July 14, 2008
Twenty Five Reasons why Huckabee should be McCain’s Vice President
“Sure, he’s a wonderful person … He’d make a great vice president.” – Mitt Romney, December, 2007
| 1. His Experience and Record: He has ten and a half years experience running a government as the Chief Executive. This is a longer tenure of governmental Chief Executive experience than any other 2008 Presidential candidate and is longer than the tenure of any current governor of either party. In 2005, he was named by Time Magazine as one of America’s five best Governors.As Governor, Huckabee managed to deal with many of the major issues that Americans are asking the next Administration to handle. He was the first Governor in his state’s history to institute a broad-based tax cut and was criticized for refusing to raise taxes at a time of budget deficit. He created a program that offered health insurance to poor children. He reduced the percentage of uninsured Arkansans so that it was a fourth less than the national average. He cut welfare rolls in half and even with all of these things, his state’s economy grew at a rate faster than the national average. | |
| 2. His reputation among his peers: He was trusted by his Governor peers of both parties to serve as the Chairman of the bipartisan National Governor’s Association, one of the nation’s most respected public policy organizations. | |
| 3. His Chief Executive experience: Because historically, Presidents who have been Governors have performed better than those who were not, McCain would be wise to pick a long-term Governor like Huckabee. Presidents who never held Executive offices but who had running mates who did have performed better than Presidents who never held Executive offices but did not have running mates with Executive Experience either. | |
| 4. His Youth: Although he has more experience running a government than any other national politician, he is actually less than six years older than Barack Obama. And in spite of this, his presence on the ticket won’t blunt McCain’s argument that Obama isn’t experienced enough (the “if experience is important, how can you make this person one heartbeat away from the Presidency” response). Despite their closeness in age, Huckabee has four times as much experience as Obama. | |
| 5. His Clean Lifestyle: In a time when many politicians of both parties have been ensnared in tawdry personal scandals, Huckabee has a very stable family life, having been married to the same woman for 34 years and being the father of three grown children who are still close to him and who have helped run his campaign. | |
| 6. His Leadership Capabilities: In addition to his long experience in Government, Huckabee has a variety of leadership experience outside of politics. He was a successful and popular Pastor and was also elected to be the President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. He is also the author of six books and is in the process of completing his seventh.And as the national Republican Party is still suffering image problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Huckabee is an example of what people want their leaders to do in a time of crisis. During the disaster, Huckabee’s government helped do all that it could do to accommodate the evacuees. It helped make room in hotels and motels for needy families. Huckabee released state funds to assist some of the shelters. He also provided free emergency prescriptions and access to dialysis machines to those who were in medical need. | |
| 7. Their Combined Electability: There have been five bellwether states – Ohio, Missouri, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas – that have correctly predicted the winner of the General Election for each of the past eight elections (dating back to 1976). Of those, in the GOP Primaries, Huckabee won the popular vote in two of them (Arkansas and Louisiana), coming in second to McCain in the other three. McCain won the popular vote in three of them (Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky), coming in second to Huckabee in the other two. The margin between the two in the state of Missouri was extremely narrow. And in the state of Kentucky, Huckabee even managed to come in second to John McCain three and a half months after he suspended his campaign and endorsed McCain. So, the McCain/Huckabee ticket is the one that performs best in the places that matter the most. | |
| 8. His Long-Held Support Among Conservatives: Huckabee’s national support among conservatives is not just a recent phenomenon but a constant. In 1998, Huckabee came in second (to John Ashcroft) in a Christian Coalition Presidential Straw Poll. (He actually came in higher than then-Governor George W. Bush). Edward Walsh wrote for the Washington Post on 2/17/1998 that “It’s settled. The Christian Coalition has surveyed its leadership and decided that Sen. John D. Ashcroft (R-Mo.) should be the next president and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) should be his vice president.” | |
| 9. His Support among Influential Politicians: J.C. Watts, who represents both the concerns of Evangelicals and conservative African Americans, has expressed dismay at the Republican Party’s failure to reach out to both groups. But the inclusion of Huckabee on the ticket would do a lot to shore up this support and even lure voters from some traditional Democratic groups to the Republican ticket. | |
| 10. Even His Enemies Want Him Around: Remember the Club For Growth and their endless attacks on Mike Huckabee? Isn’t it interesting that some of these same people, who called Huckabee a liberal, were begging him to run for the U.S. Senate – or even to become the head of the RNC – within a week of him ending his Presidential bid. One might ask “why would self-proclaimed fiscal conservatives want a liberal to take over the party?” The answer is that their opposition to him was not substantive in nature. And just as they wanted to promote Huckabee into higher levels of responsibility, they would very likely get behind a McCain/Huckabee ticket, no matter how much they’re kicking and screaming now. | |
| 11. His Geographical support: With Barack Obama making progress in the south, Mike Huckabee, as a long-term and popular southern Governor, secures this backbone of Republican support. There was even a story in the news about some Alabama politicians almost fighting over which one of them would get Huckabee’s endorsement. | |
| 12. His Media Savvy: Mike Huckabee has many years of experience in communicating with the public over the mass media. His first job was reading the news on the local radio station at age 14. He started two full-time television stations at the churches he pastured and has recently been awarded a contract at Fox News. | |
| 13. His ability to win in hostile environments: He achieved cross-party popularity, becoming only the second Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction and remaining in the job until term limits forced him out. He won two elections for Lieutenant Governor and two as Governor – in the heart of the Clinton political machine and at a time when Clinton was a popular President who supported his opponents. | |
| 14. His success in winning many voter segments: In Arkansas, Huckabee won with voters of every age group, all voters making more than $15,000 a year, and won or nearly tied voters of every education level. He also won almost all Republican voters, the majority of Independents and more than a third of Democrats. | |
| 15. His unusual (for a Republican) success with black voters: He has the greatest support among African Americans of any national Republican politician in decades. He won 48% of the black vote in Arkansas. He is very highly regarded by black voters nationwide. Since several of the southern states that have large black populations are showing surprising strength by Obama, Huckabee would appeal to these many of these voters who are conservative, disagree with Obama on the issues, but feel rejected by the Republican Party. | |
| 16. Many fiscal conservatives actually do like him: In addition to Evangelicals, blacks, blue collar voters and southerners, Huckabee is a favorite of the ultimate fiscal conservatives – supporters of the Fair Tax. These are the people who don’t just complain about the unfairness of the tax code but actually want to do something about it. | |
| 17. He brings social conservatives and then some: As some journalists who have bothered to actually talk to Huckabee supporters have discovered, we’re not all Evangelicals. Huckabee won four million votes but did it without even getting the majority of the Evangelical vote, which was split among multiple candidates. | |
| 18. His loudest critics realize that he resonated with voters: Even Huckabee’s harshest critics, such as Rich Lowry of the National Review, grudgingly acknowledge that Huckabee would be “just the right Republican for this particular moment, when pocketbook concerns are looming so large.” Even though they continue to slam him and question his economic credentials, they clearly understand that his message has resonated with the public that is so disenchanted with the status quo. | |
| 19. His success in dealing with the health care crisis: At a time that the nation is concerned with health care, Huckabee is both an advocate for preventive health through a healthy lifestyle and an example of it – he lost 110 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes. He wrote a book on losing weight and launched a childhood obesity campaign with the American Heart Association. And he even offers a personal example of lowering health care costs – he stopped needing to take diabetes medication when he lost weight. | |
| 20. He knows how to campaign competitively while at a financial disadvantage: Huckabee spent less money per vote than any candidate in the 2008 Campaign and perhaps less money per vote than any candidate in the past three decades. In a time that McCain finds himself severely underfunded in comparison with Barack Obama, Huckabee has experience in capitalizing on free media and stretching campaign dollars to the extent of outperforming better funded rivals.He also never had to take any campaign loans and ended his campaign in the black – after outlasting and outperforming almost all of his better-funded rivals. | |
| 21. His online grassroots network: On any ticket that includes Huckabee, his bloggers come with him. Huckabee has a massive web of grassroots activists, including Huck’s Army, a dedicated group of volunteers who like to share with other people why we think this guy is so cool. We aren’t paid. We spend some of our valuable free time advocating issues that are important to us, doing lots of research and in some cases providing the type of good press that no ad agency or political consultant can buy.During the primaries, whenever anyone said anything false about Huckabee, we were on it within minutes. We also ran phone banks, made our own bumper stickers, etc (and yes, thank you, we actually do have lives). And if our guy is on the ticket, we will work just as hard for McCain/Huckabee as we did for Huckabee. |  |
| 22. His other grassroots networks: It’s not all about Huckabee’s online supporters. There are also truckers for Huckabee, Homeschoolers for Huckabee, conservative blacks for Huckabee. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. While a good number of these people might vote for a ticket that didn’t include Huckabee, they definitely would vote for one that would include him. And more important than that, they would get out and fight and work hard for it. In a close election, there is a big difference between having a good number of lukewarm supporters and a greater number of fired-up supporters. | |
| 23. He knows how to campaign with class: Huckabee’s urging of his party to approach their differences with Senator Obama with civility and focus on the issues instead of personal attacks has earned him praise from a wide variety of groups whose support will be important in the General Election. | |
| 24. He is liked even by people who totally disagree with him on issues: Although Huckabee has unshakable socially conservative credentials, a lock on the south, and support from many who oppose the Federal Tax Code, he is also personally liked by many who disagree with him on almost every issue. On the liberal blog the Huffington Post, Drew Westin wrote “from the first time I watched Huckabee, he made me nervous, because I disliked most of what he said but I liked him anyway” and called him “the most politically intelligent of the candidates on the Republican side in 2008” and praised his “sense of humor” and “genuineness.” Many Democrats have spoken kindly of Huckabee especially as he urged his party to campaign against Obama on the issues instead of through personal attacks and as he defended Hillary Clinton against pressure to drop out. | |
| 25. He has shown class and respect to McCain – even when they were rivals: He hasn’t made statements against McCain that could be used against McCain by the Obama camp during the General Election. |
and …
There actually is one more very important reason for including Huckabee on the ticket, beyond the factually verifiable reasons listed above. Chuck Norris wants him on the ticket. Stop smiling – he means it. (You didn’t just read this last reason. Chuck Norris just read it to you.)
http://race42008.com/2008/07/14/twenty-five-reasons-why-huckabee-should-be-mccain%e2%80%99s-vice-president/trackback/
July 14th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
*vomits a little in mouth*
July 14th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Ugh,
I can’t take this..
July 14th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Someone give us 101 reasons why he shouldn’t.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Bravo. 25 great reasons.
I’d suggest 26.) He’s not Mitt Romney.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I thought for sure the #1 reason would be because he lost 100 pds.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Brett,
Do you have a day job? What a colossal waste of time.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
*grin*
July 14th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
#4. That’s the problem – he’s not Mitt Romney.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
*Also vomits but all over his desk and computer*
July 14th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
25 Reasons Why Mike Huckabee Should NOT Be McCain’s Vice President:
1). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
2). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
3). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
4). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
5). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
6). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
7). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
8). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
9). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
10). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
11). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
12). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
13). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
14). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
15). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
16). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
17). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
18). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
19). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
20). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
21). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
22). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
23). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
24). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
25). Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
#4
Maybe #27 could be that he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express
July 14th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Brett this was not a waste of time and you made some excellent points in favor of Mike Huckabee. And one things for sure if Huckabee is McCain’s VP then Obama can forget about Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina, and possibly even Virginia so it that sense it would make sense to have Huckabee on the ticket. Also i know Huckabee get’s ridiculed alot for his job as Governor but you need to realize that Huckabee did have to deal with a majority of Democrat’s in Arakansas just like Mitt Romney did so in that sense i think Huckabee did a great job as Governor of Arkansas. Not to mention he is a good orator and would be a good difference to Sen Obama.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
#10 is a much better list.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I am not going to read beyond “(more)”. This is a joke. Huckabee is not the man for this job. How do you determine? Just look at how he has been since he conceded the primary race to McCain. He has been busy pointing fingers, making fun of everyone else as well as himself, attending pastors conferences, and umm… what else? Not really. He has not been raising funds. He has not been campaigning for McCain, nor other candidates, unless you are Christian candidates, then he definitely will put in a word or two for you. But that is within the ocean of words about himself. You cannot have a more worthless pick than Huckabee. Even Sen. Lieberman looks way much better, because he actually is the man of actions. Sorry, McCain/Huckabee is doomed to failure at the very second this ticket is announced.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Josiah,
26-30) He potentially makes the Mountain west states go purple or red.
20-35) Secular and Fiscal conservatives see little difference the tickets.
36-50) Doesn’t bring money.
51-70) See section on pardons of murderers, etc.
71-80) See gifts, dead dog, possible corruption, and “appearance of evil” while in office.
81-90) Huckabee is a freaking liberal.
91-100) Money per votes stats are relevant when you have no money.
101) He stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Huckabee said on Fox and Friends this morning that he isn’t being vetted, or at least no one has asked him for that type of info.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Joel,
They are all going to say that regardless if they are or are not being vetted.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
One way to lose an election is to put Huckabee on the Ticket. As someone who has never voted for a Democrat, I would go out of my way to vote for Obama if Huckabee is on the ticket.
True conservatives can’t stand Huckabee.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
#17, In this case it is for real.
He is starting a Fox program very soon, as anchor.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
While some of these points are valid, it just isn’t happening, Brett.
I will never fully trust Mike Huckabee to do what is right for ALL Americans. He just seems to want to represent Evangelicals, who are very, very, very fine people. I have no problem with Evangelicals. But what about the rest of the country? We’re looking for a Commander-in-Chief, not a Pastor-in-Chief (and the Veep spot sets someone up for the next run for CIC).
July 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Oh goodie maybe he can finally fix the economy by adding 10 lanes to I-95 and as a bonus we can finally get that federal ban on junk food we’ve all been waiting for!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
J.C. Watts said “I consider myself a ‘free agent’ this year,” and is seriously thinking of voting for Barack Obama in November. Watts has recently been critical of the GOP for neglecting the black community, and not pandering to them as Democrats do. “And Obama highlights that even more,” Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. “Republicans often seem indifferent to those things.”
One of these days, “influential politicians” like Watts and Huckabee will wake up and realize, like Joe Lieberman, that they’re in the wrong party.
Howard Dean, if you’re reading this, the offer of our born agains for your blue dogs still stands, but you need to make the Lieberman trade official. Fax over the contracts at your earliest convenience.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Well, if Mitt Romney says he would be good, being the RomBot that I am, I’d have to take his word for it.
But seriously, my vote goes to Huckabee for Health and Human Services cabinet post. His personal story in dealing with obesity and related problems uniquely qualifies him for being in a position to inspire other Americans and help with health issues.
The dealbreaker for Veep for me is his tendancy for foreign policy gaffes. We cannot afford to have someone with such a weak grap on the international scene that close to the presidency.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Good job Brett. I say that not just because I support a Huckabee VP pick as the best chance to win, but because you took the time to write a thoughtful post.
I suspected that the majority of the audience here would provide only childish and thoughtless taunts in return. It seems their marching orders are to reject any Huckabee wisdom without consideration.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I think Huckabee turned OFF allot of repubs. by the way he exited the race and some comments made after the exit. Others are just turned off by his liberal record.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Well he didnt do to bad of a job as Governor of Arkansas and was popular among all in the state, so i wouldnt say he only represents Evangelical’s, or else he would have been loved by some and hated by some in Arkansas which he really wasnt, he did well among African Americans and among Reagan Democrat’s in the state. But he did butt heads with the Republican Party Chairman in Arkansas from time to time so that was a problem. I would vote for a McCain/Huckabee ticket but there are other good choices for McCain as well.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
DUDES DUDES!
Barack Obama’s campaign can’t wait for the “CALVARY”! BAHAHAHA!
(see 1:06 to 1:09)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNKEslXZ4w
July 14th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
As for campaigning with class, I’m reminded of the stunt Huck pulled last year: “I’m not going to run a negative campaign ad…but if I did, this is what it would look like!”
Yeah, real classy.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Looks like Barack Obama is “all in” on his off shore drilling ban. Of course he’s been “all in” before. See Reverend Wright, public financing, etc. My gut tells me Obama won’t be able to keep this up.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/14/mccain-obama-camp-weigh-in-on-off-shore-drilling-news/
July 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
28, that was sad. sadder yet was Romney’s inability to recover from it.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Well Sampo, you didn’t seem so saddened by Romney’s inability to recover in the primaries
Right now, I’d say I’m 75-80% committed to McCain. Put Huckabee on the ticket, and I’d say it’s back down to 50/50. I’d be mostly voting against Obama more than anything.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I supported Huckabee in the primary but I think he may not be the best counterweight to McCain.
There are very few single issue “economic conservative” voters. However we rely on those people for our funding. If Huckabee turns off the country club Republicans that’s a big hit to our campaign funds.
This year, I’m not sure if gaining a few million enthusiastic voters is worth losing our campaign funds.
I doubt the single issue economic conservatives would throw a hissy fit if Pawlenty or Palin were picked.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
You certainly made many good points, Mr. Huckabee can be pround of turning around Arkansas for the better. Of the candidates who ran, he was the second most electable, so he appealed to grass-roots Republicans as well as Conservative Democrats and Independents. Yes, he rather popular in some swing states. While he is not as Conservative as most of us (including me like) anyone who says he is an outright liberal was neither paying attention to the campaign nor his record. Whether he should actually be the VP candidate depend somewhat on who the Dems pick.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I’m ready to hurl . . . Huck, the liberal? No freakin’ way!
Guaranteed loss for McCain.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
That would guarantee a vote for Bob Barr from me.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
McCain’s daughter already said Huckabee was not on the list.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I think McCain won’t pick Huckabee. When Huckabee stayed in after McCain was the prohibitive favorite, I bet McCain held a grudge.
We know that McCain is the sort of politician who holds personal grudges. That’s why I think Romney is also not being considered for VP.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
#1 you beat me to it — I just threw up in my mouth.
This ticket may not be the only deal-breaker for me but it is #1 on my list.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I will not vote for a ticket that includes Huckabee.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I am voting for McCain. However, if Huck is the VP, then it will be the most pragmatic vote I have ever done. It will simply be to stop Obama. I hate those kinds of votes!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Reason number 1A, 1B, and 1C. He’s the ONLY Christian Leader.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
32,
With McCain already guaranteed the 85M or so, I doubt he really cares about the impact on funding. How much impact would the few weeks between Huck’s announcement as VP and the 85M kick in really have?
The SUSA polls did indicate that Huck was a plus for McCain, especially in states like OH, MO and throught out the South. He has a definite pull with the evangelical and religious voters and if he can deliver huge turnout there, McCain will be in very good shape. I always thought Huckabee was one of the better choices. The media loves him, he’s great with the folks and with campaigning, he knows how to deliver an economic message suited to the times, he’s great at debates and off the cuff speaking. He brings a lot to the table.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Yuck.. this is a yucky idea. I would come a lot close to being able to happily vote for McCain
if he puts Mitt Romney was on the ticket with him. Mitt has so much more to offer that Huckabee.
My prayers are for Mitt, the only really true Chirstian… God bless America… with MITT!!!!
But, America has to make her own choice, let’s all hope it is a good one!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
#43,
Mitt is the only really true Chirstian? I thought he was Mormon.
But really, let’s not turn this into a proxy Huck/Romney Holy War and just stick to the less subjective measures of candidacy. For instance, replace ‘Chirstian’ with ‘Conservative’ and I’m with you all the way.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I’ll say one why McCain shouldn’t pick Huckabee: He is Mike f#%& Huckabee.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
LOL!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I am glad his name is not on the list. He really went against the wishes of the republican party when he refused to get out of the race. I think that showed he was out for himself and not the good of our country.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I would vote 100 times for Obama if the choice is ticket with Huckabee.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
There are only 2 candidates for VP that would be enough to win in November…..Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. If Huckabee is on the ticket, the mountain west states that Obama is currently leading in are back in play, the south gets locked up, the midwest will possibly turn red. What’s the trade off? We lose every state in the northeast for sure, the pacific northwest and the southwest. We’re going to lose New Hampshire because of Barr anyways, so I say make the trade and chalk up another victory for the GOP. If you anti-Huck people were smart, you would start pressuring him to take a more conservative tone on financial issues than he does now….rather than threatening to vote the other way. Oh, and don’t make me gag by the thought that you would vote for Obama who is for every type of spending and taxes that exist along with leaving us with a weak military.
Oh yeah, and the only people that will stay home on election day if Huck is on the ticket, are people that read blogs about politics online. There aren’t that many…so I like our chances.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
[...] in a comment over here, stated that Mike hasn’t done “anything” since losing to McCain on March the 4th. [...]
July 14th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Huckabee as VP will give Mccain the edge he needs to win. Thanks Brett!
July 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Romney is already the guy….(for now). If you want to knock him off, you’re going to have to do better than suggesting Huckabee!
In my opinion the only two people capable of making McCain reconsider Romney are possibly Pawlenty & Huntsman; both governors
and both extremely loyal. Whomever McCain chooses, he’s going to have to explain his decision to the party & the media.
I honestly think he’ll have the least explaining to do with Romney and the most to do with Palin, Jindal & others. Just watch
Obama try to explain to Hillary’s supporters why he didn’t choose her while still trying to get their vote. See? It’s nearly
impossible although it will be fun to watch
July 14th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Sorry, but regardless of Brett’s listed qualifications, I would crawl into a hole somewhere and let politics happen around me as my two least favorite candidates would be on the ticket. Mccain still gets my vote to beat Obama, but the Republican name would take such a hit I doubt it would recover. Nothing like Democrat light tarnishing the Republican name with Huck and McCain.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
#49 – I need more convincing that Huckabee is good for Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. I only see Huckabee strengthening the South and doing absolutely nothing everywhere else. Sorry.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Aack! I guess I said Huckabee could make Mountain West states go red…Lol. Quite the opposite I assure you.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Don’t forget about Huckabee’s cute little quip during his speech at the National Rifle Association in May. The one about someone aiming a gun at Obama.
I’m sure the DNC won’t forget it.
This is only 1 of a multitude of reasons why Huckabee would be a poor choice for McCain’s VP, imho.
I just received my new issue of National Review in the mail today and Huckabee is on the cover, along with three other “Unacceptable” (in NR’s opinion) VP candidates.
The others are Crist, Ridge and Lieberman.
If Huckabee is the VP then I will have to agree with a lot of others here, especially Hobie (#40).
July 14th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Well argued Brett – more later
July 14th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
If Huckabee is the veep selection, I will actively campaign for Obama.
I’m not kidding.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Gag!
July 14th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Just a question? Are any of you posters older than 18? You are all so incredibly immature.
As for all the “voters” Huckabee is/would turn off, he won the second-most delegates in the primary with almost no money at all, sheer personality and commitment. He went from an asterisk to the second-place finisher; and he polls right up there with Romney on every internet VP poll. And lest we forget so easily, he beat Romney in the SUSA polls, even in Romney’s home state of Mass. Now, for the next four years, his face will be plastered on TV (Fox News, no less) (and his voice most probably on radio), rendering him the perfect opportunity to use that winning personality to its optimum come 2012. You do not think he will garner support? Just prattle away.
And, for the record, I’m a New Yorker, pretty sophisticated corporate/securities attorney, so please do not “lump” all of Governor Huckabee’s supporters in one pot. I will return the favor and assume the childish dribble that emanates from this post for the most part does not represent the majority of mature supporters for Governor Romney.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
#60
1. The second place delegate count is dubious. It is just a matter of who stays in the longest
2. The poll placing is remarkable for Huckabee when one considers the financial limitation. He should be lauded for this.
3. Unsure if TV political talk shows, in today’s environment, play well for aspiring presidential candidates. If he were to achieve “good” ratings (i say this only because what is required today to achieve good ratings), it is hard to imagine he could do it and still be an appealing candidate.
I think he does have a shot in 2012, but I think he would be better served if he formed a PAC and continued to appear in support of other Republican candidates around the country. In addition, if he judiciously chose his interviews and continues his speeches, he could position himself nicely for a presidential run. This is his strength.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
voter,
Huckabee is not going to be on the map in 2012. If McCain loses this year, the party is going to be unified before the next presidential election – that means so-cons, economic-cons and national defense conservatives. Huck misses the mark on 2 out of the 3.
If McCain doesn’t tap him for VP this year (and I think it’s highly likely that he will) then he’s never going to be involved in presidential politics again.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
The one thing that putting Schmuckabee on the ticket will do is prove once and for all the value of an alleged “balancing” candidate in the Veep slot on the ticket.
Without the Huckster on the ticket, McCain has some chance of winning (not much, but some). Put Mr. Hypocrite on the ticket and the Dems will shred him by focusing on Brett’s #1; his experience and record. If he thought Romney’s comparisons were nasty, he ain’t seen nuthin’, yet.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
#60. Maybe he won the second most deligates because he refused to drop out when he even knew he had no shot. It reminds me of someone else from Arkansas with the last name Clinton. Just one more connection…
July 14th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Also what makes you think anyone who dislikes Huck likes Romney?
July 14th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I wouldn’t vote for him as dog catcher. His son beats them to death! Oh yeah…its ok if your dad is the governor that lets loose murderers to murder again.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I have a simple question for those who call Huckabee a liberal. Can you give reasons why you claim he’s a liberal? He advocates elimination of both corporate and individual income taxes (the ultimate tax cut – to 0%). He is in favor of a strong military. He is a supporter of Second Amendment rights. He opposes abortion and changes to marriage. He was never accused of being a liberal until he started outperforming better funded candidates during the GOP primaries last fall. If those things are “liberal” than “liberal” is more conservative than most conservatives.
And as for the impact on the election, has anyone checked out the electoral map and latest polls? The biggest area of risk for the GOP is the south, where Obama might do well. The western states are beautiful and very important, but they’re also relatively sparse and have few electoral votes. And the GOP is not in trouble there to the degree that they are in trouble in the south (http://thevaluesvoter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!F3D4C1BC1D8B0D91!1060.entry).
Romney is a talented businessman. But he did not win a single red state primary (http://thevaluesvoter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!F3D4C1BC1D8B0D91!1066.entry). He won six caucuses, most of them having smaller numbers of participating voters than in primaries. I don’t see evidence that he would do well. And more importantly, the argument that you make about Huckabee causing the GOP to lose western states can be turned on its head. Romney could easily cause the ticket to lose southern states. And since the southern states have more electoral votes than the western states as a result of those states having more people in them, the consequences for the GOP would be worse if they lost the south.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
If Huckabee is VP, I will absolutely not vote for McCain. Huck is the deal breaker for me, and I am a Nevada citizen. I know a lot of Nevadans who feel the same way. Remember that Romney won Nevada and Colorado by a landslide.
Huckabee only appeals to Evangelicals in the South and had little support elsewhere. If Huck is VP, McCain will for sure lose NV and CO.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Brett,
Great article.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
TVV…
Some of what you say is interesting and valid. Your point on Romney not winning a single red state primary is completely wrong, however. Romney won Utah by a landslide. If you don’t count Utah as being red, you’re dead wrong. If you don’t count Utah as being a Primary, you’re also dead wrong. As I recall, he won 95% of the vote here in Utah (yes, I voted for him in our state’s primary).
You might want to tell the Values Voters Blog author as well.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I liked Huckabee during the primary but even I have to admit he sometimes came across as less than presidential and less than ready. That said I think he is more than qualified to serve as VP.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I really hate to say this, but I am getting the impression that Romney will be the VP. He is opening campaign offices for McCain, he has become a top surrogate for McCain on TV, and he seems to be having Romney appear in battleground states.
Now of course McCain did this for Bush, but Bush also asked McCain if VP. he was interested in being his VP.
Any non-Romney supporters disagree? McCain seems to be doing better in polling, which leads me to believe that this is better for Romney.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
McCain NEVER did this much for Bush! Certainly not in 2000.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Halpern and Chuck Todd on Charlie Rose said McCain and Romney are also getting along better. They also said about 40 states are in play and that a pro-choice VP won’t happen.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
ogrepete, you appear to be right about Utah having had a primary and not a caucus. I will correct that part.
I could go on and on about why I don’t believe McCain could win with Romney. However, after spending a lot of time in the past expressing why I don’t care for Romney as a candidate, I got decided it’s better to explain why I like my guy and not just why I don’t car for the candidacy of the other guy. Romney has had some excellent life accomplishments in business. But I don’t think they necessarily translate into the type of leadership needed to run a government in which a lot of the job involves motivating people you didn’t hire and can’t fire.
As for the establisment, I do not for one second believe they would sit by and let Obama win. Many of these good people live in states that no Republican has won in twenty years, anyway. But even if they did, funding is clearly not always the attribute that determines which candidate will perform best with voters.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
McCain killed himself for Bush in 2000. Can’t change history.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:28 am
TVV
Got to say I like the approach of pitching your guy instead of tearing the others down.
I don’t even know if I want Romney for Veep. I think Huckabee would be okay as Veep, but a little scary to me as President. Probably, though, some time as Veep would do him a lot of good. Age him like a good cheese or wine and he’d be much less faux pas prone, but perhaps much less engaging and funny, too.
Someone more conservative than Huckabee like Mark Warner or maybe Sarah Palin (don’t know too much about her) would best balance out McCain’s maverick attitude, though.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:44 am
McCain makes me want to abandon the party, Huck would seal the deal. Libertarianism is starting to look good with these clowns on the ticket.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Ogrete:
You make an interesting point about balancing the ticket. I some respects, (Geography and a certain issue) Mr. Huckabee does balance the ticket. In other respects, he does not. While, the VP should not be a total ‘Yes man,’ it is probably not best to have total opposites either. On balance, Mr. Huckabee is one of severalcandidates qualified for VP, each candidate has Pros and Cons. One of the stategic problems that Mr. Huckabee would face is that his strength tend to be in the South and in a clean two-way race against Mr. Obama, we do not need to worry too much about losing the South, at least in 2008. In most swing state, Mr. Huckabee will do very little damage (despite what some say,) but he is not likely to bring huge amount of voters either (despite being well liked in some quarters.) Some will vote for Mr. Barr is Mr. Huckabee is on the ticket and to be sure, other will vote for Mr. Barr if Mr. Huckabee is not on the ticket.
IllinoisGuy:
I understand that you like certain candidates more than other which is fine, but I respectfully ask you to be careful when pointing fingers at the children of candidates. Perhaps you are correct that one of Mr. Huckabee’s sons did abuse animals. If that is the case, it is not right no matter who he is the son of. I would not want to be compared to my father nor would be fair to my son to compare him to me; in short, I believe we should be careful when talking about family members. Perhaps just as important, it is best that you be sure that this story is correct before staing such harsh accusations. Again, I am not saying that you are wrong because I do not recall this case, but it is a serious charge.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Huckabee is the face of the most significant part of the conservative base. That is a fact.
If you are not consistently pro-life, then you are a liberal.
If you are not willing to defend marriage, then you are indeed a liberal.
Simple as that.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I see this has kind of died down, but I want to know has #80 rationalizes a statement like “If you are not consistently pro-life, then you are a liberal.”
1. As a supporter of the Consistent Life Ethic, I think “consistently pro-life” includes opposing war and the death penalty, both of which most “pro-lifers” are rabidly in support of.
2. Can you really say that Republicans like Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan (who as Governor of California passed laws permitting abortion), and Condoleezza Rice aren’t conservative? To name only a few?
July 15th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
OHIO JOE wrote:
“in a clean two-way race against Mr. Obama, we do not need to worry too much about losing the South, at least in 2008.”
I disagree with that statement entirely. The Republican Party is entirely in danger of losing some states in the south (http://thevaluesvoter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!F3D4C1BC1D8B0D91!1060.entry).
July 15th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I’m persuaded. Huckabee’s the only VP candidate that comes to mind that would almost definitely cause me, an undecided voter, to vote for McCain. Romney would absolutely cause me to not vote for McCain.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Huckabee is the only VP candidate that will cause me NOT to vote for McCain!!!
July 16th, 2008 at 12:34 am
#80. The FACT is that there really would be not be much of a difference between the judges appointed by MOST republicans to the supreme court, BUT there would be a HUGE difference on a host of other conservative princaples. That is why Huck is at the very BOTTOM of the list.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Nobody ever answered my first question (from #67): “I have a simple question for those who call Huckabee a liberal. Can you give reasons why you claim he’s a liberal? He advocates elimination of both corporate and individual income taxes (the ultimate tax cut – to 0%). He is in favor of a strong military. He is a supporter of Second Amendment rights. He opposes abortion and changes to marriage. He was never accused of being a liberal until he started outperforming better funded candidates during the GOP primaries last fall. If those things are “liberal” than “liberal” is more conservative than most conservatives.”
I suspect that some would answer that question with the thoughtful response “because he is.” Which, of course, is the type of answer I’d expect from a liberal and not from a conservative.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
#86.
Here you go buddie…
***TAXES***
Huckabee Raised Taxes Over His Tenure As Governor, Hurting the Middle-Class. Governor Huckabee pushed for a sales tax increase in 1996, 2002 and 2004, and a fuel tax in 1999 squeezing the pockets of middle-class citizens on everyday purchases and for workers who needed to drive to and from work. Huckabee also made it clear he opposed sales tax exemption bills because they would hurt his tight state budget. A conservative fiscal group pointed out that “by the end of his ten-year tenure, Governor Huckabee was responsible for a 37% higher sales tax in Arkansas, 16% higher motor fuel taxes.”
***IMMAGRATION***
1) Mike Huckabee arranged for a Mexican Consulate to locate in Little Rock, with the State of Arkansas paying for many of their expenses, to assist the illegal Mexican immigrants.
2) Governor Mike Huckbaee opposes legislation to restrict benefits to illegal immigrants.
3) Huckabee stated that amnesty proposals were a “chance to make up for past racism.” Huckabee went on to say “I think frankly the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than [the "racist" way] we did before.”
He also made the insane point that companies like Toyota would not invest in Arkansas if the state didn’t allow non-citizens to vote because it would “send the message that, essentially, ‘If you don’t look like us, talk like us and speak like us, we don’t want you.’”
<<>>
Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2007
-http://www.judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-announces-list-washington-s-ten-most-wanted-corrupt-politicians-2007
Do we need to go on??? This scratches ONLY THE SURFACE!!!
July 16th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
#86
I’m in the process of moving, and at the moment, don’t have regular access to the internet. you can search the archives on this site to find where I’ve laid out my problems with Huckabee. He has his strong points, but is also weak, or extremely inconsistent, on many key positions
July 16th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
He raised the gasoline tax by three cents and the diesel tax by four cents. He actually was the subject of criticism in 2001 because he REFUSED to raise taxes in the face of a budget shortfall (he satarized his critics by creating a voluntary fund for anyone who didn’t feel they were getting taxed enough to feel free to give more but refused to raise the tax rate).
And he is the ONLY Republican candidate who advocates eliminating the Federal Individual Income Tax and the Federal Corporate Income Tax. In other words, cut them to 0% – nobody else has proposed such a massive tax cut. Elimination of the Income Tax would result in growth to the economy as it would promote spending. It would also save the 6% of the GDP that people spend just preparing their income taxes (not including the cost of paying them). It would also save the government 44 cents for every $100 collected and fix a broken tax system that is four thousand pages long and is oppressive to productivity. If that’s liberalism, I’ll take it. I wish all Republicans were that “liberal.”
As for immagration, he also is the candidate who had the most comprehensive plan for securing America’s borders, which was endorsed by the man who founded the Minutemen organization. He does not hate and personally demonize people who have bypassed our failure to protect our borders to get access to the greatest country in the world. However, he has a plan to deal with those who are here with an illegal status, but just as importantly, a detailed plan to protect the borders to prevent more people from coming here illegally.
In other words, I think you do need to go on. It is hard to believe that the guy who wants to cut all income taxes and secure the borders is a liberal.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Who has the freaking time to list Hucks liberal record. Go google it yourself and with an open mind read his past positions.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
The borders plan was debatable, considering the Minutemen then disowned the founder who went with Huckabee. Now, I’m not arguing with you, but there were two sides to that coin.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
and if my memory is correct, it was a really nasty split.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
“Who has the freaking time to list Hucks liberal record. Go google it yourself and with an open mind read his past positions.”
A person who wants to be taken seriously when they claim he is a liberal.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Daniel and Micah (87 and 90) are the same person – same IP – please dont troll around.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
In fact that IP has posted as Joe, Jerrod, Micah, Kevin, and Daniel.
Please try to figure out who you are and stay that person.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Can somebody say “busted?”
July 18th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
The immaturity of the comments on this site make me believe there are some very young teenagers on here trying to cause havoc! Seriously, I can’t believe intelligent adults would make such immature comments. Mike Huckabee and his supporters don’t stoop to this level, so let me just say, you are an example of the person you represent for vp, and I wouldn’t want to be your guy/girl and have YOU represent me. Huckabee spoke at Cornell University in April and I just listened to his, almost 2 hr. seminar and found it amazing this man spoke with no notes, fluently, from the heart, no mistakes, and he made the most sense of any politician I have ever heard in my lifetime. As the author of the book “The Grand New Party” said when talking about the Republican Party heading in a different direction if it is to survive, Mike Huckabee was the one, of all the GOP candidates, who had his pulse on “getting it right”.
July 18th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Daniel, I’m sure Huckabee supporters could find all kinds of “dirt” on your guy if we wanted and post a list three times as long as the one you are touting. We find it much more uplifting and persuasive to speak of Mike Huckabee’s accomplishments than to try and tear your guy down. If you can’t find anything positive to say about your guy, I can understand how you will try to come up with your flimsy list of reasons Huckabee will not be a good vp. I say, if this is all you can come up with, (tainted and misrepresented, unethical and dirty just as some of the GOP candidates ran their campaigns) Huckabee is in great shape!! Why don’t you spend half the time telling why YOUR guy is the best for the position and half less knocking down someone else from your OWN party. THis is divisive and not the way to beat Obama—remember him, the Democrat we are trying to defeat…..
July 18th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Fredoflav, Sorry to disagree with you, but independent survey usa election polls recently released tested McCain/Huckabee, Romney, Pawlenty and Lieberman in 10 swing states and McCain/Huckabee beat in almost every case, even CO and Ma, Romney’s own state. So, though Huckabee might not be your cup of tea, you must give him credit where credit is due. He made a huge impact on many people on less money than any candidate ever ran on before to get so far (in delegates). Having been a volunteer since Jan. I can tell you his supporters are as diverse as the population itself, and certainly not restricted to evangelicals and social conservatives. Many who don’t agree with him 100% on social issues, like the FAIR TAX and his health care plan plus his successful history of educational accomplishments in Ark.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Mike Huckabee was Governor of Arkansas for over 10 years. He is undoubtedly John McCain’s best VP pick!
Survey USA took a series of polls to determine the VP candidate (out of Huckabee, Lieberman, Pawlenty, and Romney) who would help John McCain the most.
They took polls in PA, NM, VA, CA, OH, IA, KS, WI, NE, OR, NY, MA, MN, AL, KY, and MO. Of these, PA, NM, VA, OH, IA, OR, MN, and MO are generally considered to be possible battleground states in November.
In almost every case, Governor Mike Huckabee did best. He even had a slight lead in Massachusetts where Romney was once Governor!
There have been five bellwether states – OH, MO, LA, KY, and AR – that have correctly predicted the winner of the General Election for each of the past eight elections (dating back to 1976). Of those, in the GOP Primaries, Huckabee won the popular vote in two of them (AR and LA), coming in second to McCain in the other three. McCain won the popular vote in three of them (OH, MO and KY), coming in second to Huckabee in the other two. The margin between the two in the state of MO was extremely narrow. And in the state of KY, Huckabee even managed to come in second to John McCain three and a half months after he suspended his campaign and endorsed McCain.
Governor Huckabee would be a great Vice President. Even Mitt Romney thinks so! At a town hall meeting back in December (before Iowa) he was asked what he thought of Huckabee as VP. Romney replied: “Sure, he’s a wonderful person… He’d make a great vice president.”