“The Decision”: Huckabee to Announce . . . Something
Allahpundit on Huckabee’s show about his presidential aspirations, or lack thereof (who knows?)
Before the flood of “I DON’T CARE” comments begins below, let me assure you: You do care. You care if you’re a Palin fan because having Huck in the race will deny her some of the social conservative votes she needs to win. And you care if you’re a Pawlenty fan — or merely a Romney-hater who finds T-Paw an acceptable alternative — because his candidacy probably can’t survive a field that includes both Huckabee and Mitch Daniels. If Daniels jumps in, Pawlenty will have to tack right and reframe himself as the true social conservative option among the top tier. With Huckabee in too, he can’t do that; he’d have to reframe himself yet again from being the “Not Romney” in the race to the “Not Any Of Those Other Guys.” Is there enough of a demand for someone like that among primary voters to beat the competition in either Iowa or New Hampshire? I’m skeptical. All of which is to say, in the words of Joe Biden, Huckabee’s decision is a big effing deal, even if you’d never vote for him. (Especially if you’d never vote for him.)
I think it’s on now. But I’m not watching. So discuss in the comments.
UPDATE: I am seeing on Twitter that he’s out.
I think Allahpundit said it was on at 8 p.m. EST. So I guess it’s on now.
Me, I’m getting a shower.
Patterico (c218bd) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:15 pmAllahpundit can’t make me care about Huckabee.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:37 pmI don’t like Huckabee, but Allahpundit’s argument is not premised on the idea of liking him. What about his argument is wrong?
Patterico (c218bd) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:38 pmHe’s taking his talents to South Beach!
carlitos (1596cc) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:39 pmHe’s not wrong, I just refuse to allow anyone to make me care about Huckabee.
Its not an intellectual response, its an emotional one.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:39 pmI care about Huckabee… he should go feed orphans or go back to preaching.
Obama’s circus followed by a Huckabee hindenburg would turn us into Guyana. And we’d all gladly line up for the koolaid that will end the pain
SteveG (cc5dc9) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:47 pmTed Nugent.
Well. Cat Scratch Fever really didn’t give a hint about what goes on next.
hard to segue into anything after that
SteveG (cc5dc9) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:50 pmThank you Jesus
SteveG (cc5dc9) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:55 pmCan someone please please please make F@ckabee go away?!?!?!?
JD (395555) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:58 pmA smart move on Huck’s part.
navyvet (db5856) — 5/14/2011 @ 5:58 pmI’ve been thinking about Althouse’s Obama vote, thanks to her recent attention.
I think one of her arguments was that Mccain being President would ruin the right/left balance because there wouldn’t be an effective right.
What if the truth is that an Obama presidency makes the right too desperate, willing to nominate someone more moderate than Mccain?
My point is that while we absolutely need to nominate someone a hell of a lot better than Huckabee, the general election is no time to reject the best choice because you worry he’s not a good representative of the right. Yeah, that means we must support Huck if he’s the nominee (And yeah, I know many people will say they absolutely will not).
Let’s just beat the guy in the primaries then, by accepting the most conservative candidate who can win (whoever that is) despite imperfections.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:00 pmMike Huckabee:
AD-RtR/OS! (3ddda9) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:04 pmBill Clinton without the sexual compulsions, and perhaps a higher level of religious devotion;
but, Bill Clinton nevertheless!
This will give him time to learn how to play the Geetar.
Mitch Rapp (9f4d2e) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:06 pmwow now teh crazy really starts!
glad I gots mah bucket!
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:07 pmHuck isn’t running.
Good.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:08 pmhttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/14/huckabee-opts-2012-white-house-bid/
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:08 pmCan Mike Suckabeeyotch go away and take his nanny statism with him?
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/14/2011 @ 6:34 pmMy “I Don’t Care Regardless” strategy was a huge success.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/14/2011 @ 7:08 pmAllahpundit can’t make me care about Romney.
/worth a shot
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/14/2011 @ 7:09 pmhttp://twitter.com/#!/HeyTammyBruce/status/69566739012259840
narciso lopez (79ddc3) — 5/14/2011 @ 7:12 pmHuckabee? Romney? Daniels? Gingrich? Palin? Pawlenty?
Wake me when Obama’s safely reelected.
Gerald A (8e99c8) — 5/14/2011 @ 7:44 pm“Draft Christie” would make a helluva good story at a GOP convention deadlocked between midgets til the eleventh hour.
Think of it: Christie can keep his word (that he won’t run) up to the very last minute, then, when his party desperately beckons him (after all, they got nuthin’ else) he can solemnly answer the call of duty, all the while grinning aside at the audience, just like Richard the Third.
“Will you enforce me to a world of cares?”
After all, the only way to beat Obama is going to be with essentially a coalition candidate.
And besides, we haven’t had a good old-fashioned smoke-filled backroom deal at a convention in a while. A good story counts for a lot — just ask Prince Dreams from My Bigamist Father.
d. in c. (6d8a47) — 5/14/2011 @ 8:32 pmIt’s been one heck of a fortnight for GOP suicides. Trump dumped F-bombs on himself, Romney doubled down on death panels, Newt consummated his Contract with Global Whoring, and Huckabee’s RSVP was heartless.
If a few more weak sisters bite the dust, we’ll be down to the short list so MSM to pick the Republican Party’s candidate again and signal the feeding frenzy can begin.
The high priests who brought us Bob Dole and John McCain are lookin’ around for another lamb for the NY Times alter, but pickin’s are slim, and Abraham’s down to his last son.
TEA Party invitations for Sadie Hawkins Day haven’t gone out yet, so while it’s still a waitin’ game, the gals are busy makin’ plans, they’re getin’ in shape, they got new sneakers, and they’re learnin’ how to wrassle boys and drag ’em over the finish line.
ropelight (d6d505) — 5/15/2011 @ 5:54 amWill Huckabee apologizing fo rletting a cop killer go free?
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/15/2011 @ 5:59 amapologize for letting*
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/15/2011 @ 6:01 amComment by ropelight — 5/15/2011 @ 5:54 am
Sadie Hawkins Day….hahaha!
AD-RtR/OS! (e9ee01) — 5/15/2011 @ 7:39 amBut, what if someone shows up without an invitation?
Like the Dem who calls himself a “Tea Party” candidate in that election to fill a Cong seat in Western NY?
How many “good Republican” votes will he siphon off from the real GOP candidate (with the active help of another disgruntled GOP’er?)
– is the NY GOP a serious political party or just a bunch of whiney junior-high-schoolers?
How would that announcement have worked? Huckabee says, “I’ve decided to run for President,” and the screen goes blue with a statement printed “FOX News announces that due to his bid for the Presidency we can no longer allow Mike Huckabee to have a regular show on our network”?
Have Blue (854a6e) — 5/15/2011 @ 10:08 amNow, will Palin run?
And in any event, isn’t Daniels right? The economic issues are so important right now that getting those fixed is really all that matters. Those that would stay home because gay marriage isn’t the prime issue are just handing the election to Obama and all the judges he’ll appoint.
And maybe Huckabee knows that.
Kevin M (298030) — 5/15/2011 @ 11:22 amI can see the next year at Patterico.com will host some terrific debates about the best GOP nominee. I love debate and know there will be a lot of interesting ones here, but I’m not up for it right now. See you guys in December 2012.
DRJ (fdd243) — 5/15/2011 @ 11:40 amPalin doesn’t run.
Christie doesn’t either – think he’s going to in 2016, but not this year.
JEA (636a09) — 5/15/2011 @ 2:34 pm