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Huckabee Comes Out Against Third-Party Conservative Campaign
Mike Huckabee, told the Washington Post today that he thinks the idea of a third-party Christian right candidate to oppose Rudy Giuliani "only helps elect Hillary," and that he would not seek to become the candidate for such an effort or otherwise support it.
"I don't see that being a good strategy for those who really care about pushing a pro-family, pro-life agenda," he said. Huckabee, a conservative ex-governor and Baptist minister, instead said he wants conservatives to realize there is another option. "If they want to do that, the smart thing to do is coalesce their support around Mike Hucakbee."
That said, Huckabee also says that Christian conservatives who are so opposed to the Republicans nominating a social liberal have a point. However, he added that they only helped bring this potential situation about through their own complacency, and their having been more concerned about fundraising and perceived electability than actually focusing on principles.
"Well, when it gets down to their picking things based on completely secular reasons, and it's not about the issues," he said, "I think they completely marginalize themselves."
Good for him. I think that Huckabee is the best "conservative Republican" in their field, if one follows the Dobson definition of conservative. This shows me that Huckabee wants a Republican to win the White House and it shows me that he won't bend over backwards to appease the Dobson wing of the party.
If I was a Republican, Huckabee would be my guy. Big time.
October 4, 2007 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
In a comment on a previous article I said that Huckabee would be the most obvious draftee candidate for a Christian conservative splinter party. ... Consider that notion (emphatically!) put to rest. He didn't just smack down their idea (also known as an empty threat in order to nudge the party away from supporting Rudy), he told them it's THEIR FAULT that they even had to consider pulling this stunt.
Way to go, Mike!
October 4, 2007 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huckabee is too moderate to want to run as a Christian third-party candidate. If they split, an extremist like Alan Keyes or Roy Moore will be the likely nominee. Whoever it is, they will go down in flames, and drag the Republicans with them.
Fine by me.
October 4, 2007 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Dobson and these religious fundamentalists are bluffing and the candidate who stands up to them will have one heck of a "Sister Souljah" moment. The Republican Party is shifting from an ideological purity mode to a circle the wagons mode where they are more concerned with winning the election.
October 4, 2007 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can someone explain to me why the Dobsonites *aren't* supporting Huckabee? He's both the closest to their views and, in my opinion, easily the best general-election matchup for Lady Triangula.
I can only come up with two possible explanations. One, the Dobsonites aren't willing to risk the wrath of the other dominant Republican faction, the Norquist Government-Must-Suck-and-be-Small Crowd. Even though he signed Grover's Pledge and supports the idiotic "Fair Tax," Huckabee did raise a few taxes in his decade as governor, and as far as I can tell he did a pretty good job in terms of day-to-day governance--despite his minister background, he reads like more of a technocrat than a blazing partisan. Perhaps Dobson and his gang would rather leave this time, see the Republican lose, then come roaring back with leverage behind Jeb! or whoever their next jerk is in 2012.
My other explanation is that, as Huckabee says, he's a conservative, just not angry about it--and for the Dobsonites, the anger is non-negotiable. They've gotten off on their own rage for so long that they can't support anyone who isn't an out-and-out dick.
(Of course, if this was the case, they'd presumably swallow their "issues" and support Giuliani, who has hate to spare.)
October 4, 2007 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you are missing what Dobson is doing.
It's not a threat to Rudy inasmuch as it's a THREAT TO THE REST OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
You vote for Rudy, we take the whole thing down. It's the logic of Mutual Assured Destruction, my friends.
As conservative trainee Mitt Romney recently outlined them, there are three basic types of conservatives: defense, business, and social. Dobson is telling the Podhoretz-neocons and the anti-tax, anti-regulation, Wall Street, Ayn Rand crowds that if they try to diminish the power/influence of his part of the party, then he's going to bring the whole house of cards crashing down.
October 4, 2007 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I see zero altruism in Huckabee's move here.
If Giuliani ends up being the nominee, Huckster has an excellent shot at the VP slot. Why would he want to jeopardize that?
October 4, 2007 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like Dobson is flaming again. This time its threats what my question what the heck is he hiding in his closet?
Its time we all put the Dobsons out of business. Does Dobson own gold/diamond mines in Africa like Pat Robertson does?
What is the real Dobson like ,who is the real Dobson?
Why does Dobson have so much power in the halls of Congress,Senate and the Oval Office?
October 5, 2007 7:27 AM | Reply | Permalink