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Trying to spur a Huckabee-Palin feud.
First of all, what Huckabee said in the Wall Street Journal was undeniably true:
“What John McCain did for her was to give her the capacity to sort of leapfrog over the process and get right to the center stage,” he said at a breakfast with reporters this morning. “By naming her (his running mate) he was able to put her in a position where she did have to go through the bruising process of the primaries. Many of us had been out there for 15 months … she walks into the hot spotlight and she’s a blank slate nobody knows so Republicans are fired up…
Huckabee’s comments on Palin, a possible rival for the 2012 Republican nomination, suggest some jealously. “She didn’t have to go through any the debates, she didn’t have to go through the primaries, she didn’t have to have people pick her or pick someone else against her. State parties did not have to divide from one to 12 ways over her. So it was a remarkable ability for her to come in at a level that is an extraordinary benefit to her…”
Asked if he is frustrated by all this, he said he was not. “That’s not resentment,” he said. “It’s envy.”
Sarah Palin is a great governor, so is Bobby Jindal, so is Mark Sanford. In the end, most governors don’t run for President because it takes too much time, too much money, and you are put through a series of purity tests that combine the finest features of the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials.
As a smaller state governor running in, say, 2012, she’d have had 0 name recognition and would have needed to spend a year campaigning just to test her viability. Her service on the National Ticket has generated enthusiasm, a nationwide network of volunteers, and, should she run, she’ll start out with a good fundraising base and strong name ID within the GOP. The stirring GOP defenses of her have made political back stabbing far more costly for those who don’t want to wander in the no man’s land wilderness of David Frum and Kathleen Parker.
If you don’t call that enviable, I don’t know what you call it. It doesn’t make her any better or worse of a candidate that she got to skip much of that bloodbath in 2008. It did give her a good advantage.
As for 2012, Huckabee told CNN:
“There’s a part of me that wants to see some fundamental change. I may not be the one to lead it,” he said.
The “jealousy” stuff is just silly and is ultimately manufactured by media attack dogs.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:14 am
I agree.
As much as I think Huck is a bit of a joke, he’s 10 times less so than Sarah the diva.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:37 am
Huck and Sarah compete for the same base. Of course he’s jealous. He has no chance against her.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:24 am
I’m not sure he has no chance against Palin. Palin never had to debate anyone on the national stage that didn’t give her the kid glove treatment and she folded under pressure in media interviews. Huck might be an ass, but he’s a charismatic ass to those who aren’t yet wise to his implicit “Vote for me because Jesus wants you to” campaign. Yes, Huck and palin compete for the same base but it’s not at all clear that Huck can’t beat Palin among those True Believers.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Actually I wouldn’t mind if both Huckabee and Palin went on a mission to Kazahkstan for the next four years to convert people to evangelism but that’s just me.
November 20th, 2008 at 5:19 am
While, I like both candidates, I do not think they have the same base. Sure, I know several people that like both candidates, but I also know several people who like one, but not the other or at least several people who like one much better than the other. In terms of policy, I do like Mrs. Palin better, she is much Conservative than Mr. Huckabee and most other candidates for that matter, but I still think that Mr. Huckabee is probably more viable at this point, he has built up a much larger network of support. I would be happy with either, but we need to have the most viable candidate to lead in 2012 and it will take a few years to see how the cookie crumbles.
November 20th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Ohio,
All snarkiness aside, help me out here. The only places that Palin had a net positive favorability rating are the exact same places where Huckabee performed well in last year’s primary season. Palin and Huck appeal to so-con GOPers and little else. What am I missing?
November 20th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Palin’s probaby doing good in Romney’s strong areas too (the big northern and Rocky states)
November 20th, 2008 at 6:54 am
7,
Maybe. But even that is hard to say. I’m not sure how deep Romney’s support was in the north and west because they were caucus states. Certainly the Mormons will give Romney the edge in the Rocky Mountain states. I’m not sure about ND, MN, ME, etc. Even polling won’t help because causes voters are a different breed than the general or primary elctorate.
It seems to me though that setting geography aside, in terms of wings of the party, Huck and Palin overlap more than Romney and Palin or Huck and Romney. If Palin and Huck want to give it a go there is going to be a major inter-pew turf war going on.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I think Huckabee and Palin share enough of the same base. Really Huckabee does need to increase his share of religious conservative voters (Evangelical, Roman Catholic), many of whom didn’t vote for or didn’t know who he was at the time of the campaign. It’s going to be impossible for both to run.
On the other hand, Palin is a lot more popular personally than Romney among a lot of talk show hosts that rallied to him as a candidate of last resort, so it could be hard for both of them.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Adam, I do not know what you are missing, only you can answer that. To be sure there is overlap between Mr. Huckabee and Mrs. Palin. They are both basically Social Conservatives. However, they do have slight disagreements on avariety of issues. They also have different personalities. I admit the my county and all the surrounding counties might not represent the whole country, but I do know serveral Republicans (and a Non Republicans for that matter ) who have different opinions of both candidates. I admit I know several people that have similar views of them, but it is down right foolish to think that two candidates are almost exactly the same. That does not need to mean that there may or may not be nastynesss between the two camps but the two camps are certainly not one in the same.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Dude, the issue isn’t that I think both CANDIDATES are the same (when did I say that?), it’s I think both candidates have the SAME SUPPORTERS. Like, they’ll cannibalize each others’ support if they both are major players in 2012. Sort of like how McCain took away the support of moderate GOPers from Giuliani. You spewed off some anecdotal evidence about people you know. Well and good, but I am still unsure where you think each candidate’s respective well of potential voters are independent from each other.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Adam Graham:
I do not think it is impossible for both to run. While many Evangelicals do in deed like both candidates, Catholics are all over the map with regards to camp loyalty. Yes there is overlap between Mr. Romney and Mrs. Palin among the radio (both nationally and locally) crowd. On a side note, I really admire your blogging style Adam Graham. Despite not being part of Mrs. Palin’s camp, you have been very polite to her and you have refrained from trashing her. I am a little disappointed in a few members of the Huckabee camp who sat on their hands during the campaign and trashed Mrs. Palin from the sidelines. These SoCons are just as foolish as those crazy FiCons who trashed Mrs. Palin. Peerhaps Mrs. Palin is not the best person to lead our party in 2012, but I am really upset at some of the extreme elements of both the Romney and Huckabee wings of the party that have trashed and destroyed Mrs. Palin. I pray they do not do this against other fine candidates in the future who wish to serve our party and our country.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I give it three hours before Kristofer comes in here and assures us that there’s going to be friction between Palin and all of the other camps. Romney’s and Sanford’s because she’s a perfect economic conservative, Huckabee’s because she’s a proven social conservative (only she won’t alienate anyone because she’s beloved, as proven by the poll taken on Election Day that he kept telling me about), Jindal’s and Gingrich’s because she’s an ideas woman and a proven reformer, and — if he runs again — Giuliani’s, because she’s a hawk that’s ready to be our very own Iron Lady. Oh, and Obama’s, because Palin knows how to reach across the aisle and can attract moderates and independents.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am
so, if Sarah Palin is a great governor, why don’t major Republicans support her to primaries??
I am very curious for American election system,
my question is : Is it very easy for a camel going pass thru a hole of needle, rather than a american woman politician to be a president-elect?
US has black president already, but for woman, maybe need to wait till the year of 3008 ???
thanks.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Is TonyK for real? Why do I think he’s some smart ass 18-year old kid in Fairfax with a 160 IQ and a sense fo humor?
My apologies if I am wrong
November 20th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I think I speak for a lot of voters- SoCon and otherwise- when I say that I will take a wait and see attitude with Palin. I know that she wasn’t allowed to be her own person in ‘08. Let’s see what she does when SHE is calling the shots.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Tony K:
You are correct, for whatever reason, good or bad, the political reality is that it is very difficult for women to succeed in running for high office. Perhaps it is a double standard, but I guess it is the Democratic process. Both Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden committed so many more blunders than Mrs. Palin, but most people just looked the other way.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:17 am
These SoCons are just as foolish as those crazy FiCons who trashed Mrs. Palin. Peerhaps Mrs. Palin is not the best person to lead our party in 2012, but I am really upset at some of the extreme elements of both the Romney and Huckabee wings of the party that have trashed and destroyed Mrs. Palin. I pray they do not do this against other fine candidates in the future who wish to serve our party and our country.
I understand that. I think that the people who trashed Palin from the Huckabee side were certainly not people close to the campaign as was the case with Romney. (Probably the highest profile Huckabee supporter to bash Palin is Rob Dreher of the Dallas Morning News and he was never part of the campaign.)
You’ll always have people who are kind of sore and in one way, it’s understandable because really the elevation of Palin did damage chances of Huckabee in 2012 and there’s a sense of, “not having paid their dues.” I think that’s somewhere between 10-20% of Huck’s Army folks, if that. The vast majority supported Sarah and did everything they could for her.
I just tend to have a different outlook than those who are bitter. We face serious problems in our country and we better fix them. I love Sarah Palin, I love Mike Huckabee. I love Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal. These people are great Americans. What I look forward to is the hope that in 2012, we’ll have a leader who’ll get elected and really be able to help move our country in the right direction.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
“The only places that Palin had a net positive favorability rating are the exact same places where Huckabee performed well in last year’s primary season. Palin and Huck appeal to so-con GOPers and little else. What am I missing?”
Huckabee is a strong supporter of the Fairtax and many of his supporters liked him because of this tax plan.
Huckabee also appeals to many independents and democrats, he had good cross over appeal during the primaries. Take for example Huckabee on the View on Tuesday. Both Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd happily welcomed Mike on the show and said he was the only republican they would have voted for and they liked him best.
Huckabee has more foreign policy experience than Palin. While Huckabee did not get credit during the primaries for the foreign policy experience he did have, he has travelled and met and dealt with many foreign business leaders and foreign country leaders.
But you are right, both Huckabee and Palin will be competing for the republican religious base. If Palin can gain more foreign policy experience, while sticking to her great record as a reformer, tax cutter, and governor who rids of Alaska of corruption, she will have the edge in 2012. In that case, I believe Huckabee would stand aside and let Sarah take the reigns.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Adam G,
Good point. There is a danger in thinking that political salvation must come through one person. That’s how you get these sorts of messianic followers of Obama………. and………… others.
In truth, conservatives shouldn’t be looking for a messiah- that’s the stuff of utopian radicals- but good governance. If you don’t think you can live in a country that doesn’t elect Candidate X, then you probably aren’t conservative.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Well said MWS, in the end, our country is stronger than any one candidate.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:26 am
To quote Huckabee in the article…
“Asked if he is frustrated by all this, he said he was not. “That’s not resentment,” he said. “It’s envy.””
Of course he is jealous. Just as he was jealous of Mitt’s cash during the primaries.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:28 am
The question is, does Huckabee’s jealousy lead him to do un-presidential things.
The answer (it depends!) probably depends an awful lot on how much you like Huckabee’s message and background.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Adam how did your LSAT go?
November 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Palin’s wrong if she thinks 2 years as Governor of Alaska qualifies her to be president.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Ted,
She’ll have possibly six years as governor by the time 2012 comes.
Tony is from Great Britain, I think…
November 20th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I thought he said he was from the Phillipines.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Let’s sum up this post….
Huck Sucks.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
“Is Huckabee jealous”?
Hmmm, let me thing…. Is the pope Roman Catholic?
November 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
think*
November 20th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
“Of course he is jealous. Just as he was jealous of Mitt’s cash during the primaries.”
I would be jealous too… not cause Mitt had lots of money, which is all fine and dandy in my book. I would be more upset than anything else b/c of the stupid McCain-Fiengold rules that bar people from raising over a certain amount of money for a particular candidate, but allows that candidate to go over that cash limit and self-finance his/her campaign… aka, Mitt, Hillary. That is unequiovacally UNFAIR to good candidates who don’t personally have lots of money but have great ideas for their party and a nation as a whole. No problem with wealthy ppl running for office, just don’t finance your campaign with your vast pockets of cash and expect it to be a FAIR campaign.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
“I understand that. I think that the people who trashed Palin from the Huckabee side were certainly not people close to the campaign as was the case with Romney. (Probably the highest profile Huckabee supporter to bash Palin is Rob Dreher of the Dallas Morning News and he was never part of the campaign.)
You’ll always have people who are kind of sore and in one way, it’s understandable because really the elevation of Palin did damage chances of Huckabee in 2012 and there’s a sense of, “not having paid their dues.” I think that’s somewhere between 10-20% of Huck’s Army folks, if that. The vast majority supported Sarah and did everything they could for her.
I just tend to have a different outlook than those who are bitter. We face serious problems in our country and we better fix them. I love Sarah Palin, I love Mike Huckabee. I love Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal. These people are great Americans. What I look forward to is the hope that in 2012, we’ll have a leader who’ll get elected and really be able to help move our country in the right direction.”
Could not agree more, Adam Graham.