If The Khaki Elephant Posted A Quote Of The Day

This would be it:

"[Sarah Palin] got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president."
-- Mike Huckabee

H/T: TigerHawk

Vice President Mike Huckabee

It sounds to me like Mike Huckabee is setting the stage to be viewed as the ideal V.P. on the McCain ticket.

We all know that John McCain needs the conservative wing of the Republican party for any hope of winning the White House. Right now the far right are about as comfortable with Mac as the frog with a scorpion on his back. They see him as the party's venomous vermin, ready to poison their grip on policy with his crazy history of compromise. So the quickest way for McCain to assuage their fears is to pick a running mate who they know and love; a legitimate conservative with the constitution in one hand and a Bible in the other.

There are a host of conservatives to choose from: Mitt Romney (though his Bible is the expanded version), Marsha Blackburn (hotter than Hillary), Haley Barbour (forget Katrina, I just like saying his name), Charlie Crist (just an 'h' away from Christ), Jim Demint (Determined & Defeisty), Tim Pawlenty (even knows what 'uff da' means), etc., etc., etc. Naturally, Mike Huckabee is on that list. He showed strength in the primaries and has a fairly strong following among the evangelical faithful. He also has that charismatic Southern wit. I mean, this is the guy who told us that "we've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop." Ah, still makes me laugh.

Of course, Huck also had one huge negative: he's been seen as a Bible-thumping ideologue with little tolerance for opposing views; an image he needed to dispel in order to make him palatable to the general public and worthy of serious consideration from John McCain. Based on his campaign, he may have been able to lure some conservative vote, but would undoubtedly repel a host of independents. Enter Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Frogs . . . I mean blogs (sorry, still on that frog analogy) and [some] networks have shown disgust and despair over the words of Barack Obama's Pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Conservatives in particular have been unforgiving about Wright's overt racism. So when Huckabee stepped forward during an interview on MSNBC with a tone of understanding, the shocking shock waves rippled across the politiscape. “I grew up in a very conservative south," Huckabee explained, "and I think that you have to cut some slack, and I think I’m probably the only conservative in America who is going to say something like this, but I’m just telling you, we’ve got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told you have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie you have to go in the backdoor when you go the restaurant.” He went on to say, “Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and have resentment, and you just have to say, I probably would too.”

Pundits have been abuzz. Maybe this Huckabee guy isn't as closed minded as everybody thought? Maybe this Huckabee guy understand the world as it is. Maybe this Huckabee guy would make a great V.P. Maybe Mike Huckabee is relevant again.

Now, Huckabee wouldn't be my choice but he's making a case for himself, despite his claims to the contrary.

Vote Barack Huckabee in 2008

My seven-year-old son has decided to endorse Barack Huckabee for President. His older brother employed nine-year-old wisdom to explain that there is no such person, but I’m not so sure about that. Perhaps the younger boy’s connection between the two comes from that otherworldly insight we often get from children.

I will not be the first to point out a similarity between Obama and Huckabee, but I find the point worrisome enough that regurgitating the thoughts of others is worth the Clintons accusing me a plagiarism. Of course, I’m not suggesting that their politics are all that similar -- Obama has been rated the most liberal Senator in America while Huckabee is so conservative that he probably hates NASCAR because of all those left turns. What I and a host of internet voices are talking about is the cult of personality.

Nothing can get the blood pumping like a pulpit pounding politician. And when their speeches seem to take on spiritual significance even a hardened heart may skip a beat. It’s not about substance. It’s not about understanding. It’s about belief through belonging. Both men have attracted a loyal following of folk who want to be a part of something they hope is significant. In fact, “hope” is the operative word as it draws the discontented to demagogues. Granted, Obama has attracted larger numbers of the discontented, but he has also out spent every other candidate while Huckabee’s folk are holed up in shabby rent-a-dump campaign fronts (sans Che Guevara posters). But money is irrelevant when there is hope. As long as they follow that powerful personality and belong to something perceived as greater than themselves, they can believe. They can hope.

There have been great people who have provided hope through both charisma and content of action -- Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., The Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Teddy Roosevelt . . . the list could go on. But I don’t think that we are seeing that today. And I’m afraid that there are many who can not or will not see the difference.

As for my son, he has made his decision. He is for Barack Huckabee and I can’t find fault with his choice. It certainly brings him a sense of hope and belonging and demonstrates the same level of political acumen and maturity that I’m hearing from many of those actually registered to vote. And now that he’s made his decision, where does he send that .25 cent campaign contribution?

Should Huckabee be?

Should Mike Huckabee drop out of the race? It's the second most frequently asked question at Republican gatherings (the first, of course, is: "How old are these bagels?") My answer is a resounding NO! (As for the bagels, it's best that you don't ask).

We all know that Iron Mike's chance of gaining the nomination is roughly equivalent to Keanu Reeves giving an acceptance speech at the Oscars, but that doesn't mean he couldn't play an important role that might have an impact next November. First of all, his campaign presence keeps McCain in the news after every primary. A winner needs somebody to defeat. If you took away the Washington Generals, the Harlem Globetrotters' "hidden ball trick" would just seem sort of silly . . . or at least sillier. Secondly, Huckabee's identification as the conservative candidate contrasts nicely with McCain as the moderate maverick, which should make the Arizona Senator more appealing to independent voters when the general election rolls around. As long the Campaign ads stay positive, the Republican race that isn't a race should prove more benefit than hindrance to the victor.

So stay in the race as long as you can, Mike. Be there for the troops. Be there for a new Republican party. Be there for Keanu Reeves. Just be.