Although the studies don’t come anywhere near agreeing, it is clear that Huck is fading some in Iowa. He may well be sharing one of Dean’s failings: Huck peaked too early, and it’s tough for an outsider to sustain the position of favorite. Those who love "change" become easily bored. And in Huck’s case: Being the favorite means being attacked incessantly and somewhat wildly by the whole party establishment. Some of the attacks are perfectly reasonable, and the new man from Hope hasn’t been able to handle them. He’s become too self-conscious and defensive and so he’s obscuring what was attractive about him to begin with. (Here’s one criticism I don’t like: He’s pardoned too many people becuase he’s too Christian. I very much prefer concerns about his foreign-policy judgment and his narcissistic paternalism, which may well reflect apolitical weaknesses in the "evangelical worldview.") It’s now pretty much anyone’s guess what’s going to happen in the Christmas-season caucus. Polls wildly disagree on who the surgers are--you can find evidence for Romney, McCain, Thompson, Paul, and even Giuliani. If the Iowa result is flat and inconclusive, all the candidates get to fight on, even Huck. (And certainly Iowa deserves to be reduced to insignificance.) Huck or Romney still might score big, and I’m guessing the real surger is McCain.
Huckabee is fading because of all the attacks on him from the anti-Christian bigots, left and "right."
These so called conservatives who attacked Huckabee for his Christianity should be ashamed of themselves.
Billy Bob
Peter wrote: "Here’s one criticism I don’t like: He’s pardoned too many people becuase he’s too Christian. I very much prefer concerns about his foreign-policy judgment and his narcissistic paternalism, which may well reflect apolitical weaknesses in the 'evangelical worldview.'" Emphasis added.
If I'm reading you correctly, you're suggesting that the problem with all the leniency is not Huckabee's Christianity, but what it says about how Huckabee might govern in an unforgiving world.
I am not a fan of Huckabee's use of the Christian label as a campaign differentiator. But I am less a fan of having a president who takes an insufficiently hard and real look at the state of things today.
Pardons exist to prevent a miscarriage of justice or to temper justice with mercy. But the first duty of public officials is public safety, so the pardon bar for violent offenders must be high.
The sheer volume of Huck's pardons suggests he was compelled by his religion. Or worse, maybe he came to see himself as Forgiver. But whether it was pride, guilt or recklessness, he failed to protect his citizens first and that bears directly on his judgement as an executive.
But it's not religion that bothers me; it's the liberalism. Siding with Teacher's unions, bringing Gitmo terrorists to Kansas where they will be like catnip to judges who want to give them full Constitutional Rights, worrying more about criminals than victims, creating a Dept. For the Prevention of Smoking instead of the Dept. for the Prevention of Smoking Craters Where Skyscrapers Once Stood...There's already one Arkansas liberal in this race. One's enough.
Huckabee, along with most Republican candidates, elicit a yawn.
That is the real danger of this election.
Is this a Bob Dole election?
Dale, Good point. The danger is that Giuliani or Romney would be as exciting as Dole for too many Republicans.
Dale may make a fair point that the candidates are boring, but I'm not worried about either Giuliani or Romney. This race is increasingly becoming a two man battle between Huckabee and McCain. This dynamic is very good for the GOP because Huck is better than Mitt and McCain is better than Rudy although none are rock stars yet.
Clint, McCain is going nowhere outside NH.
I don't want a rock star, though. They tent to be petulant kids not deserving the fame or money.