Mike Huckabee and the high cost of presidential campaigns
The leading Republican contender for the 2012 presidential contest will zip through Georgia to sell a few books on Saturday.
No, not Sarah Palin. This is a blue-collar tour.
Mike Huckabee, winner of the GOP presidential primary in Georgia last year, intends to hit Augusta, Athens and two bookstores in metro Atlanta in a matter of hours.
He left home Oct. 20-something, and is only a third of a way through his grueling, 64-city journey. “I don’t go home again until Thanksgiving Day,” Huckabee said Friday, somewhere near Charlotte.
Palin and Huckabee have much in common. Both are former governors, of Alaska and Arkansas, respectively. Both appeal to the Southern heart of the Republican party.
But Palin is about to go A-list. Beginning on Monday with her “Oprah” debut, the former governor of Alaska will peddle her “Going Rogue” account of the supporting role she played in the 2008 GOP presidential campaign. The amount of cash that has changed hands remains vague, but assume that it includes the word “millions.”
Huckabee remains on the bookmonger equivalent of a county-fair circuit, pushing his “unpolitical” book, “A Simple Christmas.”
From his bus, he still does the three-a-day commentaries that he began shortly after radio legend Paul Harvey died this spring. Weekends are devoted to taping his Fox News program.
Despite the oncoming Palin tsunami, it was Huckabee who last week led a Gallup poll that looked ahead to the ‘12 election. Seventy-one percent of Republicans said they would consider voting for him, giving him a slight edge over both Palin and Mitt Romney.
Huckabee is not sure what to make of the survey. “I’m not really going to focus much on it until after the 2010 elections,” Huckabee said over his cell phone on Friday, somewhere outside Charlotte.
There’s the mood of the country to measure, of course. Then there is the question of whether, in 12 months, he’ll still be the man to carry the torch.
Huckabee is keeping his hand in the game. He was subject to some criticism for – unlike Palin — declining to join the civil war in upstate New York, which saw a third-party congressional candidate challenge Republican moderate Dede Scozzafava.
“You have to accept the reality that third parties don’t win – they spoil,” he said. “And what they spoil is typically the side that you like.”
In the U.S. Senate race in Florida, Huckabee hasn’t hesitated to back the Republican favored by the base, Marco Rubio, over the establishment-favored Charlie Crist.
But whether Huckabee makes the 2012 contest may not depend whether or not the base is happy with him. It may come to something any household would understand – money.
Huckabee’s working-class roots were at the core of his ‘08 campaign. And a decision to enter the next presidential contest could well be a pocketbook issue.
“One of the questions is, would I be in a position by then to forego a personal income for two years?” Huckabee said.
The topic stirs him.
“When I was running for president, I looked around on the stage, and virtually everybody up there was a congressman or a senator. They had their full salaries, all their health care, all their pension benefits being paid for by guys like me – and I was out trying to figure out how to make my house payments and pay my health insurance.
“But I was paying their salaries to run against me….and they had the luxury of getting a full paycheck and never showing up for work. I think it was an outrage that no one’s talked about.
It is a bipartisan outburst.
“How many votes did Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, John McCain – name ‘em all. They all had government jobs. They never showed up for work. And they kept their jobs. If you did that, do you think you’d still get a paycheck?”
We have created a campaign system that favors the current holders of public office, Huckabee said, or the wealthy.
Which certainly would include Mitt Romney. And now, best-selling author Sarah Palin.
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25 comments Add your comment
Jeff
November 13th, 2009
6:30 pm
Jim,
Sherwood Baptist Church (of Facing the Giants and Fireproof fame) will be giving Huckabee their Sunday morning service to peddle his wares as well.
Just FYI from the southern end of the State!
Huckapedia
November 13th, 2009
9:31 pm
Subject: Huckabee Fan Club Contest
Enter your name in this 2012 Presidential contest to win a NY Times Best Seller Book – “Do The Right Thing” personally autographed by Governor Mike Huckabee on December 2, 2008. Thousands of Huckabee Fans from 50 States that span more than 420 Counties in America have already entered the contest.
Check it out, just google the words: Huckabee Fan Club
Mike Huckabee’s popularity keeps on soaring to new heights everyday. The great Ronald Reagan used the same comeback strategy for his Presidential loss in 1976 to his landslide victory in 1980. Mike Huckabee the next great communicator of the 21st Century is on an epic journey to help lift America back up to higher ground. Ronald Reagan, Mike Huckabee, Winston Churchill and Vince Lombardi all possessed an incrediable ability to energize their fans with an unbelievable amount of energy and enthusiasm. Jump on board with Mike Huckabee as this high speed train of Huckabee Fans build the largest 2012 Presidential Team in modern history. This is one epic journey you don’t want to miss.
Rose
November 14th, 2009
12:34 am
Mike Huckabee is selfcentered, dishonest, and unqualified to be president of the USA. We had better take the election serious in 2012, and we need more that a preacher/entertainer. This party better wise up and not make the mistakes we made in ‘08. This is not a popularity contest it is serious business. Wake up folks!!!
Robert Nolin
November 14th, 2009
4:35 am
Huckabee has a great track record from his 10+ years as state Governor. I can’t wait to see him run again. That man has some common sense ideas.
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
November 14th, 2009
8:36 am
As a Baptist minister with a track-record fighting racism, there’s no doubt Mike Huckabee is a nice person – perhaps one day, beyond following doctors’ orders, he’ll overcome whatever demons kept him at 300 pounds.
The GOP’s turning away from their “establishment” George W. Bush/Charlie Crist/closet-queen bloc could be a politically wise move (open and “out” is less dishonest), but all of them are part of the problem of sectarian factionalism if they aren’t actively part of the movement to bring Bush and Cheney, and their faction, to justice for economic and political treason.
In “Audacity of Hope” President Obama spent half a page “wrapping his mind around” Bush’s and Cheney’s having committed 9/11 – before brilliantly “spinning” away from it so it couldn’t be “hanged” on him – to send a signal to the vast majority of the People who know this to be true. That’s why our votes overcame the Diebold cheats certainly yet in place.
With neither vision nor righteousness for America, “NIce guy” Huckabee, acting as an enabler for the corrupt false elite destroying the People and the Constitution, is just trying to please his dead, abusive, unloving father, with ministerial, then political celebrity.
The president’s bringing to trial those tortured and brain-washed into claiming responsibility for 9/11, when any who reads “The New Pearl Harbor” can know for an absolute moral truth that Bush and Cheney did it as Reichstag Fire Redux, will see his bumper stickers coming off my truck if he permits them to be put to death.
G-d created the universe and must be “King of America,” as Founder Thomas Paine put it, once again. Obama’s election was progress in that direction.
Huckabee isn’t.
Chief Wiggum
November 14th, 2009
11:27 am
That’s probably the least insane thing Will Jones has ever written. Meds working or something? It’s still nuts, of course.
Wait, I take that back…had to re-read it. It includes the usual claptrap about Bush and Cheney being the masterminds of the 9/11/01 attacks. Almost par for the usual crazy Will Jones nonsense. Didn’t see any of his usual blatherings about the Roman Catholic cabal, or the rest of his lunacy. Merely blaming 9/11 on Bush and Cheney…that’s progress for Will.
Zachery Michael
November 14th, 2009
11:28 am
As a political consultant, I know the details of running a campaign strong. Even when you might think things are not getting better in the polls. One thing I can say about Mike “He did the right thing” Mike and his teams kept persiting in the campaign even when things got tough. Having met him personally I think a lot fo his character and even more of his influence he has today in American Culture. He is probably making a larger impact on the world now, as if he were president. I do believe he will run again, and I think he possible might have a chance. Just with my experience, I am pretty sure we might even see a Huckabee/Palin ticket
not for certain. Just throwing out Ideas. To find our more information about Zachery Michael, visit the official website at http://www.ZACHERYMICHAEL.com
Jane
November 14th, 2009
1:08 pm
Huckabee in 2012? Gag.
Paul
November 14th, 2009
1:38 pm
The libs were most worried about Romney the last go around. It was the mainstream media that initially made a big deal about “Romney’s religion”. Huckabee fell for their bait, also raising issues about Romney’s religion. Then Huck and McCain combined forces to take Romney out of the picture. After Romney was gone, Huckabee had nothing left to contribute, and neither did McCain. It all rolled out just the way the libs planned it.
Yoon Chung
November 14th, 2009
2:38 pm
Mike Huckabee will be a great president in year 2012. I will vote for him again if he runs for the position.
DavidE7
November 14th, 2009
7:53 pm
Rose: We often see in others those things we most dislike about ourselves. Mike Huckabee has the intellect, the character, the experience, the judgment, and the charisma to make a great President. His conservative philosophy will manifest itself in balancing the Federal budget, not in telling others how to live their lives. He is heads and shoulders above any other Republican.
David S
November 14th, 2009
9:42 pm
Ron Paul in 2012. It is the only real hope for america and the only way for the republican party to redeem itself.
He was right all through the 70s and 80s, and 90s, and the only candidate telling the truth and being honest with the american people during the last campaign. He was right in predicting the economic collapse, is right on the desperate need to end the FED (please read the book), and is still the only leading republican with a solid plan to get this country back on the right track economically. By the way for you republicans out there – the plan is called the free market. You probably haven’t hear about it from any of the candidates you support.
Go Ron. Run Ron run.
Shelby
November 14th, 2009
11:18 pm
After huckabee’s VILE joke…gaffe…whatever you want to call it…about someone pointing a gun at Obama, I don’t see how any reasonable person could think huckabee has any chance whatsoever of winning the Repub nomination. Iowa and other early primaries will be looking for a VIABLE candidate next time around…and that person is not huckabee.
http://www.tmz.com/2008/05/17/huckabee-jokes-about-obama-assassination/
Paul
November 15th, 2009
12:20 am
To DavidE7…you say Huckabee has the judgement? Is that what he was using when he let what’s his name out of jail so he could commit murder? Was it good judgement when he ordered a bunch of hard drives owned by the state of Arkansas destroyed? What was it Huck didn’t want us to see? Huckabee has sufficient judgement to teach a good Sunday school class, but that’s where it ends.
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
November 15th, 2009
1:24 am
Just saw Huckabee talking to Geraldo on FoxTV: He is evil.
Huckabee knows Bush and Cheney committed 9/11 and is helping gaslight America by making the trial of KSM in NYC an issue against Obama.
We have the Constitution and Rule of Law, why?
Huckabee wants no trial for those whom 9/11-committing Bush claims committed 9/11…and after years of torture “convinced” them to “admit” it.
Those who pursue justice and adhere to truth have nothing to fear.
Huckabee is pandering scum.
Only morons shall be gulled by him, and traitors his allies.
Please G-d, may their numbers be few.
Bitter EX democrackkk
November 15th, 2009
7:01 am
Ron Paul/Sarah Palin 2012 !!!
Ron Paul and whomever he chooses !!! we NEED to disallow the demopublican ‘parties’ and require any candidate be UNaffiliated!
STRIVE to be SMARTER than the EVIL controlling political ‘parties’ WANT you to BE!!!
(Huckabee is a swell guy, great patriot, good musician, high achiever but he would be best
as Atty General or something…)
GTJohn
November 15th, 2009
8:45 am
The purpose of the article is about the cost of campaigns. For one, I think the way we do presidential races should all be revamped. We are now limited to look at only people who have smoozed their way to the top of their party. We rarely get any legitimate new ideas and we never get the best person for the job because that person never has a chance to even get an article written about them much less a name on the ballot.
None of the people mentioned in these comments are the solution to our current unsustainable situation and until we can change how we, the public, vett choose candidates it will get no better because we have to do more than just change the top position – we need a different system from the state and local offices all the way through congressional offcies to the presidency. Until that changes we will get what we have today and our country will continue to slide down the slope of socialism until we end up with two classes of people – the wealthy elite and the unfortunate poor who support them.
Huckapedia
November 15th, 2009
7:29 pm
Attention – Calling all Huckabee Fans…
1976 Presidential Elections results
* Ronald Reagan came in 2nd place behind Gerald Ford in the Republican Primaries.
1976 to 1980
* Reagan goes on TV, Radio and travels the country using his superior communication skills.
* Reagan Fans work hard to build a gigantic tidal wave of support for Ronald Reagan.
1980
* Ronald Reagan wins the Presidential nomination in a landslide victory winning 49 out of 50 States.
… 28 years later:
2008
* Mike Huckabee comes in 2nd place behind John McCain in the Republican Primaries.
2008 to 2012
* Huckabee goes on TV, Radio and travels the country using his superior communication skills.
* Huckabee Fans work hard to build a gigantic tidal wave of support for Mike Huckabee.
2012
* Mike Huckabee wins the Presidential nomination in a landslide victory winning 50 out of 50 States.
Thousands of Huckabee Fans have already started the gigantic tidal wave of support that now covers 50 States
and 425 Counties in America. All Huckabee Fans need to jump on board this epic journey, this trail blazing
frontier we are on to help Mike Huckabee capture the Presidency in 2012. Reagan Fans did it for the
great Ronald Reagan in the early 80’s, now it’s the Huckabee Fans turn to rise to the occasion to once again
help a great leader capture the Presidency in 2012. Time is on our side now, so let’s effectively
utilize every second we have by expanding our Huckabee Network out to every county in every state of America.
While many great men and women proudly serve this country to protect it, we too can help serve
this great country of ours in another way by helping build momentum now for this great leader Mike Huckabee.
Check out this gigantic 2012 Presidential movement: http://www.huckabeefanclub.com
Will Jones - Atlanta
November 15th, 2009
7:52 pm
Reagan gave us diplomatic relations with the Vatican after 200 years of wiser, more patriotic, intelligent minds saying “NO.” Reagan’s line is cut-off, as a curse fulfilled. He dyed his hair and lied about it, gave us IranContra, was a WWII dodger, and had to fake dementia to stay out of jail…120 times claiming “I can’t recall,” when testifying before a Grand Jury.
What a loser: No man, no honor.
Just Huckabee’s speed.
IAmForLiberty
November 15th, 2009
11:03 pm
Huckabee’s populist rhetoric during the 2008 primary was enough to make me puke. We can do far better after having a communist in the White House than Mike. Besides, Mike Huckabee is a KNAVE! I must admit that if he wins the nomination of the GOP I will have to support him. In the mean time this conservative will do everything in his power to make sure that he doesn’t get the nomination including flying to Iowa to knock on doors in frigid temperatures like I did in January, 2008. (Will someone get Mike a years morning delivery of fresh doughnuts so he balloons back up to around 400 lbs and can’t move!!!)
BSR
November 16th, 2009
10:29 am
Thanks for the article. For more info about Huckabee, the authentic, Christian, conservative, see http://www.MikeHuckabeePresident2012.blogspot.com
BSR
RetiredSoldier
November 16th, 2009
10:57 am
Mike Huckabee is a solid conservative with great ideas and strong communication skills. Equally important, he is the only national republican I know that supports the Fair Tax. I worked for Huckabee in 08 and look forward to working for him in 2012.
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
November 17th, 2009
4:21 am
Mike Huckabee thinks that theocracy is an acceptable form of government in the United States of America, and said so calmly and reasonably.
That makes him more frightening than any other Republican candidate. He really believes it. All of it.
Louis
November 20th, 2009
4:28 pm
A beautiful person! God bless him!!
VW Owens
November 29th, 2009
11:32 pm
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
November 17th, 2009
4:21 am
Mike Huckabee thinks that theocracy is an acceptable form of government in the United States of America, and said so calmly and reasonably.
That makes him more frightening than any other Republican candidate. He really believes it. All of it.
And you think Huckabee is more dangerous than the card carrying Muslium now occuping the White House ? Talk about religion . I will take the Bible over the Korhan any day . I have never seen or heard of Mike Huckabee forcing his faith on anyone . Your narrowness of mind is only exceeded by your bigitory .