Click here to view the embedded video.

Winning Iowa, & also several states in the south on Super Tuesday, including Tennessee & Georgia.

LOW WATER MARK:

Destroying his chances for veephood back on May 18th, as seen in the above clip.

(hat tip to NewsChannel9 producer Nathan Frick)

From Huckabee’s website:

“Mike Huckabee shocked the country by winning the all-important Iowa caucuses and seven other states, while spending far less than the other major candidates. He created an army of passionate volunteers and small donors, transforming his campaign into a true movement that will endure long after Election Day.

Do The Right Thing is his amazing story, in his own words-from making commercials with Chuck Norris to meeting a Michigan woman who insisted on donating her wedding ring. But this is more than just a campaign memoir. It’s a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics–”vertical politics”–that focuses on common-sense solutions for education, health care, the economy, and many other issues. It’s not about right versus left; it’s about taking America up rather than down.”

(AMEN on that last statement, by the way)

Scrolling down the site’s page reveals:

Yes, he’ll autograph your copy of the book.

If you go, let me know!

His new book comes out tomorrow, & he spares no punches for his former primary rivals.

From Time Magazine:

“Mitt Romney, Huckabee’s principal rival in Iowa, comes in for the roughest treatment.

Huckabee writes that the former Massachusetts governor’s record was “anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president.” He notes that Romney declined to make a phone call of congratulations after Huckabee beat the oddsmakers to win the Iowa caucuses, “which we took as a sign of total disrespect.” He mocks Romney for suggesting, during one debate, more investment in high-yield stocks as a solution to economic woes. “Let them eat stocks!” Huckabee jokes.”

‘His treatment of former candidate Fred Thompson, a rival who helped sink Huckabee’s upstart ambitions in South Carolina, is somewhat more favorable, if only because it is less personal. Huckabee maintains that Thompson’s biggest mistake was strategic: he didn’t understand the need to expand the Republican Party beyond its base. “Fred Thompson never did grasp the dynamics of the race or the country, and his amazingly lackluster campaign reflected just how disconnected he was with the people, despite the anticipation and expectation that greeted his candidacy,”"

(hat tip to NewsChannel9 producer Nathan Frick)

From Huckabee’s website:

“Mike Huckabee shocked the country by winning the all-important Iowa caucuses and seven other states, while spending far less than the other major candidates. He created an army of passionate volunteers and small donors, transforming his campaign into a true movement that will endure long after Election Day.

Do The Right Thing is his amazing story, in his own words-from making commercials with Chuck Norris to meeting a Michigan woman who insisted on donating her wedding ring. But this is more than just a campaign memoir. It’s a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics–”vertical politics”–that focuses on common-sense solutions for education, health care, the economy, and many other issues. It’s not about right versus left; it’s about taking America up rather than down.”

(AMEN on that last statement, by the way)

Scrolling down the site’s page reveals:

Yes, he’ll autograph your copy of the book.

If you go, let me know!

Back When We Mattered

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?

This Blog’s 1st Post…

..was about Fred Thompson’s decision to drop out of the race. Read it here.

Picture if you will…

What if Obama’s father hadn’t ever left Kenya to meet his mother?

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.

What if Obama lost the primaries?

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:

Click here to view the embedded 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:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded 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:

Click here to view the embedded 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:

Click here to view the embedded 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.

Robert Novak says:

“..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:

Click here to view the embedded 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!

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.

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.”

Click here to view the embedded 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:

Click here to view the embedded 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.

Time Magazine reports:

Mike Huckabee retains a rosy view of his occasionally stunning, but ultimately losing campaign for the White House. “I kind of like to think of my campaign not as we lost,” he says, “but as the game ended before we finished playing.” So, of course, he has no reservations about starting all over.

Not that he is declaring his candidacy for 2012–just yet. (He will tell you that he was the youngest Republican candidate to run this cycle.) He is starting slower, with a debut next week of Huck PAC, a new political action committee to support other conservative candidates for federal office, including John McCain’s presidential campaign. “I want to continue to build the community,” he said Thursday night, in a conference call with thousands of supporters organized by Charisma, a magazine for evangelicals. (You can listen to the full call here.)

In addition to campaigning for McCain, Huckabee also said he has plans to write a new book. On what might he now opine? Well, it’s clear he has a lot of strong opinions about the lessons learned from his campaign. For starters, as he said Thursday, Christian conservatives should move beyond their worries about winning and losing, and just vote for their favorite candidate. He said he was still disappointed in the “so-called leaders” of the conservative movement, the “doubters” and the “ones who stand in the pulpits” who did not support him even though he agreed with him. “When it comes to their own political realm they think more secularly than the secular,” he said on the phone call. “Some really worship at the alter of electability.”

Huckabee’s website has a countdown clock to this “HuckPAC” announcement. If you haven’t any weekend plans, go ahead and go there to watch the numbers fall.

(above - coincidentally for this blog, it’s the first issue of Mad magazine I ever read)

(here’s me, trying -very unsuccessfully- to emulate “the Fonz,” in a photo taken the same month I got that issue)

can never, ever spend as much time as we’d like on this blog - today, once again, we’re saddled with producing the 5 & 5:30 newscast, & as you know, the viewers come first. So today’s posts will likely be light (although depend on us to keep you informed if anything breaks - we usually post a big story within 10 minutes of it breaking, so it’s worth your while to check regularly).

Below the fold, some of the day’s top issues & video links in the presidential race to tide you over. Feel free to comment on any or all of these.

New Mexico Governor & former presidential candidate Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama.
Three government contractors with the State Department have been fired after it was revealed they accessed Obama’s passport records.
A senior adviser to John McCain says that the religious right represents a “serious problem” for the candidate.
Are there any refs who can step in to stop the Democratic candidate bloodletting? ABC News weighs in on what Carter, Pelosi, Dean or even Gore might do.
A Michigan do-over possibility has been declared dead.
John McCain is taking steps to start accepting public financing for his campaign. It will infuse some much-needed cash for the short term, but he may end up having issues with that over the long term.
McCain now leads both Clinton & Obama in national head-to-head polls.
How, if at all, can the McCain campaign attack Obama on the Jeremiah Wright issue? Will it help him or hurt him in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary? Are there any comparisons between the anti-American rhetoric of Wright & that of Martin Luther King ?
& the must-read post of for the true political geeks out there: Jay Cost of RealClearPolitics crunches some serious numbers on Pennsylvania voters.

TV TIME!

Click here to view the embedded video.
Yesterday in West Virginia, Barack Obama charged that the Iraq war is costing each American is $100 a month.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Clinton campaign has a new spot featuring admirals & generals who say she’s the right candidate.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Huckabee may be out, but he’s not down. Here’s a video explaining 10 reasons why he should be John McCain’s vice president.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Huckabee also recently defended Barack Obama over the Reverend Wright controversy.

Time for you to weigh in on … well, anything!

wishes you a happy Good Friday & happy Easter!

Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander was in the NewsChannel studios Thursday & was interviewed by Don Welch for ThisNThat. An excerpt aired on Thursday, & more will air on the show in the coming days. (it comes on at 12:30pm).

But you can watch the full interview right now on NewsChannel9.com.

Click here for the video link. The interview lasts about 11 minutes.

Highlights on the Presidential race:

He says he would not be McCain’s Vice President if asked. He said he’d pull a list of names of better candidates out of his pocket to prove why he wouldn’t be the right guy.
He thinks Mike Huckabee (who won the Tennessee primary) would make a good vice president.

Alexander has just kicked off his reelection bid, as his 6-year term is up this year.
Watch the interview & come back here to share your thoughts!

Time to hear from you!

LOVES FEEDBACK & COMMENTS! & they’re coming in more frequently. We sincerely appreciate it.

After the jump, a look at what some of you have said about topics brought up in our recent posts. Feel free to comment on these comments!

Geraldine Ferraro matters about as much as Michael Dukakis. Or Dan Quayle. -Melydia
I am a calm rational person and still support Sen. Thompson. If you MSM blowhards keep bringing up his name(whether a childish poke or ignorant bliss) then it sounds like Sen. Thompson made an impact that you just can’t let go of. The “dumb masses” of America are left with their plate and have to swallow what is there. Months worth of primaries instead of one SUPER Tuesday and this is what we are left with?no thank you GOP! -Ray
I run a blog that is aimed at the urban crowd and as a black man I’d like to go on record saying I don’t think Geraldine Ferraro is racist at all. At least not in the way we generally think of a racist. She see Barack being black as an advantage and not a disadvatage. In a way she is right. His race does get him noticed but in all honesty it is not going to help him get elected at all. One of the other writers over at Highbrid Nation says Geraldine Ferraro is evil not racist, lol. He might not be too far off. - Mike Belgrove
I think that she would probably not be in politics personally if she weren’t married to Bill Clinton. Law, yes, politics, no. I think that if she is the nominee, her marriage to a former president will be more of a liability and an asset. I worry that he will be sticking his nose in issues and unable to allow her to lead on her own. Not because she is a woman, but because Bill Clinton is Bill Clinton. This is from someone who voted for him twice-we do not need him back in the White House, especially in a quasi role. I think Hillary is an independent thinker and is capable of doing things on her own, and I have respected her for it. However, I think she is the wrong candidate for the Dems because she has so much baggage from when her husband was in office. -Liz
I truly want Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee. I think he is the only person who can bring America together. I don’t want to fight with people on the other side. I am FED UP with the bitter partisanship in Washington. I think the Super Delegates know that Obama has brought out people and would bring them to the election. If Hillary doesn’t stop her attacks on Obama, I can see someone challenging her when she somes up for Senate re-election in 2004. -Elizabeth Anderson
In reply to the Clinton’s ad: “It’s 3 AM and the phone is ringing. Is it the president’s husband calling for a ride home?”Someday whoever gets elected president is going to have to act like a grownup. Ask yourself, “Which candidate do I want to act as an adult in the White House?” -Jim
It seems that we have already seen what Clinton can do with the health care plan that she was in charge of when her husband was the president. It really made a mess of everything and nothing got done then. She can’t do all she wants to do because she doesn’t let other people help also. -Margaret
Huckabee as the vice-president would help McCain become the President in November. -Lee
Yessir! Sonny Perdue would make a great counterbalance to Captain John McCain’s (play on words here, RE: Captain Queeg.) When things were uptight, call in Sonny. When The Captain was in the middle of a flashback, get Sonny to throw him to the floor and knock some sense into him.Republicans a minority in the Senate? Sonny could let ‘em have it with his gavel from the high chair. If Hillary got to talking “down-home drawl” with him, Sonny could “out down-home” her in an instant.Problems with the Senate Majority Leader? Let’s go quail huntin’! “Be sure to wear your hunter orange so’s I can see you.”…And there’s nothing better than grits and gravy served to a Yankee-transplant-mainstream-media-feller.All this in a Southern Republican! How sweet it is! (Or would be…) -Jim
Thanks again to all who are making the what it is! & keep those comments coming! This is a platform for your voice just as much as anyone else!

Who won last night? EVERYBODY DID!

Forgive Vote08 for lapsing into an old liberal stereotype, but after the jump, we’ll make our case & put the night’s biggest winners in order of magnitude.

Big Winner #1. Members of the GOP who will only vote for a Democrat when the devil starts sporting earmuffs & a parka. The folks over at RedState do some (expected) crowing at their newfound good fortune, in a post titled “Good Evening Democrats, Welcome to the Spring of Pain“:

“You’re going to hate the next few weeks, the campaign’s going to end up being the political equivalent of an abscessed tooth for you, the GOP is meanwhile going to take this gift from the gods to do some needed infrastructure work, and it’s all going to be essentially meaningless from your perspective anyway. And, oh, yes: you’ll be needing to send the Democratic Party more money.”

Big Winner #2: John McCain. For all of the hype & drama going on over at the Democratic side, John McCain’s comeback from the dead is equally if not more dramatic. Last summer his campaign was leaking advisers and cash; now that he’s secured the nomination officially (reaching the magic 1191 last night) more cash can now start flowing his way. More on his new advantages from Newsweek’s Michael Hirsh:

“The problem for Obama and Clinton: by ratcheting up their attacks on each other, they risk weakening the eventual nominee in the general election against McCain. They are certainly supplying the Republicans with a priceless amount of free advertising. Clinton’s “red phone” ads raising questions about Obama’s preparedness to be commander-in-chief, and Obama’s counterattack commercials challenging Clinton’s judgment, are likely to be re-aired by GOP politicos into the fall if she somehow manages to emerge as the nominee.”

One big problem McCain’s handlers need to work on ASAP is his oratory. Here’s the first part of his “accept the nomination” speech last night:

Click here to view the embedded video.

He a) needs better writers, b) needs those transparent “teleprompter” windows at his podium, & c) — most important coming from me who’s spent a few years in the TV biz — WORK ON HIS DELIVERY.

Still, McCain is a big winner right now. All he has to do is sit back & watch the carnage on the other side, as well as watch the money come in. Oh, & pick a vice-presidential nominee.

Big Winner #3: Hillary Clinton. She’s not going anywhere. Yesterday’s dominant wins in Rhode Island & Ohio, & what looks to be a close but comfortable win in Texas, gives her back momentum she’s not seen since she won in New Hampshire.

How’d she do it? Jay Cost at RealClearPolitics crunches the numbers:

On Ohio: “Clinton did well among late deciders. She won those who decided the day of the primary by 11 points, about what she won the entire vote by. She won those who decided three days before by 26 points. This is actually an improvement for Clinton. Normally, Obama performs better among voters who decide three days prior. Clinton also did better among voters who decided a week ago.”

On Texas: “Typical for a southern contest - Clinton won white men (here Obama did better among white men than he has in other southern contests) and white Protestants. She did enjoy notable improvement in her standing among wealthier voters and Independents - two groups that Obama typically wins in the North or the South.”

Let us also remind you of our post here dealing with the use of fear in the campaign.

The “3am Phone Call” ad tapped into the fears of the electorate that Obama isn’t experienced enough. As we have said, this approach time & time again has worked. This time around, voters who made up their minds in the last 3 days of the campaign - the 3 days when the ad aired - went heavily (61% in Texas) for Cilnton.

Here’s another way Vote08 can illustrate this phenomenon:

…Hillary fans - I’m sure you’ll likely be walking on air too much to be offended. Here, watch her acceptance speech again:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Moving on.

Big Winner #4: Barack Obama. All one needs to do is look at the delegate scoreboard. As of 10:30am Wednesday the delegate count hasn’t solidified, but here’s what it’s looking like:

Pledged Delegates: Obama 1340, Clinton 1206

Pledged Superdelegates: Obama 202, Clinton 241

Total Committed Delegates: Obama 1542, Clinton 1447

Obama still has a 95 point lead. The Texas caucuses are far from being counted - we may not know the final count until later this week. Nevertheless, Clinton still has a monumental hurdle to climb. (Vote08 promises to demonstrate that later this week). She faces the prospect of fighting for a do-over in Florida at least, & Michigan as well. The Democratic Party is going to have its patience tried, so Superdelegate watching now becomes the new spectator sport in this race. Right now, it’s down to momentum versus math.

Here is Obama’s concession (or Vermont victory) speech last night:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Big Winner #5: Mike Huckabee. Huckabee fans, you should not feel bad at all that your man dropped out last night. Mike Huckabee demonstrated that he’s a force to watch in the GOP for many years to come. Remember this: back around Thanksgiving, the majority of the country had never heard of him. Yet he, above all other GOP candidates, remained on the trail until McCain secured the nomination. Credit Huckabee with keeping a lot of GOP voters in the race who at times felt dispirited about their choices. &, he also has changed a lot of perceptions of what an “evangelical Republican” is. He is certainly no Falwell or Robertson Bible thumper, condemning non-believers to hell, which up to this point was a widely-perceived stereotype about the evangelical movement. & of course we’d be remiss not to mention Huckabee is without question the candidate who demonstrated the best sense of humor on the trail. You will see him be given a prominent prime time speaking role at the convention in Minneapolis later this year, & look for him to push for an influential role on the issues that matter most to him & his core supporters.

Here’s his concession speech last night:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Big Winner #6: the Vote08 blog! A drawn out primary struggle for the Democrats means gobs & gobs more material! Hey, did you hear the next primary - in Pennsylvania - is a full SEVEN WEEKS FROM NOW?! I sure did! The distance between yesterday’s primaries & Pennsylvania’s is the same distance in time between now & the New Hampshire primary (which seems eons ago)! Plenty of material — thanks, 2008 campaign! I knew you wouldn’t let me down!

NOW IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO WEIGH IN! WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN? IS IT MATH OR MOMENTUM THAT’S GONNA COUNT? WHAT WILL (OR SHOULD) McCAIN DO? TELL US IN A COMMENT!

Today is a pivotal moment for all four of the major remaining Presidential candidates.

There are a lot of numbers to digest, & issues to be resolved:

• Will Hillary Clinton stay in the race after today?
  
• Can Barack Obama deliver decisive victories that will convince his party he will be the nominee?
• Will John McCain attain enough delegates (1191) to end the GOP primary race once & for all?
• Can Mike Huckabee pull out a miracle?
• & by the way, what in the heck is a stuffed quahog?

Vote08 takes a look into the crystal ball after the jump!

For poll numbers, we will use the composite averages at the essential campaign site RealClearPolitics.com.

(this is a tamale recipe Vote08 swears by) (& click here for a fascinating anecdote of how a tamale may have cost Gerald Ford the state of Texas in the 1976 election)

TEXAS

Delegates at Stake: 228

Current Polls:

Hillary Clinton: 47.4&

Barack Obama: 45.7%

Whose Alamo is it?

This post explains the quirkiness of what can be called the Texas “Primacaucus.” Voters head to the polls until 7pm CST, then after that some caucuses take place. Recall Obama has mopped the floor in caucuses, so there is a chance that if the results are muddied, there might be some legal action taken on either side.

Hillary has to win with Hispanics & women — & do it in districts who voted heavily Democratic in the last two contests in 2004 & 2006. That last fact could wind up hurting her.

Barack has to win in urban areas & continue - as he did in places like Wisconsin - to make inroads with Hillary’s “base.” He also is counting on a huge first-time voter turnout.

Here is Obama’s final Texas ad, which aired last night. (It’s 2 minutes long):

Click here to view the embedded video.

& here is the final ad Hillary Clinton ran in Texas, & it’s a response to Obama’s response to her “3am Phone Call” ad:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This race seemed like it was Obama’s to lose just a few days ago. But it’s evident Clinton has regained ground in the last 48 hours. A very crucial & close contest, the results of which we may not know until late this evening.

(Cincinatti 5-way chili recipe)

OHIO

Delegates at Stake: 161

Current Polls:

Hillary Clinton: 50.1%

Barack Obama: 43.0%

If she can’t make it here…

Hillary appears to be set up for her best victory of the night in the Buckeye state. The Democratic voters are more blue collar, a group she works well with. Obama has never gotten within 4 points of Clinton in any poll up until now, which is not the case in other states.

Factors working against Clinton: her NAFTA position. This is a state that has suffered greatly in the last 15 years under NAFTA — 400,000 jobs have been lost since 2000. Clinton has tried to distance herself from the fact that her husband helped sign NAFTA into law, but Ohio voters remember this.

Factors working against Obama: the fact that voter registration closed a month ago. Obama has done extremely well with first-time voters but this cutoff point hurts him. Voters in Ohio also seem to be wary of his experience — many say they don’t know enough about him.

Here is the final ad that aired in Ohio in the last 48 hours:

Click here to view the embedded video.

& here is the final Clinton ad:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If Clinton wins here & nowhere else, chances she will stay in the race are extremely good. That may change within 72 hours after the polls are closed though — more on that once the races are over.

(stuffed quahog recipe)(what are quahogs? click here)

RHODE ISLAND

Delegates at stake: 32

Current polls:

Hillary Clinton: 48.0%

Barack Obama: 38.3%

The Ocean State has promised to provide a wave of support for Clinton, & the polls back this up. It’s the one contest she feels assured she can win. But Barack Obama’s heavy ground game means he still could be a factor — if not for winning, at least for making it close enough to render the delegate advantage irrelevant.

(more syrup recipes than you can shake a maple tree at here)

VERMONT

Delegates at Stake: 15

Recent Polls:

Hillary Clinton: 35.5%

Barack Obama: 55%

The state with the lowest number of delegates has a chance at being the most influential; if the candidates faces tight races in Texas, Ohio, & Rhode Island (granted, a big if), and the delegate count comes down fairly evenly for both sides, it could be this huge lead for Obama in the Green Mountain state that gives him the biggest lead. Note how he’s 20 points ahead in the polls. That means proportionally he’ll win more delegates. Don’t ignore this state tonight.

But this all begs the question: Even if she wins, can Hillary still make up the delegate math in the remaining primary states? Jonathan Alter over at Newsweek crunches the numbers & has the answer. (short answer to my question: NO. click on the link & see why)

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN? DOES OBAMA HAVE THINGS WRAPPED UP LIKE A TAMALE IN TEXAS? WILL HILLARY WIN “5-WAYS” (as in 5-way chili) IN OHIO? IS A RHODE ISLAND VICTORY AS TIGHT AS A CLAMSHELL FOR CLINTON? WILL VERMONT VOTERS GET ALL SYRUPY FOR OBAMA? POST A COMMENT & LET US KNOW YOUR PREDICTIONS!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Far more serious (& more entertaining, at least in this blogger’s eyes) was a 60 Minutes piece on the fight for Ohio, which you can see here. (sorry, the full segment’s not on YouTube)

Interesting to note in that clip how the Obama rumors (since proven false many times over) about his religion & his patriotism still persist.

Also, in case you didn’t believe Vote08 when we said Karl Rove was trying to discourage many in the GOP’s attacks on Barack Obama’s middle name, here’s more from Rove himself, on Fox News Sunday:

Click here to view the embedded video.

& on Friday, Mike Huckabee appeared on the Tyra Banks show:

Click here to view the embedded video.

What do you think about any of these clips?