Is Huckabee an “Easy Kill”?
December 14th, 2007 at 08:43am Mark Noonan
That is what Democrats seem to think - but James Pinkerton injects a note of caution into such a prediction:
…it’s also possible that the Democrats might have miscalculated the Republican race - certainly plenty of Republicans have done so - and now they are spinning, while reassessing.
It’s happened before. Long ago, I worked in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign. And I well remember Democratic politicos insisting that Reagan was the weakest Republican opponent that Jimmy Carter could face as he sought re-election that year. Was that “psychological warfare” by the Democrats? Or did they really think that the 69-year-old “cowboy” ex-actor - not yet known as “The Great Communicator” - would be the easiest Republican to beat? Probably a little of both.
But we all know this for sure: Reagan carried 44 of 50 states in the election against Carter. So the moral of the story is that predictions from hired-gun spin doctors are not to be trusted.
My Dad loves to tell a story about Ronald Reagan - back in 1966, when Reagan was first running for governor of California, the Democrats were sure he was the easiest GOPer to beat and so were delighted when Reagan gained the GOP nomination. As it turned out, the Democrats needed Reagan like they needed a hole in the head - he bested an incumbant Democrat in a landslide and the rest, as they say, is history. But there was one small bit my Dad really loved about that year - he was working in a rarified field of intellectual endevour and, as it turned out, he was surrounded with a lot of liberals…brilliant scientists, but political pinheads. The day after Reagan won, they were all bemoaning their fate - they didn’t know how Reagan could have won. After all, none of them knew anyone who had voted for Reagan! Trust not the prognostications of elites - they tend to gather in flocks and only talk to each other in an echo chamber of their own ideas. Democrats are especially likely to fall into this catagory.
How 2008 will shake out is beyond anyone’s ability to predict - there is just too much political volatility in a year when there is no incumbant and no annointed successor. The only thing we can be sure about is that 2008 will not be like any political election any of us have ever experienced. Democrats thinking that any GOPer would be an “easy kill” are just fooling themselves.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans
20 Comments
1. Bigfoot | December 14th, 2007 at 9:10 am
After all, none of them knew anyone who had voted for Reagan!
Mark, speaking of dads, my dad and I can both relate to your story of 1966.
Since I live in a fairly liberal area, I have some friends who don’t know anyone who voted for Bush (except me).
My dad, on the other hand (himself a former Dem who left them when they became too liberal for him, as Reagan had done), lives in a more conservative area, but with a left-leaning local newspaper, and doesn’t seem to know anyone whose opinions are in line with the paper’s.
2. SEW | December 14th, 2007 at 9:43 am
The Dims are pretty much clueless period. Hillary thinks she can have a campaign worker throw mud at Hussein Obama, blame the Republicans, and she will benefit? Or plant questions? Before the internet Billary could get away with that. Of course Francois Kerry is still claiming to have been “Swiftboated”, as is the press. Yet he won’t release his military record. And FatAl claims “proven science” for GW. Clueless.
3. Eric T | December 14th, 2007 at 10:00 am
The people seem to like Mike, I think he has more personality than Bob Dole or some of the previous GOP candidates. Seeing the Clinton smear machine in action, is much more disgusting than the Mitt/Huck spat the other day. The GOP obviously has more class about itself. To be honest I think Hillary is an easy target. I think that the general public can’t relate with liberal extremists that want to take peoples guns, kill babies, raise taxes, and force a homosexual agenda on everyone. If the people like Mike great. When you compare it to the Clintons I think most people would rather wake up and have a bowl of puke for breakfast than have Hillary running the country.
As bigfoot said about the dims is they have more media power, that obsticle will be the challenge. On substance we will win hands down.
4. neocon | December 14th, 2007 at 11:43 am
The drug use issue on the left is currently killing the Clinton campaign and may elevate Obama in the Dem Primary. However, that same issue will kill Obama in the general, especially if he is up against Romney (hopefully) or Huckabee.
5. Almiranta | December 14th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I’ve been liking, and promoting, Mike for a while now. I sent him a pretty decent-sized check. But I am fading a little in my support, for several reasons, and I think he may have too many problems to overcome.
If he WERE to be nominated, I would support him, as I think that even considering the things I am less than impressed about now, he is still far better than any of the Dem lightweights. You can learn about policy, you can evolve in your understanding of complexities of issues, but it’s pretty hard to overcome serious defects in character, so he would be a vastly superior President than Shrillary or the racist Obama or lightweight shyster Edwards.
6. SteaM | December 14th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Eric T,
Has anyone ever told you that comments like the ones you made above are hateful, bigoted, and intolerant?
7. SteaM | December 14th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Almiranta,
How is Obama racist? I’m lost.
Guys,
Read what you are saying! Where do these hateful personal attacks come from! I mean, sure, feel free to disagree with the candidates on the issues but this is down right grade school playground stuff here.
And what’s sad and scary for me is to read these things and think that you may be reinforcing someone’s very hateful and violent tendencies. You could be influencing them, giving them mental “ammo” enough to do something crazy like bomb a political headquarters or try to kill on the candidates.
Hate breeds hate. It might seem funny but it’s not.
8. Jeremiah | December 14th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hate breeds hate. It might seem funny but it’s not.
Absolutely, and no it’s not funny. So I suggest you go on over to the Daily Kooks and try to talk some sense into those hateful bigots. and likewise at the MorOns.org society of bigots.
~ Jeremiah
9. Eric T | December 14th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Steam
I don’t see it as hateful and bigoted. I’m sorry if It offended you. I see it as straight uncut truth. If its too hard, I am very sorry. I wanna extend my apologies to any other offended readers. And to Mike Huckabee and his team. I don’t want to tie hate and bigotry to his campaign. I’m not affilated with them other than a guy that wants him to win. My views are independant. I just got excited about the 2008 race. I think him and Mitt got the best chance of winning
10. Eric T | December 14th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Steam
Mikes campaign is about trying to uplift the everyone and not polarize the race or leave anyone behind. So I’m sure he’d be disappointed in me as well. Don’t let my foul or offensive comments keep you from supporting him.
11. Tractatus | December 14th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
How is Obama racist? I’m lost.
Because he’s a Black Democrat, which really gets Almiranta worked into a lather and forces her into ever-crazier projection. She just came up with this talking point a day or two ago, so she’s still working the kinks out, but from here on out, Obama = racist in Almiranta World (which, thankfully, bears only a passing similarity to the real world).
12. Eric T | December 14th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Steam
You must come to this site because you feel let down and disappointed with the Democrat party. I want to be there to encourage those steps, in the right direction and not offend and scare people off the site. I want everyone whether they are liberals, pinkos, commies, to see that their is a better way and embrace freedom. And help prevent the tryanny that will come with a democrat house, Senate and president.
13. plainjane | December 14th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
My Dad loves to tell a story about Ronald Reagan - back in 1966, when Reagan was first running for governor of California, the Democrats were sure he was the easiest GOPer to beat and so were delighted when Reagan gained the GOP nomination. December 14th, 2007 at 08:43am Mark Noonan
My Dad loves to tell a story about Bill Clinton - back in 1979, when Clinton was first running for governor of Arkansas, the Republicans were sure he was the easiest Democrat to beat and so were delighted when Clinton gained the Democratic nomination…. He later went on to be President and left office with a 65% approval rating. The highest approval rating of any President since WWII.
Back to the thread. Why should Democrats interfere in the Hucabee, Giuliani and Romney circular firing squad? But I am just a bit curious to see which radical wing of the Republican Party wins the nomination. A moderate does not have a chance. Will the nominee be one of the big money pro business boys loved by blue blood NE Republicans, the southern burka crowd, or the war hungry neocons. It is not going to make a difference. At 33% approval and a promise to dump the Iraq war on the next President this Republican administration has been labeled both incompetent and corrupt. There will be an over due cleansing of the administrative branch in 2008. 1/20/2009.
14. Repulicans Presidential E&hellip | December 14th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
[...] Mark Noonan created an interesting post today on Is Huckabee an âEasy Killâ?Here’s a short outline [...]
15. Eric T | December 14th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
PlainJane
You really though he was that good. He grew the Chinese economy and made Walmart a big success, outsourced a bunch of jobs. Turned American gunowners into criminals. He cheated on his wife. Everybody had to listen to stories about article 220 and cigar jokes for months Wars in Serbia,Somalia, Haiti, I didn’t think he was really that great. What about him did you like?
16. MrGone | December 14th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Eric,
It’s very simple for most of us, we were much happier and more prosperous during Clinton than we are now.
17. Mark Noonan | December 14th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
MrGone,
Yes, you probably were…and those people who were slaughtered in Rwanda and Bosnia, that was just too bad. And the Taliban rule in Afghanistan? Just too bad. And Saddam’s rule in Iraq? Just too bad. And the rapid spread of AIDS in Africa and Asia? Just too bad. And Syria’s colonization of Lebanon? Just too bad. And Russia’s destruction of Grozny? Just too bad. And illegals flooding unchecked over the US border? Just too bad.
We took a mindless vacation from reality from 1993 until 2001 and the rest of the world paid the blood price - until the pound of flesh was demanded of us on September 11, 2001. You can desire to go back to that, if you want, but most of us have learned our lesson.
18. phnx | December 14th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
SteaM,
I’m curious as to exactly what it was in Eric’s post that you found offensive.
Your concern about encouraging someone to bomb or attack campaign headquarters is well founded however. As you may recall it happened with some frequency during the last Presidential election. All of the attacks were by leftist wackos on Republicans or Republican headquaters, so I am concerned for their safety in the 2008 election. It seems that the radical leftists of your party are becoming more bold, and more violent. The eco warriors of ELF, ALF and PIDA sure aren’t Republicans or conservatives.
19. united-states-maps&hellip | December 14th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Miss Usa Pagent
Whose interests are in truth vulnerable by cybercrime? Well. heres a good video to hear about Googles new open source phone technology. and inside a week results were not just noticeable but obvious. MOSCOW: European officials have denounced Russias le…
20. Scott kossack | December 22nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm
America’s fighting personnel support Ron Paul more than any candidate from any party, but the media and the political powers of this country fail to support the choice of the troops. What happened to all the support the troops slogans coming out of Washington? Oh! That must be strictly for political gain when it suits their agenda.