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Mike Huckabee to Start New Radio Show
Former Arkansas Governor and Fox News Host Mike Huckabee
This endeavor sounds far superior than running for the Presidency.Rush Limbaugh will soon have a new radio rival: Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who ran for the Republican presidential nomination four years ago and thought about running again this year.
Instead, he will be running a radio show weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. for Cumulus Media Networks. The company will announce “The Mike Huckabee Show” on Thursday and begin selling it to radio stations ahead of an April 2 start date.
Mr. Huckabee said he would continue hosting “Huckabee,” his weekend talk show on the Fox News Channel, as well as the short radio commentaries that Cumulus already distributes each day. Mr. Huckabee, who first worked in the radio business at age 14, said in a telephone interview that he was looking forward to the longer conversations that the three-hour radio format would allow.
If the radio show is embraced by stations and listeners, it will ensure that Mr. Huckabee remains heard by Republican voters for years to come. When asked if he would contemplate a presidential bid again, he began his answer by saying that the show was “an opportunity to comment on issues that are of great importance to me and, I think, the country.“
He continued, “If, a few years down the road, I see an opening, I don’t rule it out, but I’m not plotting a political return either.”
Well, Ronald Reagan forged his 1980 comeback from his 1976 loss by doing what?
Yes, that is correct – doing radio commentary.
Good luck on the new show, Mike.
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President 2012: George Will, Michael Dukakis and Mitt Romney – The Pretzel Candidate
+++++Update+++++George Will’s column is now posted.Pretty brutal stuff…..
George Will “Romney is the Republican Party’s Michael Dukakis”
I wrote a few weeks ago why the Republican Party should NOT settle for Mitt Romney without eyes wide open.George Will in a preview of this Sunday’s column drives the point home.
Romney, supposedly the Republican most electable next November, is a recidivist reviser of his principles who is not only becoming less electable, he might damage GOP chances of capturing the Senate: Republican successes down the ticket will depend on the energies of the tea party and other conservatives, who will be deflated by a nominee whose blurry profile in caution communicates only calculated trimming. Republicans may have found their Michael Dukakis, a technocratic Massachusetts governor who takes his bearings from ‘data’ … Has conservatism come so far, surmounting so many obstacles, to settle, at a moment of economic crisis, for THIS?
I, frankly, think there needs to be another candidate to face off against Mitt Romney in the upcooming primary elections. Mitt may win the nomination with the current field but, despite what the poll says today, will lose to President Obama.
Mitch Daniels, Rudy Giuliani or Mike Huckabee are all capable POLS who SHOULD challenge him. There should be an immediate DRAFT effort.
If the GOP were to nominate Romney anyway, then there you go. Don’t blame me for the epic loss to Obama and the failure to win back the U.S. Senate.
But, Republican voters really should have more choices.
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President 2012: George Will, Michael Dukakis and Mitt Romney – Oh My!
George Will “Romney is the Republican Party’s Michael Dukakis”
I wrote a few weeks ago why the Republican Party should NOT settle for Mitt Romney without eyes wide open.
George Will in a preview of this Sunday’s column drives the point home.
Romney, supposedly the Republican most electable next November, is a recidivist reviser of his principles who is not only becoming less electable, he might damage GOP chances of capturing the Senate: Republican successes down the ticket will depend on the energies of the tea party and other conservatives, who will be deflated by a nominee whose blurry profile in caution communicates only calculated trimming. Republicans may have found their Michael Dukakis, a technocratic Massachusetts governor who takes his bearings from ‘data’ … Has conservatism come so far, surmounting so many obstacles, to settle, at a moment of economic crisis, for THIS?
I, frankly, think there needs to be another candidate to face off against Mitt Romney in the upcooming primary elections. Mitt may win the nomination with the current field but, despite what the poll says today, will lose to President Obama.
Mitch Daniels, Rudy Giuliani or Mike Huckabee are all capable POLS who SHOULD challenge him. There should be an immediate DRAFT effort.
If the GOP were to nominate Romney anyway, then there you go. Don’t blame me for the epic loss to Obama and the failure to win back the U.S. Senate.
But, Republican voters really should have more choices.
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President 2012: The Pros and Cons of Mitch Daniels
On the positive side, he’s been a successful governor, implemented health-care reform that doesn’t rely on forcing people to buy insurance they don’t want, has a strong education plan and has won two statewide elections. In other words, his track record is nearly as good as Tim Pawlenty’s. He is smart, articulate, good with facts and figures, and is, by any measure, a serious candidate. In his gubernatorial runs he proved to be a very effective, down-to-earth candidate that could relate to relatively non-ideological, middle-class voters, the very ones who will be up for grabs in 2012. He is solidly grounded in a limited-government perspective. He has been an outspoken opponent of cap-and-trade.
On the downside, he seems to have gone out of his way to needlessly antagonize social conservatives with his “truce” talk and anger hawks, by embracing defense cuts and suggesting America should do less in the world. He appears overly eager to seek the advice of and incur the approval of non-conservative elites. The prospect of Secretary of State Dick Lugar sends chills up the spine of many conservatives. According to many former Bush officials, he does not take input from anyone — subordinates, colleagues and certainly not critics. (The conviction that one is the “smartest man in the room” leads one to ignore important criticism and pile the miscues.) He has indicated his receptivity to a value-added tax. His tenure as George W. Bush’s OMB director may be a liability not a strength in this election. And finally, his tunnel vision on debt control, if adhered to in office, would wind up lacking focus on economic growth andsacrificing many other issues important to conservatives (e.g. judges,right-to-work).
But, Jennifer, who has never been a Daniels fan and who favors a run by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, looks at Daniels in a vacuum. The primary election will be a face off between Daniels (if and when he decides to run) and Mitt Romney.
With Mike Huckabee out, there will be a vacuum on the RIGHT which either Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin or both will fill. Paul Ryan and Chris Christie will NOT be running and it is doubtful that they will enter the race with these four candidates, plus Ron Paul and Tim Pawlenty in the race. Jennifer gives a hopeful, but flawed analysis.
These (Daniels Vs. Romney and Palin Vs. Bachmann) will be the semi-final races going into Super Tuesday and beyond.
So, Jennifer, who would you support Daniels or Romney? Who would be the better candidate against President Obama?
I would submit a ticket of Romney-Daniels or Daniels-Bachmann would make a very interesting team going into the summer of 2012.
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Day By Day, Michele Bachmann, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, President 2012, Sarah Palin
Day By Day May 17, 2011 – The Real Individual Mandate
Chris, I have for months downplayed the notion that Sarah Palin will run for the 2012 Presidency. Now, I am not so sure.With Mike Huckabee out, there is a vacuum for social conservatives on the RIGHT. Michele Bachmann is ramping up her campaign and she has the conservative cred but she cannot ignite a crowd like Sarah Palin.
Ultimately, it may be a Mitch Daniels Vs. Mitt Romney contest for the moderate candidate and Bachmann Vs. Palin for the conservative. This will be the semi-final contest and we may have to wait until late next spring to see who wins – maybe even the convention itself.
It will be a bumpy ride for the GOP and exciting at the same time.
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The Day By Day Archive -
Chris Christie, John Kasich, Michele Bachmann, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President 2012, Sarah Palin, Scott Walker
President 2012: Huckabee is Out – Michele, Newt and Mitch In?
The presidential nominating process is a lot like the US Open tennis tournament. There is a final (the Republican v. Obama), a semifinal (the top conservative against the top moderate for the GOP nomination) and a quarter final (the conservatives against each other and the moderates competing together for the right to enter the semis).
Mitt Romney and Donald Trump are centrists. Businessmen, economic growth free market types who will vie with each other for the moderate nomination. In 2008, Romney fought and lost to Huckabee for the conservative nod to oppose McCain. But, because of his health care position, he now has to fight it out on the moderate court.
Mike Huckabee’s withdrawal opens the way on the right court for Gingrich, Bachmann, and Daniels. Had Mike run, he would have easily carried the day and faced Romney/Trump for the nomination. But, with Mike out, it’s an open field.
Bachmann has the most to gain from Huckabee’s withdrawal. Polling shows that the Tea Party types and the evangelicals are more or less the same people. With Mike out, Michele has a clear shot at their support (once they get over Herman Cain and Ron Paul, neither of whom can win — and Paul shouldn’t win). As the odd-woman-out dissenting from the Boehner deals with Obama, holding out for fiscal conservatism and tough Republican bargaining, she can pick up a lot of ground in a hurry.
Gingrich’s announcement puts the onus on him to dispel the negatives that dog his campaign. All agree that he would be the best opponent to Obama in a debate and that he is the brightest, best candidate would have. But many are scared off because of the negatives. He has six months to show them that they are wrong.
And then there is Mitch Daniels, potentially, the conservative establishment’s answer to Romney. Despite an absence of charisma, his extraordinary record as governor puts him right in the thick of the hunt for the nomination. He, along with his supporters (Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Chris Christie of New Jersey, and John Kasich of Ohio), have walked the walk not just talked the talk. His candidacy is a most attractive one.
And, if Sarah Palin decides to come in now, I would say the battle for the social conservatives will really heat up.
Newt Gingrich with his personal baggage should be used as a foil against Obama but he is unelectable – too old and too damaged.
Mitt Romney will have to compete in Iowa and will probably take a loss there even with Huckabee not in the race. Romney will be vulnerable in South Carolina too –then on to Florida.
Exit question: Will Mitch Daniels with Scott Walker, John Kasich and Chris Christie endorsing him be able to beat Michele Bachmann in Iowa?
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Update: President 2012: Mike Huckabee Better in or Better Out of the Race?; Huck Won’t Run
+++++Update+++++
Mike Huckabee announced tonight on his Fox News Show that he will not be a candidate for President
Better in for the Republican Party.
And this from Democratic Pollster PPP.
Rumor has it Huckabee may announce that he is not running on his Fox News show tomorrow. That would be good news, at least for the time being, for the president. Huckabee gives him more trouble than the others in the South, in Appalachia, and up and down the Mississippi–including in states where the president remains strong (like North Carolina and Virginia) and states where he has declined since 2008 (like Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Missouri). The GOP almost certainly needs to return to Southern dominance and dip into either the West or Midwest–or both–to win the White House next year, and it remains to be seen whether another candidate can establish the rapport with these voters that Huckabee has.
Romney is not a much weaker alternative in these states, and he does put Obama more on the defensive in the Northeast and Southwest, particularly Nevada and New Hampshire, than does Huckabee. But Huckabee would certainly be leaving both a good shot at the nomination and a decent shot at Obama on the table by keeping his hat out of the ring.
Mike Huckabee is a stronger candidate than Mitt Romney and will provide an alternative to Mitch Daniels, should he falter. Moreover, should Huck not run, Sarah Palin may decide to go. Her polling against President Obama has been appalling.
All in all having the affable, Baptist minister in the race is better for the GOP, than Donald Trump, Newt Ginrich or Tim Pawlenty.
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President 2012: Mike Huckabee Better in or Better Out of the Race?
Better in for the Republican Party.
And this from Democratic Pollster PPP.
Rumor has it Huckabee may announce that he is not running on his Fox News show tomorrow. That would be good news, at least for the time being, for the president. Huckabee gives him more trouble than the others in the South, in Appalachia, and up and down the Mississippi–including in states where the president remains strong (like North Carolina and Virginia) and states where he has declined since 2008 (like Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Missouri). The GOP almost certainly needs to return to Southern dominance and dip into either the West or Midwest–or both–to win the White House next year, and it remains to be seen whether another candidate can establish the rapport with these voters that Huckabee has.
Romney is not a much weaker alternative in these states, and he does put Obama more on the defensive in the Northeast and Southwest, particularly Nevada and New Hampshire, than does Huckabee. But Huckabee would certainly be leaving both a good shot at the nomination and a decent shot at Obama on the table by keeping his hat out of the ring.
Mike Huckabee is a stronger candidate than Mitt Romney and will provide an alternative to Mitch Daniels, should he falter. Moreover, should Huck not run, Sarah Palin may decide to go. Her polling against President Obama has been appalling.
All in all having the affable, Baptist minister in the race is better for the GOP, than Donald Trump, Newt Ginrich or Tim Pawlenty.
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Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Polling, President 2012, Sarah Palin
President 2012 Poll Watch: Obama Gets a Bounce – Obama – 47% Vs. Romney – 42%
According to the latest PPP Poll.
The killing of Osama bin Laden has given Barack Obama a bounce in his approval ratings. But it doesn’t appear to have boosted his chances for reelection.
PPP this month finds Obama with a 49% approval rating to 43% of voters who disapprove. That’s a seven point improvement on the margin since last month’s national survey when slightly more voters (48%) gave him poor marks for his work than good ones (47%). Obama’s greatest improvement has come with Republicans (from 8% approval to 14%). He’s up with independents (from 44% to 49%) and with Democrats (from 81% to 83%) by smaller amounts.
More voters may like Obama for the moment, but there aren’t more planning to support him next year. Last month Obama led the Huckabee/Romney/Palin/Gingrich quartet by an average of 10.75 points. This month Obama leads those same four candidate by an average of…10.75 points. There’s been no improvement in his reelect numbers whatsoever since the bin Laden death and if there hasn’t been in the week after the killing it doesn’t seem likely there will be 18 months after the killing either. What Obama’s approval bounce appears to be is an increase in the percentage of people who say they like him, but still won’t vote for him. They appreciate him taking out bin Laden but that’s not going to outweigh everything he’s done that they don’t like over the course of the last 27 months.
Approval Vs. Disapproval:
- Mike Huckabee – 33% Vs. 41%
- Sarah Palin – 33% Vs. 60%
- Newt Gingrich – 29% Vs. 53%
- Mitt Romney – 32% Vs. 41%
- Donald Trump – 24% Vs. 65%
- Mitch Daniels – 14% Vs. 33% Vs. 53% (not sure)
Again, voters are not amored with the Republican Presidetial candidates and the one new face, Mitch Daniels is not really known.
We also tested Mitch Daniels on this poll and he trails 48-34 but what might be most interesting is his favorability numbers with Republicans. Only 23% express a favorable opinion of him to 25% with an unfavorable one. I think a fair amount of that ‘unfavorable’ rating can be explained by voters who rate just about any politician they’ve never heard of negatively- which I think is about 10% of the population- but those are not impressive numbers by any stretch of the imagination. Beltway journalists are clearly a lot more enamored with Daniels than actual GOP voters are.
General Election Head to Head:
- Obama – 49% Vs. Huckabee – 42%
- Obama – 54% Vs. Palin – 37%
- Obama – 52% Vs. Gingrich – 38%
- Obama – 47% Vs. Romney – 42%
Again, this is a national poll and the election contest is in key battleground sates. But, it is surprising that Obama did not receive more of a bounce with the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This event will fade with time.
What the GOP nominess should hope is that their favorability improves.
The entire poll is here.
PPP surveyed 814 American voters from May 5th to 8th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.4%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political
organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times
found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates.
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Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Polling, President 2012, Sarah Palin
President 2012 Virginia Poll Watch: Obama 52% Vs. Huckabee 43%
According to the latest PPP Poll.
Job Approval Vs. Disapproval:
- President Barack Obama – 51% vs. 44%
Democrats are united for the President.
The biggest key for him is that he has the Democratic base completely behind him- 94% approve to only 4% who disapprove. Virginia still has a lot of white conservative Democrats, particularly in certain parts of the state, so for Obama to have almost unanimous approval within his party is very impressive. He even has more Republicans (albeit a paltry 7%) who approve of him than there are Democrats (4%) who disapprove. That’s not something we’re seeing in our polling very often right now. Independents narrowly give him good marks, 48/46, as well.
Favorable Vs. Unfavorable:
- Mike Huckabee – 37% Vs. 42%
- Mitt Romney – 35% Vs. 43%
- Newt Gingrich – 26% Vs. 54%
- Sarah Palin – 31% Vs. 62%
- Donald Trump – 22% vs. 69%
General Election Head to Head:
- Obama – 52% Vs Huckabee – 43%
- Obama – 51% Vs. Romney – 40%
- Obama – 54% Vs. Gingrich – 37%
- Obama – 55% Vs. Palin – 40%
- Obama – 54% Vs. Trump – 32%
Virginia is a key battleground sate that the GOP needs to flip in 2012. Compare the results of the most recent Washington Post poll of Virginia.
Similar, no?
In Virginia, the GOP Presidential candidate field is not very popular and well received. If the Republicans want to take back Virginia’s Electoral College votes, they will need to run candidates other than the current field. Calling on Mitch Daniels and/or Chris Christie.
Even if Obama was unpopular in Virginia he’d still be in a decent position to win the state again because the GOP contenders are so weak there. Take those unpopular Republicans and combine them with a decently popular Obama and you have a very difficult battle for the GOP to get Virginia back. And it’s hard to imagine the party winning back the White House without Virginia- because of that fact and because of Obama’s relative strength there, this is looking to me like the most important state in the Presidential race next year.
Exactly and why Mitch Daniels or Chris Christie will jump into the race.
The entire poll is here.