Monday, January 16, 2012
Mike Huckabee / Presidential politics Mike Huckabee fans — hold on for 2016
Posted by Max Brantley on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 at 11:38 AM
If the latter assumption proves accurate, then President Obama remains constitutionally obligated to depart from the White House in 2016, when Mike Huckabee will be just turning 61 — considerably younger than Romney or Gingrich at the moment, not to mention enjoying an even greater edge of youthfulness over Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden or other Democratic contenders four years from now.
But back to the reasons why Huckabee decided not to enter the race. Medved said he's talked with the Florida resident and former Arkansas governor about it.
Boil it down to dollars (desire for); Dumond (the killer Huck helped free), and diet (despite writing a preachy weight-loss book, Huck put the pounds back on).
Of course, rumors abound concerning the various factors that kept him out of the race. Most obviously, he and his wife have been building a lavish “dream house” on the beach in Florida while enjoying a life of relative luxury (thanks to generous TV contracts and bestselling books) unavailable on the meager salaries of a pastor or an Arkansas elected official—and unthinkable during an active presidential campaign. There’s also a problem with his weight: he acknowledges putting on substantial poundage after a foot problem curtailed his running and exercise regimen. Of course, a portly presence represented no serious obstacle to Chris Christie’s gubernatorial (or fleeting presidential) dreams, but Huckabee made a special point of his past weight loss and even wrote a book called Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork (2008). Finally, a clemency controversy erupted in 2009 when a violent felon whose sentence had been commuted by Huckabee murdered four police officers near Seattle. Critics charged that his Christian compassion as governor led to twice as many commutations and pardons as his three predecessors combined. Huckabee eagerly defends his record in the face of such attacks, but in the frenzy of a contested presidential campaign the criticism would have become predictably nasty.
SPEAKING OF THE HUCKSTER: Least I can do is give him a free plug for his 16th guided tour to Israel, coming up in February. The nine-day trip will cost you about $4,600 double occupancy from New York; business class upgrades for $2,300 are sold out.
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Comments (10)
Showing 1-10 of 10
The pardons should not be difficult too have overcome.
As a safeguard, governors have a power to pardon, that must be maintained and a logical, resonable adult should be able to defend that. (Who can ever control another human being's actions?)
The preachy book/reweightgain would be hard to separate from your detractors.
Finally, Huck likes his money (as do I) AND Huck was unable to raise it in volumes required. This the main reason I believe Huck will never contest for POTUS. Even when he was winning primaries, he couldn't rasie funds.
like
dislike
The Huckster was a lousy governor, he'll be a lousy president.
Huck and all the other conservative cowards can stay at home in 2016 unless they plan against trying to run for a sitting republican President. All these names of greatness chose to sit this one out to plan. Plan for what? If you care about the country like you say, and if Obama is as bad as you say, get out there and do something. Instead whomever gets the nomination this year will be in the seat while the cowards sit a thome. Mitch Daniels, the Huckster, Fatty Christie, can all piss up a rope. Obama has nothing to run on. Nothing to brag about. He lied and does as he pleases and should be the easiest candidate in sometime to beat. Huckabee will also not lose the weight again nor run for President. He's the I'll do better tomorrow type of guy. Just like all the rest.
B Rock, thanks for injecting some humor on the blog.
Hope you'll not be too unhappy saying 'President Obama' until January 2017.
Too thin-skinned. He gets insulted when facing normal scrutiny, then lashes out.
Aviator glasses speak of a daring, adventuresome man unafraid of man or beast who actually could "piss up a rope" for Sucks to climb.
>>he acknowledges putting on substantial poundage after a foot problem curtailed his running and exercise regimen. "
Helpful hint to other Arkies: if your exercise/activity level diminishes, lower your calorie intake which is normally considered "balancing," an outcome of self-control.
Maybe the true reason for Haley Barbour's Pardonpalooza was to create breathing room for Huckster on Dumond.
OK, yeah I know Barbour was just selling pardons, but the conspiracy theory was neat anyway.
I felt like B Rock does at end of W's 1st term.,
I was saying
Come on Dems! Give us someone we can support as opposed to just vote for instead of W.
Honestly, no one wants to run against Obama since it appears his to lose. Even the Republicans can't continue to hold down the economy till the election without more of their obstructionist fingerprints all over.
For a Repub to run against the hated obama and lose will kill their chance in 2016. Romney can't wait till then or he will the perpetual candidate (bridesmaid) never a bride.
The others are all just in it for the early portion to build name rec for 2016.
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