Storylines: Huckabee Forces Romney's Hand

TIGHT
As politics is a zero sum game, the better Mike Huckabee does, the worse Mitt Romney does... and so it doesn't matter all too much...that McCain seems to be underperforming,as he is. (It's going to be mighty hard for McCain to unite the party...but that's not the story tonight.

The McCain / Huckabee collusion -- explicit in West Virginia and implicit / unofficial / unintended everywhere else -- is a major story tonight.

Huckabee's victories are likely to put enormous pressure on the well-funded Romney to drop out...If his money cannot buy him victories outside a few caucus states, Massachusetts and Utah, he does not have any pretext for continuing.

McCain would much rather face Huckabee than Romney.

Comments

Is it just because I'm using Safari or does the formatting of the "TIGHT" header look cra-py? It's all bunched up and overlapping with the normally formatted text above and below? This looks weird!!

Posted by Tyler Simons | February 5, 2008 8:45 PM

I just did a side by side experiment - "TIGHT" looks even worse in Explorer!!

I suspect Huckabee and McCain will basically stop campaigning and have a joint ticket.

Posted by dawn | February 5, 2008 9:03 PM

I just did a side by side experiment - "TIGHT" looks even worse in Explorer!!

I suspect Huckabee and McCain will basically stop campaigning and have a joint ticket.

Posted by dawn | February 5, 2008 9:03 PM

Huckabee would have to do extremely well tonight (say 300+ total delegates) to have a chance a getting 1191 delegates. Even then it would require getting 85%-90% of all the remaining delegates. Romney has committed to fight pass 2/5 and will certainly stay in at least until 2/12.

Posted by llarsen | February 5, 2008 9:17 PM

Stop using conventional wisdom. It is worthless in Election 2008.

McCain may think he'd rather face Huckabee, but he'd do better against Romney. But everyone dislikes Mitt, so it probably brings them joy to see him forced out.

Posted by TVV | February 5, 2008 9:25 PM

Once Huckabee gets back in the news, it's over for Romney. Everyone really does seem to dislike him. They're only voting for him because they don't want McCain. If they have a viable alternative, they'll flock to Huckabee. Game over for McCain. All the way to the convention. If delegates have to vote in September for the nominee, Huckabee wins hands down. This is exciting!

Posted by chris | February 5, 2008 9:34 PM

Once Huckabee gets back in the news, it's over for Romney. Everyone really does seem to dislike him. They're only voting for him because they don't want McCain. If they have a viable alternative, they'll pick Huckabee. Game over for McCain. All the way to the convention. If delegates are given a chance to vote in September for the nominee, Huckabee wins hands down. This is exciting!

Posted by chris | February 5, 2008 9:35 PM

Uh...no, not everyone dislikes Mitt. Some actually like him very much, of course. But this is a perfect example of the exaggerations and twisted truths from which Huckabee and McCain supporters proudly praise themselves as immune.

Posted by ehjane | February 5, 2008 9:40 PM

It just shows how out of touch many so-called conservatives are, and give Gov. Huckabee credit where credit is due. I'm a non-evangelical voting for Huckabee for his convictions, leadership and genuine candor. There are no "deals"... just normal politics. Votes for Huckabee may take them from Romney, but more as a refutation of Romney than anything. Romney has spent almost $100 million to Huckabee's less than $10 million. You can't "buy" votes. Huckabee may very well take Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and maybe Missouri and Tennessee... Regards.

Posted by Mike | February 5, 2008 9:41 PM

Jesus Christ!

I'd rather my vote be "bought" by Romney than given away for free to the Huckster. Do people actually think so little of all this that they would go and vote for a lazy-eyed comedian with a cute schtick?

I hope your lulz were worth opening the floodgates on twenty million illegal immigrants for McAmnesty.

Excuse me. I have to go cry now.

Posted by Matt Parrott | February 5, 2008 10:19 PM

Mike - The "fucking rich bastard with his stinking money" factor should be put in perspective. Perot ran spending his own money, and it is hardly uncommon in Senate races.

To compete, John McCain milked 25 years of free publicity caused by him voting to spend tens of trillions of taxpayer money and get his beloved photo ops with his gleefully fellating press corps. Just the taxpayer bailout of the fraud he and the other members of the Keating 5 did with Charles Keating at Lincoln Savings and Loan cost Americans 15 times what that "rich fucking basterd" paid into his campaign.
And he has the "brand" value paid for in his last Presidential race, tens of millions in "free advertising" from his adulatory press, as well as him running on the cheap on the honor of all soldiers...

Huckabee, a Creationist from the Bible Belt, relied on a hardcore, well-funded network of religious fundies organized for 30 years to rally around leaders that would fight for Jesus, oppose abortion, let Terri Schiavo live!!
He has not shown he can win anywhere where the majority of the people believe evolution is true.

Posted by chris ford | February 5, 2008 10:30 PM

Here's a newflash to all of those who don't like Mitt Romney because you've been lulled into thinking that being rich is a sin - all the money in the world can't buy a vote, people are free to vote for whom they want. This pretty much drives home the point that the Republican party has taken a sharp turn left - class envy used to be the liberal view! It's interesting that Fox News commented that Utah was no surprise for Romney because it is the headquarters of the Mormon faith BUT when Huckabee won the south they made no mention that it wasn't a surprise either - he won the evangelical south, the people who through ignorance and much encouragement from their ministers believe that Mitt Romney isn't Christian. These people will be held accountable for the downfall of the Republican party because they can't think for themselves and research what Mormons truly believe! They would rather have Mike Huckabee with all of the ethics violations and dirty plays than a man who has led a scandal free life according to very Christian values. I'm completely disgusted! Haven't we had enough of Southern Baptists as President - Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton to name just two "classics". Mitt Romney has more intelligence and more integrity than John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Guilliani combined. There are some real fools in this country.

Posted by Tamara | February 5, 2008 10:49 PM

I can see by the profanity and ignorance being displayed here why I will continue to fight for my candidate, Mike Huckabee. He is what this country needs from taxes to truth telling. Go Hucks!

Posted by betty hicks | February 5, 2008 10:58 PM

ROMNEY IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE.

ROMNEY SUPPORTED SAME-SEX CIVIL UNIONS. In 2004 he supported a Massachusetts states constitutional amendment that would have allowed such unions.

His actions being fixed in history, Romney later changed his mind and his public position (what is new?).

ROMNEY SUPPORTED RESTRICTIONS ON GUN OWNERSHIP.

His actions being fixed in history, Romney later changed his mind and his public position (what is new?).

ROMNEY SUPPORTED ABORTION--WITH HIS OWN MONEY. He gave money to Planned Parenthood and attended their fundraiser.

His actions being fixed in history, Romney later changed his mind and his public position (what is new?).

My critique of Romney's shiftiness is nothing new. Romney has been widely criticized for adopting a variety of positions on key issues over time.

There is one issue on which he has remained consistent, however--the official racism practiced by the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) up until 1978 (when Romney was 31). Romney did not, unlike other LDS members, criticize his religious leadership for their racist policy prior to the 1978 decision to allow full membership for blacks.

Romney, despite being a Mormon bishop and a stake president (a leader over several congregations), has never called on his church to repent for its racist history.

MORMON RACISM--apparently one of the few issues on which Romney has shown some consistency. How sad.

If Romney had backbone on the core Conservative values (and actions to match), perhaps one could overlook the issue on which he has shown such consistency.

But as it is, Romney's lack of Conservative behavior should make any voter with a Conservative conscience wary.

Posted by E Trashorama | February 5, 2008 10:58 PM

Mitt Romney has money because he worked for a living. He went to BYU and Harvard - graduated with MBA in business/law, Huckabee went to Bible College, McCain graduated 790 of 795. Mike Huckabee plays guitar and has some good one liners but this is about our country, we aren't voting for an entertainer!!! He is constantly rubbing Romney's money in his face, he distorts the LDS faith publicly and privately, he has lied about the Bain Capital/Fox News connection, he has skeletons in his closet to be sure yet, he uses the evangelicals because he knows they are too "scared of them mormons" to vote for one - even though the Mormon is by far the best candidate! Why is there no mention of the fact that the only states he wins are those with the evangelicals - they are the ones that scare me! John McCain is another story - Manchurian candidate comes to mind. Heaven help this country!

Posted by Valerie | February 5, 2008 11:01 PM

Thanks Trashorama for your comments which are spot on , may I also add Romney believes that Jesus Christ is the Devil's brother . I am British and I rejoice that the true Conservatives and Christians of the South have put the last nail in Mitt Romney's coffin . The fact is the only ticket which has a chance of defeating the Democrats is a McCain /Huckabee ticket .

Posted by Andrew Price | February 5, 2008 11:14 PM

Collusion is an agreement, usually secretive, which occurs between two or more persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically involving fraud or gaining an unfair advantage and can involve “wage fixing, kickbacks, or misrepresenting the independence of the relationship between the colluding parties.”

via Wikipedia

Some call it politics....I call it evil. Two against one is how evil gains advantage over truth. Go McCain and Huckabee. Your collusion is now public. Not to the liberal media but to those of us who can now see that our votes didn't even matter last night. (steeling elections....oh never...Ha) I will be sitting this election year out because of the stench of the Republican collusion. No wonder Washington is so broken. But we shouldn't be surprised. McCain has been in collusion with the dems for years. Your class envy and mormon hatred is taking away the best hope we have for the future of this country. I hope your pocket books and your conservative values sustain you through the next 8 years of Hillary/Obama. You fools.

Posted by Jan | February 6, 2008 9:54 AM

Romnay clearly cannot win with Huckabee splitting his conservative base. Huckabee has a far better chance at the next 3 states, being southern states. When Romney quits his delegates will largely go to Huckabee not the more moderate/liberal McCain. That will put Huckabee either tied with or slightly ahead of McCain.

Huckabee can unit the party and McCain and Romney cannot, period.

Posted by Andrew in Minnesota | February 6, 2008 11:21 AM

Amen to that Andrew.

We have Republican distention with a line clearly drawn in the sand between the conservative rich republicans and the conservative Christian working-man Republicans.

Any man who can be governor of Arkansas for 10 1/2 years, starting a budget 20 million in the red and come out with 850 million in the black can do and will do some damage on our national deficit.

Huckabee has onsistently been prolife. He has proved himself with taking Arkansas children from being near the bottom in ranking to 8th in the nation for academic achievement.

I have to think, "What's the major drawback that keeps the so-called Conservative republicans" like Rush Limbaugh from supporting Mike Huckabee?"

Ah, MONEY. Clearly Mike doesn't support big gov't, and ridiculous tax breaks/write offs for the rich with his proposal to abolish the IRS as we know it. No IRS, no more write offs. Everyone pays!

Thomas Jefferson proposed that taxation should be fair and funded by those who can best afford it.

One thing I know for sure. I will NOT be voting for John McCain, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama under any circumstance.

I like Mike. He is tne only candidate to turn our current recession around. I will write it in if I have to, and that's that. The media and party figureheads can speculate, project, anticipate what I'll do, but when I get behind the curtain my vote goes to Mike and they can put take that to the bank.

Posted by Mary | February 6, 2008 11:54 AM

I find it interesting that neither McCain nor Huckster could beat Romney by themselves. It took two of them to do it in tag-team fashion. Reminds you of a street fight where the little weasel sneaks around the back of the better opponent and then kicks the legs out from under him. Nice work Mr. Self-Proclaimed "Honorable" McCain. Where's the honor now? I guess this is no suprise though, your fellow POW's already knew what you were, didn't they? John, why don't you authorise the release of all those Vietnam War documents. What are you afraid of?

Posted by David | February 6, 2008 11:59 AM

I find it interesting that neither McCain nor Huckster could beat Romney by themselves. It took two of them to do it in tag-team fashion. Reminds you of a street fight where the little weasel sneaks around the back of the better opponent and then kicks the legs out from under him. Nice work Mr. Self-Proclaimed "Honorable" McCain. Where's the honor now? I guess this is no suprise though, your fellow POW's already knew what you were, didn't they? John, why don't you authorise the release of all those Vietnam War documents. What are you afraid of?

Posted by David | February 6, 2008 11:59 AM

Let's all take a step back. Every side thinks the other is blind, every side interprets facts with a bias, every side accuses the others of dishonesty. Every candidate has been contentious and every candidate has been wrong at times - you can't deny that. Romney supporters (and I am one), quit the angry bashing - that doesn't help anyone get an idea of who Romney really is. And for those who are Mormon, be an example of a real one and write respectfully to those who see differently! You know Jesus AND President Hinckley would have told you that. McCain and Huckabee supporters, collectively you really have taken advantage of every negative fact about Romney and Mormonism without the full perspective that context and positive facts bring. This is certainly true. I hope people can open their hearts and come to truly understand Romney and Mormonism and even though I am worried about a nation under McCain/Huckabee, if they are the candidates, I will pray that the Lord helps them to lead the country well. There. Now let's be civil.

Posted by ehjane | February 6, 2008 3:13 PM

Huckabee has been under estimated by every politic pundit. What people are not realizing is that Mike Huckabee's campaign is being driven by mostly all grassroots. That means, the people want Mike for President. Romney has to buy people to work for his campaign. Not Huckabee, he has people donating so much time and effort to help him get elected. Huckabee is a man for the people and the people know it....

Posted by Jenny Owen | February 7, 2008 6:31 AM

Actually, if you knew about "Team Mitt," you would know that this is false. There has always been a huge grassroots effort from Mitt supporters. I am one of them and like the rest of his volunteer network across the country, have happily campaigned for Mitt for free and am happy to do more of it. You can describe the side you know, but not the one you don't.

Posted by ehjane | February 7, 2008 2:18 PM

To those of you who are accusing McCain and Huckabee of having made a deal, may I remind you of Huckabee's words on Super Tuesday?

When an interviewer asked him if he had a deal with McCain, Huckabee appeared stunned and replied (as though stating the obvious):

"I am running AGAINST him! He is my rival!"

If Huckabee really had a deal with McCain, why didn't he drop out today after Romney did? If getting rid of Romney was the goal, it's done.

It is amazing that people can be so irritated at Huckabee for exceeding their expectations. They predicted that he was finished. Super Tuesday proved them wrong.

Now they are annoyed when a man with grassroots support (and next to no funding) can do better than a man who's spent millions and millions of dollars of his own money.

The Republican talking heads say they don't want McCain to win- but with Romney gone, they need to decide whether they are for or against Huckabee. So far they've done their best to discount him. And that unfairness is fueling his supporters to work even harder.

How dare Huckabee try to win the nomination?! Perhaps because he and his supporters believe that their cause is worth it.

Folks, this is America. Let's allow the system to work, and stop bashing someone who's been incredibly successful against the odds. Given Huckabee's past record, even if McCain gets the nomination, he will probably support him with respect and civility.

There's still plenty of time to rally against the Democrats. For now, let's let AMERICA (not the news media) decide who they want as the Republican nominee.

Posted by R.D. | February 7, 2008 8:10 PM

I think it is quite interesting that Mike Huckabee has been pushed out of this race by the media, yet he has held his own. I hear comments that Huckabee took votes from Romney, but I think it was the other way. I think money ( oops I mean Romney) took votes from Huckabee. Super Tuesday was a tremendous win, He came within 1% of Missouri and 4% in Oklahoma on top of winning the others.
I am disappointed with the way the media tries so hard to determine who gets elected. I am, on the other hand proud to be a red blooded american, when I see a canidate start an uphill battle and actually pick up speed as he goes.
I wish people would watch more debates and less media so they can be more than puppets. I commend each of you who voted your heart, no matter who you voted for. My son is fighting to give others democracy, that we take for granted.
Go Huckster

Posted by patrick | February 8, 2008 1:27 AM

Hey....has everybody forgotten one very powerful ingredient.....RON PAUL! Do not underestimate.

Posted by Mary | February 8, 2008 7:13 AM

How many times do we have to hear wise cracks about Romney's money? We got enough of that from the media and other candidates. How superficial to even imply that money was the only motivating power behind Romney and then weep for poor Huckabee who has been pushed down despite his pure heart and cause. THAT ("money = bully") is what the media has pushed. I think most people never really knew Romney, talk about misleading depictions from every angle of the media. His love, care, and substance were so easily overlooked/downplayed. I am well aware of Romney's faults, but I also know something of his real virtues and when you weigh it all in the balance, you get an absolutely wonderful person that would have made an outstanding President. Many of us are sad to see him (and what he stood for) leave the race.

I liked Huckabee in the beginning when he held back from contentious fighting at a debate, but countless times since then two things that I have watched with my own eyes raised major concern: (1) a sometimes rather scary attitude of condescending self-righteousness - as if he were the first (and practically only) one to bring morals to politics and (2) his hypocritical criticism of Romney after he promised Dec 31st that he would not run a negative campaign. The media totally ignored this. Huckabee DID attack Romney - I saw him say and not-so-subtly imply so many really mean, ignorant, and insensitive things about Romney, painting him as a heartless CEO, lying about how Romney was screaming and jumping up and down, etc etc. This is where everyone replies, "Well, ____ started it." But that really isn't justification. Huckabee was certainly praised plenty with the Leno show. You can't really believe that Huckabee is only not winning because he is an innocent victim to the lack of attention from the media. The media ignoring McCain's potential last summer didn't seem to stop him in the end.

I watch Huckabee and worry about a president who has already shown a dangerous tendency to mix a former professional religious career with the political leadership of an entire country. Yes, he is funny, maybe partially humble, and (I hope) as good-to-the-core as he says he is, but I have seen a lot of significant inconsistencies that put up red flags for hypocrisy, over-simplifying, and over-confidence in his own rightness/goodness. I'm not trying to be mean, but these are points I feel that people (and yes, even the media) overlook.

Posted by ehjane | February 9, 2008 3:24 PM