I think I might change my name on blogs from here on out to ThatGrumpyConservativeGuy. Seriously, I am not a fan of Governor Huckabee, but have almost found myself having to defend him on a couple of comments. I think he has a right to stay in, just like Ron Paul has a right to stay in.
At the same time, I don’t see what good comes from him actually staying in, but for those calling for him to drop out, Governor Huckabee updated his blog tonight…
and it seems like he’s not going anywhere. From Governor Huckabee, himself, at 10:42 pm:
The first question I am often asked these days is: “Why are you still running for President?”
It is because I believe that I am the best candidate to represent you in the fall against the Democrats. Why? Because I have core conservative beliefs that I have never wavered from:
I believe in the Human Life Amendment and I will fight for it from Day 1 of my Presidency.
I believe in the Marriage Amendment.
I believe in massive tax reform and am an advocate of the FairTax.
I believe that President Bush’s tax cuts should be made permanent.
I believe in the Surge, our troops and General Petraeus.
I believe the 2nd amendment is one of the best ways to protect us from tyranny and I will work tirelessly to protect it from activist judges.
I believe in real border security and have proposed a detailed 9 point plan to secure our borders.
I believe the best judge is a conservative judge that won’t legislate from the bench.
These are some of the reasons why I am running for President and let me also say that YOU are another reason. I am running to give you a voice in the process. To lift up your voice with mine and to tell our Party and our government that we need to do better. We need to think big and fight for our ideas.
There’s lots of voting left to be done before our Republican Party’s nominee is decided.
Disclaimer: I do not support Huckabee, so don’t flame me for posting this, because I’m just reporting, not defending his position
February 12th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Nobody questions his right to stay in — he’s a natural-born US citizen over 35 years of age, so he has a right to run.
But he’s a stalking horse for the Democrats after tonight. No one benefits from his campaign except Obama or Hillary.
If he stays in, he will have made lifelong enemies of a great many people in the Republican party because he will have put his selfish ego ahead of the party and the country.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Huck’s not going anywhere but no one’s given him an incentive to pull out yet.
Without that incentive I imagine he stays in until McCain has 1191 delegates.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Huck will drop out this week, i have a good feeling about that.
He needs to get 123% of the Delegates to get the nomination, which is impossible.
He needs to get over 900 Delegates and there are only 725 Delegates left, which means its not mathematically impossible for Huckabee to win this nomination, which means he needs to get out.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
now*
February 12th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Yes, Huck has a right to run, just like I have a right to say he is an egotistical self promoter jeopardizing our chances in the fall by continuing a campaign which he has already lost.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Bryan he doesn’t need money for his campaign.
I don’t see what incentive he has to leave.
He’s got nothing to lose as the Republican establishment HATES him.
Unless McCain offers him something, I think Huckabee will wait until McCain reaches 1191 in late March.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:08 am
“the Republican establishment HATES him.”
I don’t know about the establishment, but if he continues on and helps Obama and Hillary, I’m sure as hell going to hate him — and I’ll do everything in my very limited power to derail him if he tries to seek office in the future.
When you’re beaten, you acknowledge it, get out gracefully, and support the winner.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I tend to think McCain’s likely to reach 1191 in early March rather than in late March. But I think he will stay in untill that point.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:16 am
I agree with a lot of his listed beliefs in his email. Most conservatives (and most Republicans) do. But that doesn’t mean I should be president too. The fact is, many more Republicans don’t feel he’s the best choice to be our nominee, despite his beliefs. My candidate accepted that fact just after Super Tuesday and dropped out. Several others accepted that even earlier and dropped out. Withdrawing from the race doesn’t mean giving up on his beliefs and ideals. But by staying in, Huck is quickly turning this race into a personal one about him, and not about the direction of the party or the nation. In the process of remaining in the race, he makes the conservative segment of the party less and less meaningful with each McCain win. He also diminishes his own role in the party each time McCain picks up more and more Conservative votes, as he did in VA and MD today.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:16 am
I think he’s waiting to catch Romney’s delegate count before he quits. It’s an ego thing.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Huckabee just said on CNN that if McCain doesnt get to 1191, he will take it all the way to the convention, but i really think that MCCain will get to 1191 before then without qustion. He will come close on March 4th b/c Texas has 163 and Ohio has 88, so he should get a good chunk of those b/c they will be based on Congressional Districts, and if he wins Texas and Ohio by big margins then he would get all 88 and 163, which is 251 and would put McCain very close to what he needs.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Huck’s just staying in to try to garner more total votes and more delegates than Romney . . . he wants to claim that he came in 2nd place and is therefore “the next guy in line.” It’s almost embarrassing to see.
Sad that he’s still WAY behind Romney in the total votes cast and significantly down to him in delegates still, despite Mitt dropping out prior to the last SIX primaries and caucuses. He’ll need to hang in until Texas and Ohio to finally catch Mitt in those areas . . . meaning that it will take Huckabee two months to garner the votes and delegates that Romney did in one month.
Huck sure was right when he said “I didn’t major in math.” Dude is CLUELESS!
February 13th, 2008 at 12:33 am
10 & 12 – I think your explanation is certainly more believable than Huckabee’s commitment to “real border security” and “the Surge.”
February 13th, 2008 at 1:14 am
I think I might change my name on blogs from here on out to ThatGrumpyConservativeGuy.
How about “ThatBizarreGuy,” inasmuch as Huck has no reason to be in this race. Yes, he has a “right” to be in, but, um, why is he still in? Millions of people across the country believe what Huckabee laid out in that statement, but they’re not viable candidates for the nomination, either.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:17 am
sigh…I’m afraid we have to deal with this guy again in 4 years or 8 years whenever it may be. I wish we could get rid of him.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Huck is blowing a golden opportunity to rally the party (and its money) behind him in a run for Senate. He’d score major points for bowing out of this race gracefully, would still get to be the Conservative standard bearer (at least to his supporters), and position himself very well for a future presidential run no matter what the senate race results turn out to be. He’s staying in a current race he can’t win instead of ensuring a good future for himself and the movement. I don’t get it.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:33 am
alaska jake,
You don’t get it because it’s all about Huck. It was never about a fair tax, border security, or any of Huck’s recent policy switches either. Hucks in it because it’s just about his ego. He believes that his version of God will magically change the result. (however, if he has that kinda pull, if I were McCain, I’d keep an MD on standby.)
February 13th, 2008 at 1:40 am
17. . . I’m trying to give Huck the benefit of the doubt and believe that he has only good intentions in this race. I have no reason to believe otherwise. Thing is, he’s got Ed Rollins by his side, and it’s HIS intentions I question. Rollins hasn’t had much success in quite a while and has a mean streak and an ego big enough to connvince Huck to keep going. Rollins knows he’ll never be asked to run a serious campaign again, so this is his last shot. I’d guess a lot of this foolishness is Rollins’ doing.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:45 am
Well this just seals the deal. I was a little spooked by those exit polls but the Virginia result is pretty decisive. If Huckabee is 9 points back in VA in an essentially two man race then he isn’t going to win in WI, OH, PA, VT, RI or (God forbid if it takes that long) IN.
He really is egotistical. He needs to go away.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Check out McCain’s website. They claim to have 812 delegates, but that does not include Washington State (more than 7, less than 19) or the delegates they took tonight (100+).
All told that puts McCain’s delegates at 931. McCain needs 260 to win. This election is mathematically over in 20 days.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:20 am
E Dogg-
The way the math works out if the McCain camp’s numbers are correct, McCain can lose Texas outright to Huckabee and still end up clinching the nomination on March 4 as long as he holds Huckabee to less than 50% statewide and in a large number of Congressional Districts, and sweeps the board elsewhere (Guam (6), Wisconsin (37), Washington State (19), American Samoa (6), Puerto Rico (20), Ohio (88), Rhode Island (17), Vermont (17)).
Sweeping the board elsewhere would be difficult, given the upcoming terrain. Huckabee will likely take a few delegates in Washington State because 10 of the 19 delegates are allocated proportionately to anyone receiving more than 20% statewide. Same thing in Rhode Island, where delegates are allocated proportionately by Congressional district to anyone receiving more than 15% – assuming Huckabee can pick up some of Romney’s old support in the Northeast. Puerto Rico’s delegates will be allocated 13/7 unless McCain gets more than two-thirds of the vote or no one else receives more than 15% (and could be allocated 10/6/4 if Ron Paul also ends up with more than 15%). And Huckabee may pick up a few other delegates in Washington State, Wisconsin and Ohio even if he loses statewide, by winning a few Congressional Districts.
Texas allocates its 137 pledged delegates part by CD (96) and part statewide (41). If a candidate receives 50% + 1, he gets all the delegates for that CD or statewide. If he receives 50% or less, CDs generally split 2-1 as long as the second place candidate receives more than 20%, and the at-large delegates will be allocated proportionately to anyone receiving more than 20%.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:39 am
McCain’s website also lists 98 superdelegates as being “tossups”. Care to guess where the majority of them will be leaning after tonight?
February 13th, 2008 at 5:16 am
I didn’t know the GOP had superdelegates.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Maybe one of Huck’s campaign managers can give a crash course in simple addition. Now that I think about it, maybe he can him repeat all of the grades like Adam Sandler in Billy Madision. By the 3rd grade, he will know basic science and learn the Earth is round and is a hair over 12,000 years old. If he studies hard enough, he might be ready for 2012. If he takes a couple economic courses along the way, he might be ready to vote for him in 2016. Now if that happens, then I will believe in miracles too.
February 13th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Huckabee has made the case, again and again, that Republicans (even those who live in later states) deserve a CHOICE until it’s over. McCain could say something off the wall tomorrow and the entire country could turn against him. He could have lost in Virginia. There are possibilities where McCain doesn’t get the 1191. It’s unlikely, sure, but it could happen.
Since when did we force people to get out of an election before it was over? This is absurd. It’s a free country, and as others have said, the Republican establishment already hates him, so why should he worry about appeasing them? Oh, wait, I know, because Romney already did that. He kowtows to anyone who offers him a better prize… but when you’re standing on principle, and it’s never been about the money ANYWAY, and everyone’s been saying for over a year that you shouldn’t even be in the race, well, then, why would you start listening to them 14 months into the race? You might as well stay in it until it’s for sure over, with a declared winner.
February 13th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Oh, and #24- a Creationist actually believes that the earth is about 6,000 years old. Not 12,000. Maybe YOU need to do a little more studying.
February 13th, 2008 at 7:55 am
He needs to get 123% of the Delegates to get the nomination, which is impossible.
He’s not trying to win 1191, just prevent McCain from reaching it, which is possible.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Very simply, Gov Huckabee being in the race keeps at least SOME media spotlight on Sen McCain until (not unless) he reaches 1191. It’s not a bad thing that he gets free media coverage at this point!
Were I Sen McCain, I’d wage a campaign against the Dems and basically ignore Gov Huckabee. Spend time raising all the money you can (he’ll need it, for sure, with the ability Dems have shown in raising money this year) for the general and spend your primary-only money bashing Dems. Consider getting Gov Huckabee to be your director of finances for your general campaign (who has done better with less money?). Dream up new ways to positively stay in the spotlight as long as possible.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:55 am
The race is over, so i am not sure why he is still in, especially if he is not going after mccain and challenging to be more conservative “keeping his feet to the fire” sort of speak.
he has proven he can’t appeal across the board. Yes, he has a right to be in, but there isn’t much of a point to stay in. whatever, I don’t even care.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Stop winning.
You hate Huckabee… fine. That’s your problem.
Mike has stated his reasons for staying in the race.
“Ego”? Well, name any candidate for President who doesn’t have one. But, you might look in the mirror and see what a giant ego it takes to think that anyone cares about your anonymous rants on this blog. (Please don’t prove your intellectual inferiority and inability to read compound sentences by replying with the obvious observation that I myself would be considered egotistical for posting my anonymous rant on this blog. And, I might add, even with full disclose of your identity, still… who cares what you think?)
Would anyone mind if Mike was to illicit a solid affirmation from McCain regarding boarder security? How about stem cell research?
Don’t let your hate cloud your judgment and taint this political discourse. Unless you hate Mitt “Planned Parenthood” Romney, then fire away at that baby killer.
I’m so egotistical that I thought that was ironically funny… even chucked to myself.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:53 am
James – just wanted to see how your research project was coming along. You know, the one where Huckabee arranged for the state sponsored abortion of a 15 year old mentally retarded girl who was raped by her step father in exchange for the continuance of $990 million dollars of federal medicaid funding?
February 13th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Hard to comment on a lot of this. seems as if McCain and ” ANYBODY ” you pick a name, is down 10-15 points to Obama and anybody but Hillary. This is just not the Republican year. I think a whole lot of Republicans will be staying at home in the fall and a whole lot of kids and minorities and women and etal will be voting Democratic. So, get ready for a dramatic course change because the Congress will lurch left as well and lots of unsavory things will happen. This is what happens when 1/3 of Republicans, some independents {who vote Democratic in the fall} run over the other 2/3 who are split 3 ways. Too bad but it’s lights out for awhile
February 13th, 2008 at 10:28 am
32 – craig is right. Who’s picture is splashed all over the media right now….hint its not McCain. THe media picked the GOP candidate and is now tossing him out like an old pair pair of socks.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Jeffery: Thanks, I didn’t know about this…
Now I really love Huckabee.
True leadership.
Romney would have driven the girl to Planned Parenthood and knifed the baby himself, saying the whole time that the court “made” him do it.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:50 am
James,
“Romney would have driven the girl to Planned Parenthood and knifed the baby himself, saying the whole time that the court “made†him do it.”
Right-wing kooks like yourself who make over the top statements and overzealously care about only a few so-con issues are exactly why Independents have been leaving the GOP in droves over the last several years.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Adam = blood guilt.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I have a theory that Huckabee wants to be VP…on a Barack Obama led ticket. He’s therefore staying in the Republican race to keep his profile high and rally the faithful in a number of key states. Obama then chooses Huckabee as VP, and some of Huckabee’s lower income, evangelical, rural base jumps to Obama. Honestly, does anyone here think that Obama would have any electoral problems with selecting Huckabee? He’s can certainly hold his base, regardless of the VP selection, and Huckabee appeals to the working class voters that have so far been Hillary’s base on the Democratic side. Given Huckabee’s experience (10 years as Governor), his demographic appeal (to Southern lower income voters and an evangelical class which is increasingly drifting left), his personal qualities (very Obamaesque in terms of oratory, likable, and charismatic), and the oh so important R in front of his name (enhancing Obama’s unity meme), I suspect that a Obama/Huckabee ticket would be virtually unstoppable.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:56 am
James,
God is going to condemn you to the fiery pits of hell. You and your ilk are forcing moderates to vote for Democrats. That’s right more Democrats mean more “baby killers”.
How on earth do you sleep at night? You better hope Huckabee really studied hard for that major in miracles. I’d hate to see burn for eternity.
See – I can sound ridiculous too.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I have a theory that Huckabee wants to be VP…on a Barack Obama led ticket. He’s therefore staying in the Republican race to keep his profile high and rally the faithful in a number of key states. Obama then chooses Huckabee as VP, and some of Huckabee’s lower income, evangelical, rural base jumps to Obama. Honestly, does anyone here think that Obama would have any electoral problems with selecting Huckabee? He’s can certainly hold his base, regardless of the VP selection, and Huckabee appeals to the working class voters that have so far been Hillary’s base on the Democratic side. Given Huckabee’s experience (10 years as Governor), his demographic appeal (to Southern lower income voters and an evangelical class which is increasingly drifting left), his personal qualities (very Obamaesque in terms of oratory, likable, and charismatic), and the oh so important R in front of his name (enhancing Obama’s unity meme), I suspect that a Obama/Huckabee ticket would be virtually unstoppable.
Uh, except Obama isn’t really a unifier, so he’d never do this.
Put down the Obama Kool-Aid.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:06 am
# 26 Jess
Wow, you are right. I did some research. I overestimated his intelligence by 200%.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:10 am
James, You know nothing about Mitt’s personal life. Going back to the 80s, Mitt has strenuously counseled unwed mothers to NOT get abortions.
If you think the President disregarding the Supreme Court or ignoring the Rule-of-Law (a la Judge Roy Moore) then perhaps your rational makes sense.
Don’t forget that if you cut down all the laws to take out an immoral agent, then once all the laws are cut down there will be nothing left to protect you or your family.
The only way to overturn Abortion is through law and order, not through force of will–that would be tyrannical.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Wow. Romney is out of the race and out of the news. So I thought that the rabid Romney haters would have gone back to their regular life. I guess not. Lying and smearing Romney while he was in was kind of understandable – doing whatever it takes to get your guy on top. But lying and smearing Romney now that he is out just smacks of irrational and obsessive hatred. They guy is gone, let him rest in peace.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Huck’s blog entry would have looked like this if he were more honest:
I believe in selling as many books as possible
I believe in advancing my political career regardless of its impact on the country
I believe in getting more delegates than Romney so I can say I beat the Mormon millionare
I believe in staying in the news as long as possible because its fun to be famous
I believe in feeling important: a modern Moses at the lead of a religious movement
I believe God can work a miracle so I can still win even though I have been mathematically eliminated (heart attack for McCain maybe?)
These are the reasons I continue to run for president despite it being mathematically impossible now for me to win, and despite the fact that I am not trying to hold McCain accountable to conservative principles.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:26 am
“despite the fact that I am not trying to hold McCain accountable to conservative principles”
That’s rich. I love how Huck now claims to want to hold McCain accountable to conservative principles. Aside from so-con fetish issues, Huckabee has been less conservative than McCain by almost every measure.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:33 am
42 — His supporters want him to run in 2012. Better take pre-emptive action, I say!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
40-
That’s disrespectful to a LARGE portion of Americans who fall right in line with the man you call unintelligent.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
The world is not only 6000 years old. It’s just not. They have C-14 dating, tree ring data, ice core data to back it up.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Adam, creationists believe God put those things there to trick us or to test creationists’ faith.
–
(Creationists, God is not a trickster. The world contains truth because he made it. Science can access that truth. This sort of creationism impunes God’s character.)
February 13th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Alaska Jake #23: “I didn’t know the GOP had superdelegates.”
The term isn’t used as much as the Dems, but the Reps do, in effect, have them (or something similar).
In addition to the delegates allocated by congressional district or otherwise, each state has three people who are ex officio members of the delegation — the two national committee members and the state chair.
In some states, these are committed to the state winner, in others, they are free agents (and thus analogous to the Dems’ superdelegates). For example, if you check RCP’s listing of delegates today, you’ll see that they are crediting him with only 60 delegates from VA — the other three I presume are VA’s supers.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
The world (Planet Earth) is about 4,500 millions years old.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
49. . . Thanks. . .I knew about the RNC delegates but didn’t realize many had leeway as to who they vote for. I assumed they automatically voted for the winner in that state. I hope the GOP doesn’t go superdelegate-crazy like the Dems did – it’s a recipe for disaster.
February 13th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Looks like Huck’s kicking it in the Cayman Islands
I guess Huck’s going after the offshore votes and money. Here’s my feelings on the matter; if a man can’t leave his job while campaigning for President then he should seriously consider dropping out. It’s a conflict of interest to accept money from organizations who may want to influence (case in point–the numerous churches where Huck has been paid to speak). Hillary would be chastized if she accepted a large sum of money by chinese businessmen to ‘speak’ at one of their meetings. It’s a way for corporations to not pay attention to campaign finance laws. It borders on the unethical, but as we know; Huck’s no stranger to ethics violations.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Let us not forget the brillance of Huck’s Easter egg analogy to WMD’s.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I think Huckabee has every right to stay in the race as long as he wants… additionally.. I’m glad he is… at least it gives me a choice when I get to vote in Mississippi’s primary… This will be the first time in my lifetime.. we actually get to vote for someone still running for President.. it’s usually decided by the time the primary rolls around here… it will give me a venue to vote for Huckabee over McCain…(because I don’t like McCain).. then have time to get over it.. and support McCain in the general… plus it gives McCain more free press time… keeps his name in the air and makes him look good when he wins a primary…
This site is VERY anti-Huckabee.. and that’s ok.. but just remember.. Huckabee’s people are just as anti-mccain as the mccain’s are anti-huckabee.. and we’ve all got to come together at some point… or we WILL lose the general election..
let huckabee run… give everyone a chance to voice their support for their candidate.. and then let’s rally around our nominee and do the best we can to get him elected..