His new book comes out tomorrow, & he spares no punches for his former primary rivals.
“Mitt Romney, Huckabee’s principal rival in Iowa, comes in for the roughest treatment. Read the rest of this entry »
(hat tip to NewsChannel9 producer Nathan Frick)
The answer to our trivia question posed here: John Edwards & Mike Huckabee were the two candidates who stopped in Chattanooga, during primary season. Edwards was here on a Monday; by that Friday, he had dropped out of the race. Huckabee, as you know, stayed in for much longer.
Read our posts on Edwards’ visit here & here. Read our post on Huckabee’s visit here.
Where are they now? One candidate is disgraced after admitting to an affair, & his political career is likely over. The other hosts a talk show & is a viable presidential candidate for 2012. Do I really need to tell you who is who?
..was about Fred Thompson’s decision to drop out of the race. Read it here.
Above: here are your two tickets.
As of October 13th, after more than six months of wearying negative campaigning on both sides, Clinton has a slight lead in the polls thanks to the financial crisis.
Polls remain very tight.
3rd party candidates are much more in play (Paul/Bloomberg?). Ceiling of 3rd party vote nationwide is about 4%.
Mike Huckabee is the race’s “Sarah Palin.”
Final electoral tally reaches a margin of victory smaller than 2004’s.
Above: Here are your two tickets.
As of October 13th, the McCain campaign is in nearly exact same position as now in the polls, possibly worse.
Polls tend to be closer to what they are in reality.
Obama is the race’s ‘Sarah Palin.’
Final electoral tally reaches a margin of victory greater than 2004’s.
What do you think?
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Sen. John McCain made a “huge mistake” by even discussing canceling the presidential debate with Sen. Barack Obama.
McCain’s campaign has said the Republican wouldn’t participate in the Mississippi debate Friday unless there was a consensus on the financial crisis. But the decision isn’t final. Democrat Obama still wants the debate to go on.
Huckabee defeated McCain in the Alabama GOP primary in February. Huckabee said Thursday in Mobile that the people need to hear both candidates. He said that’s “far better than heading to Washington” to huddle with senators.
He said the candidates should level with the people about the financial crisis and say the “heart of this is greed.”
You may have thought you were watching the Republican National Convention for the 2008 election last night.
& that’s mostly true.
But under the surface, the three speakers leading up to Sarah Palin’s featured three men who no doubt had the next-time-around’s primaries squarely in mind.
Let’s start with Mitt Romney, who made it clear that he’s trying to stake a claim in the farthest rightward corner of the Republican party:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Rowr! Goodness, the man hates liberals, doesn’t he? It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to call the current U.S. Supreme Court a liberal one. Hadn’t heard that claim before.
The speech was extremely reminiscent of Pat Buchanan’s 1992 speech, which was the 1st time that the phrase “culture war” was used:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Buchanan’s speech did not go over well with middle America, because it was seen as far too harsh. It may be in part the reason Mitt didn’t give his speech in prime time last night.
Onward. Mike Huckabee, the winner of the Tennessee primary, gave what I thought was the best speech out of the three former primary candidates featured last night:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
The best thing he could have done - for his party, that is - was to recognize the economic difficulties experienced by ordinary Americans. I haven’t seen much empathy in this regard at this convention this week. Good & well-crafted speech, Mike.
& then finally, Rudy Giuliani. He did so poorly at the polls this time around that I wonder if he really will run again in 2012.. but let’s assume he is until we learn otherwise:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
After a relatively tame night, the gloves were certainly off against Barack Obama in these three speeches. What do you think? Were they effective? Which of the three men who spoke do you think has the best shot at running for the presidency again? Post a comment & let the world know!
[addendum: by saying they candidates have 2012 in their sights, I am in no way implying that John McCain will lose this year. If he wins, then just substitute "2016" for "2012" above.]
What a drama! I actually think this is more exciting than the Obama speculation.
From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain has decided on his running mate, two Republican strategists in contact with Mr. McCain’s campaign said Wednesday. He is expected to reveal his choice at 11 a.m. Friday at a rally at a basketball arena in Dayton, Ohio.
From the AP:
DENVER (AP) - John McCain says he hasn’t decided on a running mate just yet.
The Republican presidential candidate told a Pittsburgh radio station he wouldn’t even talk about which way he is leaning.
In the interview with KDKA NewsRadio on Thursday morning, McCain talked very highly about one of the people considered a strong possibility to be his choice, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. He called Ridge a great American and a dear friend whom he has relied upon for years.
What th—?
So we clearly have two different stories out there.
The most interesting thing to watch has been certain sections of the GOP really, really, really trying hard to convince McCain NOT to pick Joe Lieberman. McCain has said as late as this week that he like Lieberman for the ticket.
“..a McCain-Lieberman ticket would be a disaster for all concerned, and especially for the GOP.”
& the Politico reports that Karl Rove personally called Lieberman:
“Republican strategist Karl Rove called Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) late last week and urged him to contact John McCain to withdraw his name from vice presidential consideration, according to three sources familiar with the conversation.
Lieberman dismissed the request, these sources agreed.
Lieberman “laughed at the suggestion and certainly did not call [McCain] on it,” said one source familiar with the details.
“Rove called Lieberman,” recounted a second source. “Lieberman told him he would not make that call.”
Rove did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “
Rove was slippery in how he responded to a direct question on Fox News. Pay close attention to the fact that he does not specifically deny that a call took place, only that Politico got the story wrong:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Lieberman would help McCain win independents & women. But the pick’s a big risk in 2 ways:
1. It would deflate any kind of enthusiasm for McCain in Minnesota next week (& believe me, the amount of enthusiasm for this candidate is already fragile).
2. It might possibly keep a lot of GOP voters home on election day.
One argument that it won’t be Lieberman: McCain has said he’ll make the announcement on Friday, & make campaign stops with his veep choice on Saturday & Sunday. Lieberman is an observant Jew, & thus would refrain from campaigning on Saturday. That makes the veep rollout a little awkward. (UPDATE: He definitely won’t be the nominee - scroll down)
Rove (& many others, in the Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity/Fox News/Country club Republican circuit) are pushing hard for Mitt Romney.
This too has its plusses & minuses.
Romney, as a millionaire many times over, wouldn’t help McCain eschew the image of a well-off ticket that’s out of touch with the economic concerns of ordinary Americans.
But he is perceived as having a command of economic issues, or at least more so than McCain.
& his debating skills would likely come close to making the debate with Joe Biden a level playing field.
But so would Mike Huckabee. I’ve been amazed that I’ve not seen his name in the discussions this week - & I admit that my floating of him being the choice has been poo-pooed in certain corners of the newsroom. So I may be totally off base here. But let’s look at his pros & cons, if nothing else for fun:
Huckabee is far closer to “working class,” which helps diminish McCain’s “well-off” vibe.
Again, his debating skills make going up against Biden a fair fight.
Huckabee on the ticket would virtually give much of the South to McCain. Romney did not do well at all in the primaries among southern working class voters. With Huckabee, McCain has a decent shot of getting all the states George Bush did in 2004.
He would have trouble north of the Mason-Dixon line, though, & also with independents who believe that the current administration has been a bit holier-than-thou.
We’ll know within 24 hours. What do you think? Whom should McCain pick? Whom should he avoid at all costs? I’d love to hear what you have to say! Post a comment!
UPDATE: Race 4 2008 has found the reason it won’t be Lieberman:
“The major thing standing in the way of a Lieberman Vice-Presidential pick for McCain is a seemingly small thing - an RNC rule that states that a Vice Presidential nominee must have been a Republican for at least 60 days prior to nomination.
There are only two ways around that rule as far as I know - the first being that Lieberman has already switched his party affiliation a couple months ago secretly without letting anybody know (highly, highly, highly unlikely). The other option would be for the delegates to vote to waive that rule at the RNC — and it’s not hard to imagine how that would go.
Color me skeptical, but I just don’t think John McCain would put the party through that kind of turmoil just to get a liberal Democratic candidate who already failed twice in running for the White House on a Republican ticket.”
Agree.
How is the pick of Joe Biden affecting whom John McCain chooses for veep?
The Politico takes a look:
DENVER — Democrat Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate is complicating Republican John McCain’s analysis of his prospective vice presidential contenders.
Biden will make his formal debut Wednesday with a primetime address. McCain is expected to announce his pick after Obama accepts his nomination here on Thursday.
Some insiders are pressing McCain to make a strategic selection, one that beefs up his economic strength, enhances his chance to grab a state or amps up the partisan firepower.
“McCain knows Biden well. He knows how good he is as a knife fighter. He’ll take McCain apart,” said one Republican operative.
But a review of the much-rumored McCain shortlist clearly exposes the weaknesses each person on it might bring if matched up against the six-term senator from Delaware.
•
The star of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seemed to be rising this summer in tandem with voters’ increasing anxiety about the economy.
But a McCain gaffe over how many homes he owns — he told Politico he didn’t know the exact number — would take on new life if multimillionaire Romney became his running mate.
Democrats already have calculated that the two men own a dozen homes between them, valued at a total of about $35 million.
That message could hurt McCain in two ways: It undercuts his argument that Obama is an out-of-touch elitist and would make Romney a poor match to Biden’s middle-class upbringing and common-man appeal on the stump.
•
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s strength is youth and executive experience. On television talk shows, he’s also shown a willingness to level attacks against Obama, although they are largely a reiteration of campaign talking points.
But Pawlenty, 48, may seem too young and inexperienced when measured against Biden, 65, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 — when the governor was just 12 years old.
During his service in the Senate, Biden has become a respected voice on foreign affairs. President Bush called him for advice after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Biden also is a two-time presidential candidate and a skilled sparring partner with years of practice against Republicans in the upper chamber — experiences that have given him a familiarity with partisan debate on the national stage that Pawlenty lacks.
A nationally televised Biden-Pawlenty debate “is unthinkable,” said one Republican insider.
•
Former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge could be a better match to Biden’s national security credentials. Ridge’s service in the Bush administration after the Sept. 11 attacks provided a crash course on terrorism and national security issues.
As a former Pennsylvania governor, he could be a powerful counterweight to Biden’s Catholic upbringing in Scranton, a working-class Keystone State enclave that went heavily for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries but could be up for grabs in November.
Ridge also is capable of throwing stinging political punches and has become a mainstay on the political talk-show circuit.
But there are downsides to a Ridge selection.
He is a supporter of abortion rights, which would aggravate McCain’s already uneasy alliance with his party’s conservative wing.
Ridge has tried to assuage conservatives about his abortion stance by stating that he would defer to McCain’s position calling for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling establishing abortion rights.
But such a nuanced position would be fertile turf for Biden to try to accomplish two goals: painting Ridge as a flip-flopper and driving a wedge between McCain and many independent and swing women voters on the abortion issue.
Another Ridge weakness is that a consulting firm he created after serving in the Bush administration recently disclosed a large lobbying contract with Albania.
Obama would seize on that contract to undermine McCain’s efforts to position himself as a crusader against the professional advocacy class.
While McCain aides are pressing for a strategic pick, insiders say the independent-minded Arizona senator has approached the decision through the lens of governing: Who would add value to policy debates, and who is best prepared to step into the top spot?
•
That approach tends to enhance the credentials of Connecticut Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a recently turned independent who has an easy rapport with McCain and who has already run for vice president as a Democrat.
But Lieberman’s long history as a Democrat could make for a bizarre debate with Biden — with the two of them sharing long records supporting labor causes and abortion rights and a host of other issues that would infuriate McCain’s activist base.
In essence, said one insider, a Lieberman pick “means McCain would run a campaign without a core constituency of the Republican Party.”
Phyllis Schlafly, of the conservative Eagle Forum, was more blunt: “I think there would be a walkout on Lieberman at the convention. He’s not a Republican.”
McCain’s rethinking doesn’t mean that the Biden pick doesn’t open some doors.
While Biden enhances Obama’s foreign policy credentials, he doesn’t represent an effort to reach out to moderate voters. Both men are ranked among the Senate’s most liberal members.
Brian Darling, a political analyst at the Heritage Foundation, says McCain doesn’t “need to answer” the Biden pick and could take advantages of the geographic flexibility it suddenly offers him.
“If this election is going to be as close as the polls indicate, Joe Biden doesn’t change the map at all,” said Darling.
Of the four mentioned above, what is my take? If we’re making the pick based on Biden, last place: Lieberman. Won’t happen. I’d bet money on it. This despite being McCain’s #1 choice. Pawlenty’s out too for reasons mentioned above. Ridge is still in the running, but I really don’t think it’ll be him - not with him being for abortion rights. Despite some real electoral trouble winning over independents (absolutely necessary this year), the obvious choice is Romney, number-of-total-houses-be-darned.
Simply as a political junkie, I’m rooting for this choice, because the debate between him & Biden would be one for the ages. The men would slip & fall from all the blood on the floor. Would make the McCain-Obama debates look tame by comparison.
So there you have it: ’s officially rooting for Romney!
What do you think?
p.s. though not mentioned in the article above, remember that I’ve said that Mike Huckabee remains a major dark horse at the moment. Why? The choice of Biden is a signal that Obama will try to rally his base, rather than reach across the aisle. If “them’s the rules,” then Huckabee (who, you’ll remember, won Tennessee) remains the obvious choice.
It’s been a while since we’ve had this feature, but now is a good a time as any to revive it.
I’ll be adding to this post throughout the week with comments that I hear in the newsroom about the presidential race. I’d love to include what you’re overhearing, too - so weigh in by putting something in the comments section!
“If the ticket was reversed, & Obama was a president-in-training, then this longtime GOPer might have considered casting a vote for the Democratic ticket.”
“Although it’s a long shot, I think recent events open the door for a late surge of interest in Mike Huckabee. If this is really going to be base versus base he could help. They desperately need the evangelicals in Indiana, in Virginia, in Colorado. He’s the only prominent Pub who I don’t think Biden would easily mop the floor with in a debate. I would still bet money on Romney but I expect some renewed speculation on Huck.”
“Biden will definitely be a pit bull against the Republicans. He’s a little long-winded, though.”
More later as I keep my ears open. What are you hearing? It’s your turn!
| Likelihood to vote for Barack Obama if he chooses … as his Vice President | ||||||
| Likely Voters | Democrats | Independents | ||||
| More Likely | Less Likely | More Likely | Less Likely | More Likely | Less Likely | |
|
Colin Powell |
42% | 10% | 42% | 12% | 43% | 9% |
|
Hillary Clinton |
30% | 25% | 47% | 15% | 33% | 26% |
|
Bill Richardson |
15% | 10% | 9% | 13% | 12% | 9% |
|
Joe Biden |
11% | 16% | 6% | 22% | 11% | 13% |
|
Kathleen Sebelius |
7% | 11% | 10% | 11% | 7% | 9% |
|
Tim Kaine |
7% | 11% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 8% |
|
Evan Bayh |
6% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 9% |
Zogby Poll: Obama/Powell Ticket Could Bode Well for Democrats
Survey finds Clinton VP pick favored by nearly half of Dems; Huckabee, Romney viewed as best running mates for McCain
UTICA, New York - As the Presidential candidates ponder potential running mates, a new Zogby International telephone poll shows many voters would be more inclined to vote for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama if he were to select retired four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell as his running-mate.
If Obama were to choose Powell, 42% of likely voters nationwide said it would make them more likely to support the Democratic candidate - as did 42% of Democrats and 43% of political independents. The Zogby International telephone poll of 1,039 likely voters nationwide was conducted July 9-13, 2008, and asked respondents how the selection of certain vice presidential candidates would affect their likelihood to vote for the two leading presidential candidates. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
Why I’m not surprised: Go back & read this Vote08 post from June 11th.
ALSO:
“Powell Hints at an Obama Endorsement” (June 13th)
“Computer Says Ideal VP for Both Dems & GOP is the Same Guy” (July 1st)
“Colin Powell on Barack Obama” (April 10th)
Yes, it’s a long shot, but I’m going to go ahead on the record right here & now & say that Powell is my official prediction for Obama’s Veep. The major hurdle, I think, is Mrs. Powell, who was instrumental in keeping Powell out of the running in 1995. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile.. I’ve long thought Romney is the money-favorite as of right now, & that’s reinforced even with Huckabee’s numbers as outlined below. For McCain to have a comparable “WOW” pick to Powell, I’m picking his longshot Veep pick as Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Former Republican rivals Huckabee and Romney could give McCain a boost
Among McCain’s potential vice presidential picks, former Republican nomination challengers Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney earned the strongest support from likely voters overall, as well as from Republicans and political independents. Among likely voters, 27% would be more likely to support McCain with Huckabee on the ticket, and 26% said the same if Romney were selected. A Huckabee pick would cause 13% of likely voters to be less likely to support McCain, while 11% would be less supportive of the presumptive Republican nominee if he were to choose Romney as his running mate. Among Republicans, 40% would be more likely to support a McCain/Huckabee ticket, while 11% would be less likely - a 29% net positive for the choice of Huckabee. If Romney were to be chosen, 41% of Republicans would be more inclined to vote for McCain, compared to 8% who would be less likely, for a net positive of 33%. Both fare well among political independents, with a 15% net positive for Huckabee and a 17% net positive for Romney if chosen as a running mate by McCain.
| Likelihood to vote for John McCain if he chooses … as his Vice President | ||||||
| Likely Voters | Republicans | Independents | ||||
| More Likely | Less Likely | More Likely | Less Likely | More Likely | Less Likely | |
|
Mike Huckabee |
27% | 13% | 40% | 11% | 29% | 14% |
|
Mitt Romney |
26% | 11% | 41% | 8% | 30% | 13% |
|
Joe Lieberman |
20% | 17% | 26% | 16% | 20% | 22% |
|
Charlie Crist |
5% | 10% | 8% | 12% | 5% | 9% |
|
Bobby Jindal |
5% | 9% | 7% | 9% | 6% | 9% |
|
Tim Pawlenty |
3% | 8% | 3% | 5% | 1% | 7% |
|
Mark Sanford |
3% | 9% | 3% | 9% | 2% | 10% |
June 18 (Bloomberg) — Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee warned members of his party that any attempt to undermine presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama by “demonizing” him would backfire.
“The Republicans will make a fundamental, if not fatal mistake, if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barrack Obama,” Huckabee told reporters in Tokyo. “Don’t underestimate the extraordinary, substantive moment that Barack Obama’s nomination represents in our country.”
Huckabee, 52, dropped out of the Republican nomination race on March 4, paving the way for presumptive nominee Arizona Senator John McCain. Huckabee is considered a potential choice for McCain’s running mate.
“The truth is that the vice presidency seems to be a job nobody wants and nobody ever turns down,” said Huckabee, who is visiting university campuses and meeting business groups in Japan. “I’m not seeking it, and that’s the truth.”
Huckabee said comments he made on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program last month, in which he praised McCain, were misinterpreted as a desire to become vice president.
Whom McCain chooses for the position should depend on his strategy to defeat Obama, he said.
If McCain, 71, believes he should challenge Obama in states such as New York and New Jersey “then I probably wouldn’t be chosen for the ticket,” Huckabee said. If McCain wants to strengthen his support in the South “then frankly, if not me, a person with a similar background to me makes sense,” he said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty,
former Ohio congressman and Bush administration budget director Rob Portman,
Utah Governor Jon Huntsman
& onetime rival candidate Mitt Romney are all expected to be on McCain’s list of potential vice presidents.
Neither Obama’s race nor McCain’s age will be a deciding factor in the election, he said. U.S. economic woes will be the top priority for voters in November, Huckabee said. A recent surge in gasoline prices is proof the U.S. should increase its energy independence.
“It’s affecting the capacity of people to put food on their tables,” he said.
Is Tennessee primary winner Mike Huckabee right about this? Or is “demonization” the only way the GOP will win the White House this year? Post a comment with your thoughts!
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Mike Huckabee is bringing his political expertise to Fox News Channel.
The former Republican governor of Arkansas who ran for president this year will be a political commentator.
Bill Shine, the senior vice president of programming for FNC, calls Huckabee “a great addition” to the cable network’s election coverage.
In a statement released by his daughter, Huckabee says he hopes to bring a “unique perspective from inside the dragon’s belly,” and to try to speak for millions of Americans who feel their voices are not being heard.
Huckabee is an ordained Baptist preacher who’s been mentioned as a potential running mate for John McCain. Huckabee has formed a political action committee to raise money for McCain and other Republicans.
Let’s try to read the tea leaves. I see one of two things happening here for the winner of the Tennessee GOP primary:
1. He’s already been told that he’s out of the running for vice president, & thus has been encouraged to pursue other interests.
2. This is all an elaborate head fake to throw the mainstream media off the Vice Presidential hunt.
We tend to lean toward option 1, but who knows?
What do you think?
(CNN) – During a speech before the National Rifle Association convention Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — who has endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain — joked that an unexpected offstage noise was Democrat Barack Obama looking to avoid a gunman.
“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he’s getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
As the Politico’s Ben Smith notes, “joking about Obama getting shot at is probably not the fast track to veephood.”
MONDAY UPDATE: Huckabee apologizes on Meet the Press:
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
What do you think?
Tennessee GOP Primary winner Mike Huckabee has been out of the spotlight for several weeks now.
Find out what he’s up to these days after the jump.
Vote-08 has confirmed through NewsChannel 9 National Sales Director Mike Hood that Hillary Clinton is about to get some company on the NewsChannel 9 airwaves. She has stood alone since last week when Barack Obama pulled his ads.
Now Hood says Clinton’s ads will continue to air through next Monday (Super Tuesday eve), and John Edwards ads will start airing beginning this Thursday. Remember, the latest Tennessee poll shows Edwards doing better on this side of the state, so it makes sense for his campaign to try to increase his vote count.
Where are the Republican candidates? Finally one steps up to the plate. Hood says the Mike Huckabee campaign is planning to purchase ads to air starting either Friday or over the weekend.
p.s. The Ron Paul campaign sent us an e-mail about an ad “airing in Arkansas & Tennesse” (which to me hints it’s the Memphis market) but the Paul campaign has (so far) not bought any airtime on NewsChannel 9.
The Chattanoogan.com reports John Edwards is less than 48 hours away from a visit to the Scenic City:
“Edwards has scheduled an event for Monday at 11:15 a.m. at IBEW Local 175 at 3922 Volunteer Drive. The event is free and open to the public. He is due to drive straight to Nashville for an event at the Steelworkers headquarters at 1:30 p.m. CST.
hmm.
So, 11:15 a.m., & he has to be in Nashville at 1:30 CST, which is 2:30 EST. Assuming he’s on schedule (as one never should) that means we’re looking at an hour & 15 minutes of Edwards face time. That’s maximum, but I would guess the time you’ll be able to see him is close to half that. So blink & you’ll miss it.
Recall I wrote that Edwards had expressed an interest in buying tv ad time this week to NewsChannel 9’s National Sales Director, but has not spent a penny yet. His visit will save his campaign the money as local news outlets will give him the exposure he’s looking for for free. & not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s a way to keep the belt tight.
..which is a similar need for Mike Huckabee’s penny-pinching campaign right now. Which means — hang on to your Huckabee Hats - the bass player for the rock group Capitol Offense himself could very well “splash down” somewhere in the Tennessee Valley sometime prior to Primary Day, February 5th.
& speaking of local Huckabee fans, Hamilton County Commissioner Bill Hullander is officially on the record. Hullander spoke with a crowd of about 40 at the Country Place Restaurant on Shallowford Road Saturday morning. Mark West of Ooltewah helped lead the effort. He tells Vote08 several other local officials were in attendance but weren’t ready to go as far as Hullander on the record. West also says several in the audience asked for comparisons of Huckabee & Fred Thompson.
Yesterday’s WSMV-TV statewide poll shows Huckabee & Edwards both have higher poll numbers in east Tennessee compared to the rest of the state. This may be more than a presidential politics nut like me could hope for, but there may even be a chance we’d see 2 visits from either or both candidates.
Hillary Clinton’s Tennessee team have released her schedule, but she’s keeping to Nashville & Memphis, likely trying to take some votes away from Barack Obama.
Depend on Vote08 to have more on the Edwards visit Monday, and on NewsChannel 9 & NewsChannel 9.com to be all over his 75-minute whirlwind visit.
So will you try to get over to see Edwards? Any parents planning on taking their kids? How certain are you that you’ll vote or not vote for him? Write a comment!
