1. Drawing attention to the Republican race to help McCain
2. Just being a general pain in the ass to McCain
3. Thinks he legitimately has a shot of winning
4. Waiting for McCain to make him an offer
5. Waiting for McCain to adopt some of Huckabee's ideas

discuss

2/13/2008 4:16:03 PM

he says he majored in miracles in college.
obviously, he is hoping his education will come in handy here

2/13/2008 4:39:36 PM

two words

Jesus miracle

John McCain's heart attack will usher in the most horrific theocratic rule the world has ever seen

2/13/2008 4:43:52 PM

3

2/13/2008 4:48:15 PM

is it even mathematically possible for him to win?

2/13/2008 4:56:33 PM

when god's on your side you don't worry about pesky things like mathematics, or possibilities.

2/13/2008 4:58:38 PM

^^yes, since republicans have (as far as i know) mostly winner take all races. will he win? probably not. but he definitely can mathematically.

2/13/2008 4:59:54 PM

Huckabee is leveraging.

2/13/2008 5:09:06 PM

^^only if all of Romney's delegates jump over to Huckabee's side.

There are not enough delegates left for him to win before the Convention.

McCain only needs 370 of the remaining 774 delegates to lock up the nomination.

2/13/2008 5:11:16 PM

^ So in a 2-person race, he needs about half.

2/13/2008 5:14:03 PM

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=43554

he's a likable dude and all

its a shame he has a crazy wandering eye and wants to amend the constitution to reflect the word of an invisible super-hero that lives in outerspace

2/13/2008 5:15:53 PM

Quote :

"1. Drawing attention to the Republican race to help McCain 2. Just being a general pain in the ass to McCain 3. Thinks he legitimately has a shot of winning 4. Waiting for McCain to make him an offer 5. Waiting for McCain to adopt some of Huckabee's ideas"

2 through 5, via:

6. Force (or threaten to force) a brokered GOP convention by denying McCain a majority of delegates.

In as much, Huckabee draws attention to himself and his platform, thus getting McCain to either co-opt his issues or make him an offer in order for him to go away.

Strategically, it makes sense from Huckabee's perspective. Why drop out now, when you're still getting enough votes and media attention to continue campaigning?

2/13/2008 5:25:38 PM

I think Huckabee is wanting a VP position. I know that is the only way I'd vote for a McCain ticket. Also a Huckabee VP would help McCain in all these southern states.

I got a lot of respect for Huckabee, seems like he is getting too much hate because he is Christian, but there are far worse things that one can be associated with. Out of the five left, huckabee and paul are the only ones with position that would make me show up to the polls to vote for.

2/13/2008 6:28:30 PM

i don't quite get how you could like Huckabee and Paul, but not like McCain much.

I mean, McCain is kinda in-between where those two guys stand.


Of course (and I say this as someone who likes Ron Paul), I don't understand how in the hell so many of his supporters like him. Most of them are so against what he fundamentally stands for.

2/13/2008 6:31:59 PM

I'm unhappy about how Huckabee's lagging behind, but if he's VP to McCain I'll be somewhat happy. That being said I'm voting for whoever's riding the damn elephant come Nov.

2/13/2008 6:39:14 PM

Quote :

"I think Huckabee is wanting a VP position. I know that is the only way I'd vote for a McCain ticket."

wtf?!?!?

2/13/2008 6:41:48 PM

Ron Paul won't be giving McCain any of his delegates.

Huckabee is doing this because there is practically zero unity within the GOP. My guess is that he's holding out to have more delegates than Romney so that he'll be a force at the convention.

2/13/2008 6:45:57 PM

Quote :

"I don't understand how in the hell so many of his supporters like him. Most of them are so against what he fundamentally stands for."

I like him predominantly for economic reasons.

2/13/2008 7:54:58 PM

^^^ Have you added anyone to your rape list today there sport?

LOL you people...

Saying there's a mathematical chance Huckabee could win is like saying there's a mathematical chance that a meteor will hit the earth tonight and wipe out civilization. It could happen, but it ain't gonna happen.

Huckabee would have to win over 80 percent of the delegates left just to pull even. He's staying in the race to position himself as the VP. McCain has to get a running mate who appeals to the Conservative and evangelical base, which Bush has shown to be a blueprint for Republican success.

[Edited on February 13, 2008 at 7:57 PM. Reason : ]

2/13/2008 7:57:36 PM

*sigh* you people

2/13/2008 8:05:09 PM

^^ maybe he is just trying to keep mccain from getting more. Who said anything about him winning by getting more delegates than mccain? A lot of conservatives were split between romney and huckabee, which gave mccain the edge. Huckabee seems to be winning a lot more states now.

2/13/2008 8:06:48 PM

Oh really? How many states did Huckabee win last night?

If you think he's in this campaign to spite McCain then you're extremely naive. He obviously thinks he can gain something by trying to keep his name out there, and chances are he's trying to angle himself to be the VP on the ticket.

He's making a case that he appeals to Conservatives, who overwhelmingly supported Huckabee last night...well, where does McCain need the most help? Is it attracting moderates/independents or Conservative support?

[Edited on February 13, 2008 at 8:10 PM. Reason : more]

2/13/2008 8:07:25 PM

^ Did you not read my earlier post Thats Exactly what I said about 9 posts up.

2/13/2008 8:20:13 PM

Well I was addressing what you said in your 2nd post which was in direct response to mine.

2/13/2008 8:22:21 PM

If I had to guess I'd say that Huckabee is

1.) setting the stage for 2012.
2.) waiting for McCain to die.
3.) giving conservatives a voice to show McCain does not have a mandate from the grass-root folks.

2/13/2008 10:35:15 PM

Quote :

"3.) giving conservatives a voice to show McCain does not have a mandate from the grass-root folks."

If by "the grass-roots folks" you intended to mean "people too afraid of compromise to get anything done politically", then you'd be right.

But, oh, that's right, you're one of the people who don't think McCain is conservative just because he can think for himself without relying on the generic party platform. He's plenty conservative, get over your own bigotry and look at his platform.

2/13/2008 10:45:11 PM

I wouldn't say that what he is currently saying is not generally conservative. I just don't trust him because of his antics over the past decade or so. Moreover, he continues to spin his past positions just to pander to real conservatives. He says he voted against the tax cuts because of a lack of spending cuts, but he said at the time something to the effect it was unfair to the poor and unduly awarded the rich.. the same tired liberal misrepresentation of what tax cuts do.

I'd like to think he'll appoint good judges but then I wonder if he is so sincere about that then why did he and his "gang of 14" stand in the way of appointing good judges before.

Forgive me if I don't give a damn what his "platform" is. Actions speak louder than words.

He lost the south. He will lose the general election, just like Bob Dole.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see how he can win.

2/13/2008 10:54:50 PM

6) Trying to prove to McCain he would be a good Veep choice.

2/13/2008 11:09:58 PM

He's waiting for his campaign to pull a resurrection.

Oh I went there. Yes I did.

2/13/2008 11:29:18 PM

At first I thought Huckabee was only running as a spoiler candidate to reduce Romney's vote. That way McCain would recognize the favor in the form of a VP offer. Now that Romney is gone I have no idea what he is thinking. I wouldn't think he'd be winning any favors from McCain by making him sweat it out to the end. So with that in mind, I'd have to pick:

3. Thinks he legitimately has a shot of winning

And now I no longer have a clear idea as to who McCain's running mate would be. Seems like he would need the evangelical vote, and it seems like Huckabee is just agitating McCain at this point. The only conclusion as to Huckabee's motives that I can come up with is that Huckabee is trying to show McCain how popular he is with the people via his vote totals - still looking for a VP offer.

2/14/2008 8:30:35 AM

Quote :

"If by "the grass-roots folks" you intended to mean "people too afraid of compromise to get anything done politically", then you'd be right. "

I don't know what "grass-roots folks" are, but "people too afraid of compromise to get anything done politically" is very descriptive of the majority of people in both the Democratic and Republican parties. We've had this political structure for the last six years where politicking has been reduced to a bunch of bloggers and talk show hacks giving blatantly untrue one-sided views, think the other side is destroying America, refuse to budge an inch, and their only interaction with the other side to, I don't know, solve the country's f***ing problems, is by showing the other side the middle finger.

Now we're in a primary, and you're honestly naive enough to think that people that have been practicing politics this way for the last six years are going to start to compromise?

Quote :

"And now I no longer have a clear idea as to who McCain's running mate would be. Seems like he would need the evangelical vote, and it seems like Huckabee is just agitating McCain at this point. The only conclusion as to Huckabee's motives that I can come up with is that Huckabee is trying to show McCain how popular he is with the people via his vote totals - still looking for a VP offer."

A guy I talked to that worked for Romney's staff in Mass. believes Romney and Huckabee are complete non-starters for being McCain's running mate.

Also, the News & Observer on a blog yesterday said our senator Richard Burr is being considered as a potential running mate.

[Edited on February 14, 2008 at 8:44 AM. Reason : /]

2/14/2008 8:40:31 AM

Quote :

"I got a lot of respect for Huckabee, seems like he is getting too much hate because he is Christian, but there are far worse things that one can be associated with"

um, why would he get more "hate because he is christian" than the other christian candidates?



oh yeah, it's because the other christians candidates aren't trying to legislate the bible



LISTEN HERE FUNDIES!!!!,

YOU'RE THROUGH!!

YOUR DAYS ARE OVER

GEORGE BUSH WAS YOUR LAST ONE

YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANOTHER ONE

EVER

GET OVER IT

2/14/2008 9:31:37 AM

Haha I love Wolf Blitzer. "No miracle for Huckabee tonight!"

3/4/2008 9:34:50 PM

I think that Huckabee losing though shows that the religious right doesn't have as much real power in the republicans as they thought.

3/4/2008 9:46:27 PM

^ Or is shows that the "religious right" understood that Huckabee was a complete idiot in regards to the military, foreign policy, the role of government in the economy, and the steadfastness of the constitution.

All Huckbee did was make sure Romney didn't get the nod. I'm sure McCain will have a nice position for him in the White House if he's elected.

3/5/2008 3:06:28 PM

^ yup ...

Without huckabee, mccain would have been in for a tough fight against romney. I guess its huckabees true anti-mormon ways coming through in the end ... but then he obviously had to cover up his ploy to thwart romney, so he stuck it out and drew in some media attention for an extra month...

Still came up short of romney in numbers of delegates though. I think at the end he just wanted to see if he could pass romneys numbers since romney poo-pood his staying in the race, saying he wasnt a contender. In the end, Mccain wins, Romney 2, Huckabee no less foolish looking than when he started.

3/5/2008 10:33:34 PM

i read somewhere that huckabee wasn't staying in before to become the next VP, but maybe he was staying so that he might become the next leader of the religious right (the new pat robertson)

3/5/2008 10:51:48 PM

huckabee can eat a dick.

I'd prefer romney over him any day.

3/5/2008 11:09:58 PM

^

3/5/2008 11:17:17 PM

I wish McCain would pick up some of his ideas... Fair Tax baby... its the shit!!!

Its really why I liked Huckabee, I'm not even big on church either...


[Edited on March 8, 2008 at 3:21 PM. Reason : .]

3/8/2008 3:19:24 PM

me too 914

3/8/2008 4:09:25 PM

i heard it would slow consumer spending

3/8/2008 4:14:15 PM

^you hear alot of things dnl.

But did we not try to stimulate the economy by sending people money? Well what if they got to keep thier whole paycheck? bad idea then right? LOL

3/8/2008 4:19:18 PM

it would be great for the economy, because it would give us a 17% tax advantage over other countries. Big business would not export work to other countries as much, the result: bringing trillions of dollars back into the us economy

[Edited on March 8, 2008 at 4:33 PM. Reason : .]

3/8/2008 4:32:17 PM

^ True - the US has the 2nd highest corporate income tax in the world, and we're only behind Japan by .5% if I remember correctly.

Even if the FairTax doesn't pass, a cut in the corporate income tax would do wonders for our economy.

3/8/2008 9:00:16 PM

^there is no way a dem would pass a corporate taxcut. It goes against their economic "plan"

3/8/2008 9:06:33 PM