Woo! it appears if you dump a lot of money into something, you can buy the most votes in a pay-to-play fundraiser! Who would have thunk it? I haven’t checked the NRO, where K-Lo is probably having the vapors she is so excited about Mitt, but I did check what Captain Ed has to say (as a Republican apostate, I use Captain Ed as my bridge to somewhat sane conservative thought, even though I unfairly pick on him from time to time):
Mike Huckabee showed surprising strength in Iowa. Despite not buying any advertising at all in the state, he managed to capture more than half of Romney’s total simply by his appearance at Ames. Huckabee was the most likely second-place finisher in Iowa anyway, simply because of the roster of the people who took the time to appear — but his strength, and the relative strength of the nonentities that have been Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo in this primary campaign show a real problem for Romney in Iowa.
Romney had the opportunity to bury the rest of the field in Iowa. Not only did all three people ahead of him in the national polls bow out for various reasons, but Romney has owned the airwaves in Iowa. Given the low national polling numbers for the GOP second tier — they score roughly 22% combined, if No Opinion gets included — Romney should have at least won somewhere upwards of 40% in Ames, and probably a majority.
Anyone who has seen Huckabee in the debates would not be even remotely surprised by his performance. As I have stated repeatedly, he is one of the few folks on both sides who is likable, appears honest, and, get this- actually seems to believe what he is saying. People respect that, even if they are jaded and cynical like me. And for the record, I am hard pressed to think of one thing I honestly agree with Huckabee about and I would NEVER vote for him. He is wrong about evolution, and from my standpoint, his positions get WORSE from there.
Mike
I’d give Ron Paul the same plusses and minuses. Great guy, likeable, sincere, completely natural and unpackaged, and he’d make a terrible president.
myiq2xu
I keep waiting for the media to catch on to the fact that the Mittster is a Mormon, which means most of the religious right considers him a non-Christian cult member.
I have nothing against Mormons, I’m even related to a few of them. I think they’re mostly pretty decent people.
But I was raised in a fundie church and they spent a lot of time talking smack about how them polygamists were gonna burn in hell, along with the Cathalicks and the Jesus-murderin’ Jews.
David
Well, K-Lo notched 78 posts in 14 hours on the NRO’s Corner (not counting any other forums she may have hit). It was a full day for the old gal.
In the meantime, Mark Steyn is still digging the grave for “Private” Beauchamp. We’re still winning the war and Iran should be scared. Arming our good friends, the Saudis, is a good thing. Housing problem? Sub-prime mortgages? Bah, let them eat cake!
All is fine in LaLa-Land.
Geoduck
The media will only “notice” that Mitt is Mormon if it is finally decided that one of the other GOPers os the Annointed One.
Psycheout
Shhh! Don’t talk about Mittens’ religion. His magical underpants might get angry!
TenguPhule
If you think you’d like to have a beer with him in a bar, that’s where he belongs.
Not in the Whitehouse.
Bob In Pacifica
I might have ONE beer with one of these guys in a bar. But you get drunk with a Republican and you wake up with him under your blanket. Thank the Lord above that Ann Coulter is around to remind us that it’s really the Demos who’re fags, eh?
The Other Steve
Huckabee has some problems with the base on taxation. But his big problem is…
Wayne Dumond
It’s a classic tail of Clinton Derangement Syndrome.
RSA
I think it’s interesting and kind of cool that a politician’s position on a scientific issue, rather than a policy issue, can shed so much light on his intellectual bona fides. I’m not saying that a creationist might not make a good President, in theory at least, but we’re better off choosing from a pool of well-informed rather than superstitious people.
The Other Steve
It must have been quite the sight to see all these diaper clad Republicans showing up to vote for he who is going to save them from the islamofascist terrorist killer robots.
Matthew
From the corner:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzdhNDI3OGFiYjUxMTUyMDgxODYwOTBkMjc5ZmNkYzg=
I think it helps fill in a slow news day in August.
grumpy realist
Tommy Thompson out. (Snarfed from the Fox site):
“Tommy Thompson dropped out of the race for the presidency in 2008 Sunday. He spoke with FOX 6’s Ted Perry about his decision to drop out.
“Thompson told Perry, “I’m outta the race.”
“He says, “my campaign was completely shocked. We absolutely thought we were coming in second [at the Iowa Straw Poll]. We had no doubt in our minds. The worst we thought we’d come in was third and it didn’t happen that way. Something happened between the 50-yard line and the goal line. They pulled a reverse on us and we didn’t see it coming.”‘
(I’m shocked, shocked that I lost?)
RSA
Podhoretz has a point. Historically, the top three finishers in the Ames straw poll:
1999: GW Bush, Forbes, E. Dole.
1995: B. Dole / Gramm (tie), Buchanan.
1987: Robertson, B. Dole, GHW Bush.
1979: GHW Bush.
jnfr
I don’t agree with Huckabee about anything either, but he does seem to be honest and sincere, and nothing like the people in power, or most of the Republicans running. Despite my disagreements, I respect him, which is more than I can say about Romney or Giuliani.
Psycheout
Ahem. Think Brownback.
TenguPhule
Remember the Republican Motto: As long as you’re the one on top, it’s not gay.
TenguPhule
So when he lies to your face, he will do so in a sincere and honest manner.
I favor the tried and true method, mandatory competency tests for anyone who wants to run.
If they can’t answer fifth grade queations about how the government works, they don’t get to try to be in charge of it.
grumpy realist
And handing the Presidency over to someone who believes in Creationism is just slighly more sane than handing it over to someone who thinks Santa Claus is real.
The Chinese must be laughing their asses off. Exit Republicum Americarum, Ave Republicum Sinium.
Bob In Pacifica
Absolutely, grumpy. Now that the North Pole is melting and the Russians are claiming it, where will Santa Claus go?
Nancy Irving
I agree: Huckabee is a crank, but he’s a *nice* crank.
And yes, I wouldn’t vote for him either.
Nancy Irving
Wow, Comments now translates asterisked-sandwiched words into boldface.
Cool!