rhetoric. Since when are do Republicans bash other Republicans for being successful businessmen?
Also, I get that there are demographics and psychographic elements of the party, but the way he states his idea of what a good Republican should be (a countrified, poor, home-schooled, church-goer) he makes me wonder if even he wants anyone who doesn’t fit that mold in the party.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
It’s hard to imagine a person, who would like to be president, having their own talk show. Does this sound presidential? I think if Huck gets his show, then he has decided the direction he wants to go. (which isn’t a bad one).
July 14th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
This last minute PR blitz for Huckabee for VP only further confirms my suspicion that Romney has got this thing sewn up.
Huckabee suporters naturally would be the last ones to acknowledge this, so the fact that they’re out in full force in a sudden
panic makes it just about certain.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
#5, Reagan spent many years giving political talks on the radio.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
#7
I was unaware of Reagan giving political talks on the radio other than the normal requirement of elected office. If I remember he also gave political talks when he was part of the GE theater tours. (at the plants)
I imagine if he did it as a hired radio commentator that the format was much different than it is today. It’s hard to imagine that anyone, with a talk show today that achieved decent ratings, could escape untarnished. I would think it is different times…however Huck, much like Obama, often seemed to avoid media scrutiny when it came to apparent gaffes.
I personnally think he would do well, on tv, considering he has a built in audience.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
#7 - Doug, you beat me to it!
I don’t think Huckabee supporters are “panicking.” If anything, they are quietly resigned to 2008 going down the drain and getting set for 2012. I don’t know about them, but I wouldn’t want my candidate for 2012 anywhere near a McCain ticket — have you guys seen the latest polls on Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, Montana, North Dakata, South Dakata? Honestly, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia?? — they should not be battlegrounds. And North Carolina and Georgia are not too much behind.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I don’t understand the disconnect between those state polls and the national polls. Oh well.
Some people like me have suggested Gov. Huntsman, but I just came across an interview where he took himself out of consideration. Its from CNN:
VELSHI: You have been mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain. Is that something you’d consider?
HUNTSMAN: These days anyone with a pulse is basically talked about. So I would dismiss that pretty quickly.
VELSHI: But would you take it if it were offered?
HUNTSMAN: I’m governor of this state. I will remain governor of this state. I’m running for reelection. I’m a term limits guy, so I might be available in one more term. But this second term will be here in the state of Utah.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Huckabee is the perfect Republican VP choice this election cycle. All of his strengths play well to the current anti-Bush environment. Even his perceived weaknesses – the so called populism – plays well to the middle class independents that will make or break this election.
The one great missing element of team McCain is enthusiasm. Mike Huckabee brings at least one Republican leg roaring into the election with an enthusiasm that will rival Obamania. The economic conservatives will just need to swallow hard and accept him as they did Reagan.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Except Reagan was an economic conservative…………… I don’t Huckabee anywhere near the ticket because I can’t stand the guy.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Have we had a Mike Huckabee overdose today or what? This populist makes McCain look like Ronald Reagan.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
If Mr. Huckabee was an economic Liberal, he would have not promoted the flat tax or balanced the Arkansas budget and actually cut taxes in Arkansas several times.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Huckabee is on FNC right now as a political commentator. That is where he belongs..
July 14th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I think the debate over Huckabee’s fitness for office is well done and over no matter what side you come down on. That’s why
this whole effort by his supporters is falling flat. The time to have campaigned for the VP spot would have been months ago. If
Huckabee was really interested in A Republican victory in Nov, he would have dropped out of the race when it was clear that he was only hurting McCain by staying in. His positions or perceived strengths to the ticket are meaningless. He already made it perfectly clear where his
priorities were; and it wasn’t with electing McCain or uniting the party.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Mr. Huckabee was not hurting Mr. McCain. He stayed in the race along as no candidate had a majority. What is wrong with the democratic process.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
#17 I think Romney said it best at CPAC. Something about there being too much at stake to let personal aspirations get in the way
of the launch of a national campaign.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
/me will stab his eyes out if he reads anything more about Huckabee being the VP
July 14th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I think both Huckabee and Romney have been class acts with their support of McCain.
Huckabee cannot be on the ticket, because he is a “verbal mistake waiting to happen”.
- He attacked Rush Limbaugh
- In Iowa he quote a news story about Pakistan that was two weeks old
- He made that bad joke about Obama at the NRA conference
July 14th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Huckabee should stick to a career in entertainment. Perfect for him.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
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July 14th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Brett,
Does the sound ever get any better on those videos? I couldn’t hear what Huckabee was saying and found myself not really wanting to stick around for it to “get better.” Well, that and the fact my oldest daughter was wanting to tell me something…
July 15th, 2008 at 6:47 am
I am a Texan (by birth) and I would not support Huck on the ticket.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I didn’t think her jokes were that funny, but then again it could have been the poor sound quality.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Taylor:
I am not saying that the stake are not high. How did Mr. Huckabee staying in the race a few extra weeks hurt the party or the country?
July 15th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Huckabee is fantastic!! ON LENO and Saturday night live! He can be really funny. I loved the spot where he wasnt getting the hint that his segment was over!!! It was spot on!
July 15th, 2008 at 8:17 am
#27. That is why I vote for him!!! He is funny and is in a band!!!
July 15th, 2008 at 8:24 am
With respect Jerrod, I hope that is not the only reason why you voted for Mr. Huckabee. Yes he is funny and in a band which is fine, but in the end we should try to vote based on policy matters. To vote for somebody only because they are good looking, a certain gender or race is not a good habit.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:26 am
“#17 I think Romney said it best at CPAC. Something about there being too much at stake to let personal aspirations get in the way
of the launch of a national campaign.”
…and McCain still didn’t start his campaign until early summer.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I heard Huckabee is gaining weight and growing a beard, is that right?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
OhioJoe,
Huckabee did NOT promote the FLAT Tax. He promoted the FAIR tax. Yes, there is a difference.