Of Hucksters, Hooligans and Huckabee
Gosh, I'm sure happy now that the Netroots and the Democrats successfully sunk the Fox News presidential debate a few months back.
I thought it was a really dumb idea to do so at the time. But now, much like Mitt Romney, I've changed my mind.
In retrospect, it seems self-evident there's no way the crumb-bums at Fox could have carried off any such debate with, um, the dignity, the gravitas, and the respect for the viewers demonstrated by the venerable CNN in its handling of Wednesday's You (boob)Tube GOP debate.
I mean, if Fox had organized this you can just imagine what would have happened. We would have seen videos of questions from gun freaks tossing loaded weapons around, and from those demanding to know if the Bible was the literal and revealed Word of God, how long women should be jailed for having abortions, what are the most effective forms of human torture, and -- last not but least-- how much does each candidate really love the Confederate Flag!
Oops, say what? That's what you saw on CNN? Sorry... Oh well.
To be honest, I didn't catch the entire "debate." And I if were just about any of those guys up on stage, I'd have to hope that not too many others saw it either. I understand fully they are competing for the loyalty of the Republican base, but they seem so out of synch with the national mood that it's almost painful.
Who can believe that there could by more than 1/4 of the electorate, if that, who today cares to hear you detail what's in your personal gun collection, or how literal you think the Bible is and and whether you'd ban abortion on a federal or just a state level? I don't know nor do I care very much who "won" the debate -- but you've got to figure that whoever the nominee winds up being he must have at least temporarily lost 2-3% of the general election voters who had mistakenly or otherwise tuned in.
The most excruciating moments I caught? I think top prize goes to military cultist Duncan Hunter who argued that gays in the armed forces would offend the cultural sensibilities of the "mostly conservative" young people who enlist. What a hooligan. I suppose serving young negroes Cokes at the Woolworth counter in 1950 would have also been culturally offensive to a lot of folks in Mississippi - but that wouldn't have made it legal, justifiable or humane. The other worst moments? Anytime Mitt Romney was on camera. A full-time cynical huckster who can barely keep track of his own rampant opportunism. Or maybe it was the time visitin' with Good Old Uncle Fred Thompson who -- apparently-- doesn't know much about, well, anything.
Meanwhile, comes news that Mike "The Revealed Word of God" Huckabee is now leading the GOP pack in Iowa. Absolutely no surprise to me, thank you. I predicted a meteoric rise for him back in mid-summer when I saw him out at the Iowa Straw Poll. And it's not just that Huckabee is bona fide social conservative that makes him appealing to the Republican base. He has definite cross-over appeal, projecting a Compassionate Conservatism that GW Bush talked about but never demonstrated.
Save your energy and don't even think about slamming me for being soft on Huckabee. I'm merely recognizing and trying to explain his appeal. He radiates a core decency that seems to be lacking from every other of his rivals and it's starting to pay off for him big time.
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can we all agree that Giulani is the worst of the bunch? let's try to find a consensus here.
All these republiCONs are scary to some degree. Huckey just puts a smiley face on it. He’s bush with charm. He may be the only real conservative running but we still don’t need a president that does not believe in evolution. One religious fanatic every century is more than enough, and king george jr has already maxed us out in that category.
You're right.
Candidates foolishly boycotted the Fox debate and settled for Snowmen, Cartoon characters, UFO's and planted questions.
Now dem trolls are trying to cover for CNN, while the no-credibility Cooper issues apologies.
I LOVE IT!
The plutocracy owns the MSM. It isn't blue or red. Get over trying to change them. Beat them.
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Huckabee is the least heinous of the GOP candidates, but I don't understand why Baptists, who interpret the Bible more literally than anyone else, are always for capital punishment. Nonetheless, I would be happy to see him get the nomination over those dirtbags I keep having to hear about.
Everything you say is why this conservative libertarian is voting for Hillary. I have had it with the nonsense of the rightwing and I think lots of others have also.
But one note to you on the Mississippi thing. My folks are from there and yes racists were and still are a problem. But honestly, I've seen more racism in Chicago and Boston than I've seen in Jackson. Missississippi, for all it's faults, is likely the most intergrated state in the U.S. today.
"He radiates a core decency that seems to be lacking from every other of his rivals and it's starting to pay off for him big time."
Yep. Exactly how I felt about him when he first caught my attention. Then he started to delineate his positions in detail. So long Huck! Just another nut from Jesusland.
"Hard" news is entertainment and image. I would love to see a new network of 24/7 coverage with respect to international news and insight, minus the bleak glam presented by dumb albeit articulate news anchors.
**Someone find a billionaire to start a news agency, recruit the top credible journalists like a professional sports league, and rid TV of FOX, CNN, and all the other entertainment channels under the guise of "News."
Please DO NOT confuse the struggles of African-Americans with homosexual
So, in Mr. Cooper's estimation, Huckabee "radiates a core decency?" Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations. I occasionally encounter homeless people and panhandlers who, as far as I can tell, also "radiate a core decency." Who gives a crap?
Sorry, Mr. Cooper. In spite of your plea for readers to "not even think about slamming" you for being soft on Huckabee, you richly deserve it, on the basis of Huckabee's fervent belief in creationism, which you don't mention. Perhaps you think Huckabee's preference for myth and fables over science is unimportant.
Not me. In my mind, anyone who believes that Adam and Eve chowed down on brontosaurus burgers along with the forbidden fruit is a mental cripple who might be merely amusing and sad in another context. But as president? That's profoundly depressing and frightening.
I was Huckabee-"curious" til I watched him spin his "freedom democracy shining light self-determination" slant on foreign policy on its' head,...in the very next breath,...
I thought it was interesting that in the Democrat You Tube debate almost all the candidates created humorous 30 second ads that kind went with the tone of the evening. Last night all the ads were dead serious. It seemed like the You Tube people asking the questions were a lot scarier than those asking questions of the Dems. Just an observation.
I'm for Biden and tuned in last night just to be fair. They are all really frightening. I certainly hope this is not what main stream America is looking for in a leader. I think Biden could kick any of their butts.
Don't you think you're being a little unfair to Fred Thompson?
There is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that says a dead man can't run for president!
Thompson/Vlad the Impaler '08
As Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee intervened with the parole board to free Wayne Dumond, who was imprisoned for a rape conviction. Dumond then went on to rape and murder another victim. When asked what he told the parole board in the closed door hearing that preceeded the issuing of the parole, Huck says he doesn't remember.
Yet another Republican with a bad memory....
See Shelby Highsmith's Profile
The other day I heard someone refer to Huckabee -- maybe it was while you were guest-hosting "To the Point" -- by his self-applied label of "conservative but not mean about it." That's exactly what I saw on stage last night. I really, really don't want to see Huckabee in the White House, but I like the guy and I respect him more than almost everyone else on that stage last night. I feel like at least I know where he stands and that he believes what he says.
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