Mike Insert-Crude-Pun-a-bee

[footpad]

I've been reading the 'Issues' section that details the ideals and campaign pledges of Mike Huckabee. And I say:

Jesus Christ almighty.

My only consolation is that the greatest nation on earth couldn't possibly elect a guy like that. Nobody's that stupid and bigoted. Why, he wouldn't make it past the...

Somebody tell me this isn't happening.

Comments

[crashworks]

The caucus system rewards candidates who pander to the partisan radicals, because it's only the hardliners who show up at the caucus to vote.

In other words, when people complain about how moderate all the political candidates are, what they are saying is they want more candidates like Huckabee.

[footpad]

If that's an attempt to comfort me then, thanks; I realise it's the thought that counts.

[crashworks]

Well, the comforting thing is that Huckabee is poorly aligned with the mainstream voter, and would be very unlikely to win the national election even if he somehow won the paty nomination. He's not really likely to win the nomination of the next few states to caucus either. Think of him as kind of like the Jean Le Pen of the Midwest.

[keikan]

Collabi's right. There's not much to worry about here. Yes, the traditional American voter is an ancient religious nutcase, but Obama is actually people younger than the baby-boomers interested. That has pretty much never happened before.

[toob]

Look at it this way: Huckabee appeals to hard right-wing evangelical Christians. All he did was win the GOP primary in Iowa, a state heavy with evangelical Christians. And the reason he won is because the GOP has no solid candidate at all.

Looking at a percentage of the total vote from the caucases reveals a different story:

24.5% Obama
20.5% Edwards
19.8% Clinton
11.4% Huckabee (R)

So the third-runner for the Democratic party received TWICE AS MANY VOTES out of everyone who showed up for the primaries as the LEADING Republican candidate.

The GOP is shitting themselves, because Huckabee is unelectable and they know it. Huckabee won because Republicans stayed home from the primaries. They couldn't find anyone they wanted to vote for. Only the evangelical churches encouraging their members to get out and vote were able to rouse a tiny percentage of the Republican constituency.

[footpad]

You do much to comfort me.

And, hey, if Huckabee does prove electable then the sensible Americans will emigrate en masse and come visit (if they don't mind sharing sofa-space with Mischa)!

[crashworks]

Sensible Americans will rebel!

[theodor]

"This country needs a revolution every twenty years"

Thomas Jefferson

[rustyfox]

I was going to read up on him, but then I noticed in the top right:

FAITH. FAMILY. FREEDOM.

I need no further information.

[rebelsheart]

See, recently, I don't feel like I live in the greatest nation on earth...

[porsupah]

the greatest nation on earth couldn't possibly elect a guy like that

Of course not. He'd be laughed straight out of New Zealand. =:)

(I still need to get there someday. No idea why, but I have to make it happen somehow. And returning to Malaysia, so I can take the jungle line up from KL to the eastern edge of the Thai border. Only snag is, so many countries thereabouts have a disdain for independent travellers - I don't think Laos permits unsupervised groups, f'rex. Not sure about Vietnam. I should probably see North Korea at some point, too. Can't help but wonder what would happen if some folks airdropped millions of satellite modems and OLPCs over the country, though.. not that I'd ever dream of doing that, had I the odd few billion to spare)

I shan't mention a story I'm thinking of regarding Huckabee and a certain prisoner, as that wouldn't serve to aid your serenity.