Are The Dems Holding Back on Huckabee?
December 11th, 2007 at 01:38pm Matt Margolis
Interesting flash from Drudge.
Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, insiders reveal.
The Democratic National Committee has told staffers to hold all fire, until he secures the party’s nomination.
The directive has come down from the highest levels within the party, according to a top source.
Within the DNC, Huckabee is known as the “glass jaw — and they’re just waiting to break it.”
So, is this true, or is it reverse psychology? While I don’t doubt that the Democrats are prepared for an all out smear campaign against whomever the Republican nominee is, I am curious about their confidence, though the report makes a good point:
In fact, as the story broke over the weekend that Huckabee said he wanted to isolate AIDS patients back in 1992, the DNC ignored the opportunity to slam the candidate from the left.
“He’ll easily be their McGovern, an easy kill,” mocked one senior Democrat operative Tuesday morning from Washington.
“His letting out murderers because they shout ‘Jesus’, his wanting to put 300,000 AIDS patients and Magic Johnson into isolation, ain’t even scratching the surface of what we’ve got on him.”
Of course, one could make the argument that any of the top three contenders for the Democratic nomination will be easy to defeat because of one thing or another. But, if I were the Democrats, I’d be more concerned with Huckabee’s potential to lock the Southern vote. His recent issue with his pardons and the old comment about AIDS patients will matter a lot more in the primary than in the general election — but it will likely hurt a lot in the primaries. I would have pegged Huckabee a shoo-in for the VP slot two weeks ago… Now I’m not so sure.
Still, with the baggage Hillary has and the experience Obama doesn’t have I don’t think Democrats are positioned very well for a smear campaign. Oh, and then there’s Edwards, who couldn’t even help Kerry win his home state in 2004.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans
13 Comments
1. SteaM | December 11th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
“insiders reveal”
Drudge is such a hackjob. What are his sources?
“Still, with the baggage Hillary has…”
What baggage might that be? Her hubby was a popular president. She has an approval rating from the mid-60s to the mid-70s in the New York as a Senator.
“…and the experience Obama doesn’t have I don’t think Democrats are positioned very well for a smear campaign.”
Just how much experience does Guiliani, Huckabee, or Romney (not to mention Bush) have?
…Oh, and then there’s Edwards, who couldn’t even help Kerry win his home state in 2004.
Maybe this was more because of Kerry? He maybe didn’t help but who are you to say that he hurt?
2. Rana Quijotesca | December 11th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Just a word of caution, I did some calculations, and I determined that you should take anything Matt Drudge says with 2.31 Kilograms of salt. This just edges out FOX News, which requires 2.29 Kilograms.
I think that I will vote for Huckabee in the Republican Primary because I am relatively sure that he will lose in the General election… the guy’s a walking bullseye…
3. Eric T | December 11th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
The People of Iowa like Mike Huckabee. 38%
why don’t they like Rudy or Hillary the two corporate media candidates as much? I can’t answer for them. All I can do is guess.
Sounds like they are scared that people can see thru their B.S.
Of course the attacks will increase on Mike. Mike is Right on the issues. You take any issue, look at where Mike stands on it, and you’ll see it is the RIGHT stance to have on the issue.I’ll support Mike Huckabee as much as I can, the competition is second rate. There is not a better choice for Commander in Chief. His campaign just don’t have the bucks that these high rollers have, alot people I’ve met still have not heard of him. Help him out, send him some cash. We don’t need watered down Republicans that compromise on core values losing to the Democrats in 2008.
4. sleepygene | December 11th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I don’t get it, Democrats don’t select the GOP nominee the GOP faithful do. Has the DNC distributed negative ads, emails etc… in the early states concerning Rudy MCRomPson. If so I haven’t seen or heard of it. I have just seen the intra party sniping by those fellas. But Huck seems to be a soft target and would killed by any of the top Democrats. He is too Jesusee for the general.
5. Ricorun | December 11th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, insiders reveal.
First Rule of Circular Firing Squads: When the other guys are doing it, just get out of the way.
Whether or not the DNC has something else up their sleeve is hard to tell. But I’m sure the FRoCFS figures in somewhere. At least for now. Huckabee clearly has some explaining to do. And he still has some difficult money issues. And apparently he has some powerful enemies. But I think if he can overcome all that, I think he could be a formidable opponent.
6. Eric T | December 11th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Sleepygene-
You say he is too much Jesus for the general public. Many of our past president were Christians too. I think 70-80% of our country are Christians also and Are not getting excited about candidates that say their Christians but vote to destroy babies and vote for gay marriage. Huckabees support in the polls is climbing, If people didn’t like him his support would be 2% or something like that.
I think the DNC put all their eggs in the Hillary basket, then realized union members remember Clinton Nafta and Union members would rather have Ron Paul, who comes on the radio and says ( You want to get rid of NAFTA, I’ll do it.) You have Hillary losing support in Iowa. Here in Michigan Hillary is the only Democrat on the primary ballot so she will win here. They gotta say something (a bluff) they spent their effort and research to take out Rudy or Mitt. and they see Huckabee come out of nowhere shooting up in the polls. It would be like if Hunter, Paul, or Tancredo all of a sudden picked up momentum the DNC wrote them off a month ago as no possible threat. The DNC focused on Mitt and Rudy and McCain, we seen the tasteless insults everyday in the editorial cartoons for months now. I don’t need to refresh everyones memory on them. We know whoever the Republicans nominate the democrats will be scraping the toilets looking for some scandal or some filth about his personal life. I think the “Glass Jaw” is a bluff and a man of high moral standards will be harder to find a past scandal on, than someone like Hillary who has years of documented corruption and scandals that are associated with her name. The cut and run DNC or the, let’s give illegals licenses so they can vote Hillary DNC are just simply wrong on alot of the issues, They are wrong on guns, I’ll never vote a democrat president, ever. Maybe a house or Senate democrat.
7. sleepygene | December 11th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Mr T.-
I like Huck, better than all of the other Republican candidates accept McCain. He is authentic with a nice personality. I am liberal so many of the policies he supports I oppose but if he is our President I would be okay with it. If Rudy or Mitt were our Presisent I would be terrified. Rudy is just crazy enough to start a nuclear war and Mitt will say anything to anybody if it serves his purpose.
Back to Huck. I think his return this nation back to Christ, women should submit to their husabands and I don’t believe in the theory of evolution etc… is too scary for many mainstream non-evangelical Christians.
You are probably right about the DNC prepping for Rudy & Mitt b/c until very recently they have been the ones with money and some national appeal. I am glad Huck is getting some attention his contrast shows how ridiculous and scary both Rudy and Mitt are. I pity the fool who underestimates Huck, he has Chuck Norris for crimeny sakes.
8. Eric T | December 11th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Sleepygene
I think alot of the democrats also like Mike and that is giving the DNC some worry. I think that if he became president his personal beliefs will be toned down quite a bit. Right now, I think people need to see that he is sincere and consistant unlike most of these candidates that say anything to a particular audiance to try to excite them.
Remember about a month or two ago. Rudy and Mitt were talkin about bombing Iran. Your right on the money those guys will probably get us into another war faster than you can snap your fingers. I don’t want a president like that. This war cost enuff, but, I think they need to finish it, and deliver a blow to the enemy leadership that will keep them from ever beign able to regroup, reform and attack our country again.
9. neocon | December 11th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
sleepy,
So Rudy will start a nuclear war and Huckabee will create a theocracy?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how paranoid schizophrenic would you say you were?
10. sleepygene | December 11th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Neocon-
I would say I am a 2 on the scale how about you?
I know you won’t admit it but don’t you find Guiliani’s foreign policy team of Npod, Daniel Pipes, Kramer, Rubin et al. a little scary. I mean Npod this november was beging Bush to bomb Iran. Also, I would worry about Guiliani’s tendency toward the authoritarianism. That is fine to run a city like New York but not when you are leading a country it scares me.
11. keef--Not Cruisin--Yet!!! | December 12th, 2007 at 5:53 am
Just how much experience does Guiliani, Huckabee, or Romney (not to mention Bush) have?
They all governed, dipstick. Have Hitlary, Earbama, or Silky ever run anything? No. What experience do they have? None. Why are they so popular with you dumbed-down lemmings? BDS.
12. neocon | December 12th, 2007 at 9:02 am
sleepy,
So you’re okay with the poeple of NY living under tyranny, but not the rest of the country?
LOL.
13. Repulicans Presidential E&hellip | December 21st, 2007 at 4:16 pm
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