The "Huckaboom" has now officially become a "Huckabust" after a "Huckabomb" performance over the past week for the formerly rotund Arkansas governor. What we've seen over the past several weeks is a flood of positive liberal media stories on Huckabee. Sure, some outlets have covered a few of the lower hanging fruits of scandal from his gubenatorial administration, but the mainstreams have given Huckabee a free ride. They have bent over backwards to cast his rise in the polls in as positive a light possible. The recent surge for Huckabee is a wholly manafactured product of the liberal media. One has to wonder why media outlets that never give conservatives an even break are suddenly and wildly enthusiastic in their support for a GOP Presidential candidate. Any conservative worth their salt knows it is because they consider Huckabee an easy mark for defeat in the general election. There would be no coverage of him at all, positive or negative, if he were considered a strong candidate. Reliable sources have reported that the DNC has issued directions telling members to lay off Huckabee. That's almost sinsiter when considered thoughtfully. Conservatives should always be wary of Republicans embraced by the media, especially at the national level. The few bits of scandal that have surfaced barely scratch the surface. Huckabee's use of pardons and commutations was exceedingly high. His long ago comments on AIDS patients would be used against him in the general. He faced sixteen ethics violation charges, one of which resulted in a $1,000 fine being paid. More importantly, he was not a fiscal conservative as Arkansas governor and was fully supportive of far too many tax increases. He may be a nice guy, but he's not a conservative. His ability to carry a campaign beyond Iowa and New Hampshire is highly questionable at best.
The GOP Presidential candidates gathered in Des Moines Wednesday for a PBS debate with the backdrop of the Huckabee media circus previously described. Once again there were too many people involved and a decidedly poor format. The worst part was moderator Carolyn Washburn, who performed a dour schoolmarm routine that irritated even the candidates. She enforced time restrictions like a grouchy traffic cop and did not allow for responses to attack as billed. Vitriolic Alan Keyes was involved for reasons that still are not clear, and his presence was an obnoxious distraction. The continuing presence of Ron Paul is just as annoying. Paul is a fossil, and when that remnant of an earlier time is dug up and dusted off, it's an isolationist policy of appeasement proven dangerous decades ago that does not mesh with the realities of the modern world. It was overall a very boring affair, thanks to the draconian limits placed on the candidates.
Let's review the performances. Former Massachussets Governor Mitt Romney (aka Count Chocula) was proclaimed the winner by the Frank Luntz panel on Fox even though he kept clearly enunciating his desire for "health care for everyone." The panel gave him big points for using the Reagan model of the GOP as a reference point, so that should tell you their mindset. Arizona Senator John McCain gave stuttering and disturbingly unsteady answers. McCain's reference to "reaching across the aisle" was code for cutting deals with liberals, reminding us of one of his flaws. Guliani was unimpressive and failed to adequately address questions about security details for his then girlfriend while mayor of New York. In what has to be a record low, Rudy only mentioned 9/11 once. California Representatives Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo gave adequate but uninspiring efforts.
The most glaring failure goes to Huckabee. His statement that the purpose of the tax code should be to make poor people rich smacks of socialism. His suggestion that music and art should be in every school is a federal program too far. Huckabee's constant Bible references launch him into an extremely unsettling preacher mode. Unfortunately for him, we're not choosing a cleric in chief. He has zero foreign policy experience at any level, and it shows. His reliance on cute sound bites and folksy little stories aren't enough. Huckabee demonstrated that he is clearly not ready for prime time. A continual smooch from the liberal media is not an advantage for a conservative candidate. See the smooch for what it is: a plot for defeat.
Fred Thompson stole the show. The candidates were asked to indicate their stance on global warming's causes by a show of hands, and Fred flatly refused. When Fred's request for a minute to explain his views was denied, he again refused to participate, channeling everyone's distaste for the format and getting a nice round of cheers. Fred's attack on the NEA as the main obstacle to improving education was even endorsed by Count Chocula. When his chance for a free statement came, Fred clearly made his case for a firm adult hand on the tiller of state in the coming years. His answers to the few other questions he had an opportunity to address were spot on and enforced his obvious supremacy among the field. We're just three weeks out from Iowa, and it's unlikely Fred will win there or in New Hampshire. The campaign then moves south, however, and it's there Thompson can really make hay. A reasonable showing in the first two states will help later.
Conservatives in Iowa better wake up and smell what the liberal media is cooking for them, and it certainly isn't victory in Novermber 2008.
JINGOCON
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