In this Washington Time's article from back in October, it opined on the possibility that Mike Huckabee's evangelical supporters might bolt from the Republican Party to form a 3rd party if they weren't getting the proper respect from the Republican establishment. Those inside the Party feared, of course, that this would automatically hand the Presidency to the Democrats.
Well, with Huck's victory tonight in the Iowa caucus, its apparent that he is getting the respect from the Republican party voters but that does not make him any less of a 3rd party candidate.
We don't want to be a tease but its late and there will definetely be more on this later but.... Huckabee has wound up as a defacto 3rd party candidate precisely because he wants to be a 3rd party candidate. Any legitimate questions of his record as Governor of Arkansas have been viewed by he and his supporters as either attacks from "the Establishment" or "the Beltway" of the Republican Party or attacks on Huckabee because he is an evangelical Christian and they have spared nothing in publically expressing the same.
He has purposefully played the victim role to set himself outside what his campaign portrays as the establishment of the Party and that's what rubs us the wrong way and that is what may possibly divide the Republican Party just as effectively if he split to run on a 3rd Party ticket.
Its the issues, stupid... We nor any fellow (R)s we know hold Huck's fervent Christianity against him but that is precisely what he wants people to think. Its going to come with a price, though - either for him or the Party. The longer he plays the victim role, the more primary voters are going to be turned off by it. Its now just a race against time to see whether or not he can secure enough delegates to win the nomination before everyone wakes up to his schtick.
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The Huckster's victory came at the hands of a highly motivated evangelical organization in Iowa. These people did not vote on the political issues, just their boy.
It was akin to an inferior football team pulling some razzle dazzle trick play on the first play of the game and catching their opponent off guard.
So he scores a little in the first round, it will probably give him a little bounce. But he's a liberal and if Romney and Fred continue to reveal his record, conservatives will abandon him.
Also his position on illegal immigration prohibits him as being a viable candidate as the primarys move west.
By the way, did you see Chuck Norris wife standing behind the Huckster during his speech?..... wow, what did he have to say, I wasn't paying attention.
'Dawg, I missed the Chuckster's wife. Thanks for the heads-up, though and thank goodness for YouTube.
Re: Huck. I (hope) believe you are right. Let's just see how this thing plays out down the road
A liberal supported by evangelicals? Now I might start paying attention to any of this CF...
- Mongo
As one new to the blobosphere, what is CF.
As far as Huck, soft on immigrationa and tax reforms of minor consequence. Yet claiming to have cut taxes.
Anon, my educational and occupational experience has afforded me an extensive knowlege of phonetic acronyms. I believe Mongo was referring to a "Charlie-Foxtrot". Now, this being a family program, I will only say that a Charlie-Foxtrot roughly translates to "quite a large and indecipherable mess".
Cluster-flop. Dang it! What would you accuse me of, on this family programing network?
And, would this be the beginning of a trend for the Evangelicals? First there are reports of ministers preaching What Would Jesus Drive? and other pro-environmental doctrine. And now we all of a sudden get a BWD comment on the victory of a Republican "liberal" driven by the quaking masses?
Quick, somebody dip a thermometer in the River Styx!
And, dang it, missed Chuck's wife. I think that was the 3 minutes when the Orange Bowl was actually interesting.
Mongo
Anon was me, I didn't log in, and I should have desiphered CF. Heck, I think the military invented the phrase. Get withit Dawg.
Unfortunately for America, we have been polarized to "getting behind our team" rather than getting behind the issues. So the Huckster has "rock star" popularity among the southern evangelicals. I don't believe he would have got the votes had he not been a "former babtist minister" I think my theory will pan out in NH.
I watched Fred's spot on Utube. 17 minutes of real, well thought out policy. While I can respect that, it will never fly with the electorate. Being from showbiz, he should know to cut it to bite size sound bites, or his message will never get across.
Although I like Fred, if he doesn't take some political viagra, he won't make it. Lookit how long it took him to get into the race. Maybe he was waiting for his wife to be of eligable age for the First Lady position.
So now I watch the GS with the enthusiasm of a fan whose team is in the wild card spot. (Mongo, that's a team that barely made the playoffs......By the way, who is the definitive champion of college football?) It seems like good sport to watch, especially with the Hillary/ Obama heat.
I would love to be a fly on the wall of the Hillary camp. Now THAT would be some good sideline action. We're talking some good locker room talk. Including "Bill, how have you contributed to the situation?" Now her corronation has been besmirched.
GS: This is US military slang meaning a chaotic or out-of-control situation ... similar to "cluster flop" or "pooch screw" or "SNAFU". The basic form is GS. The participants in a "GS" are pictured as engaged in useless pointless activities (such as copulation with animals) rather than in purposeful activity, I suppose.
Hey, Huck did what was required of him last night. He crushed the Pander Bear, Mitt Romney. Let's hope McCain gives him a sound thrashing in New Hampshire, and then we'll be done with that windbag.
Huckabee isn't going anywhere.
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