« Obama Projected Winner Of Wisconsin Primary With Big Margin
Whitman for Vice President? »



The Task for Huckabee and Clinton: Define Their End Games

February 19th, 2008
By MARK DANIELS


Barack Obama and John McCain were the winners of their respective parties’ presidential primaries in Wisconsin today. Obama appears ready to win the Democratic caucuses in Hawaii and McCain in the Republican caucuses in Washington, each candidate winning the sole contests happening in their respective party.

The math is inexorable. Mike Huckabee cannot defeat McCain for the Republican nomination. And only a collective decision on the part of the Democrats’ superdelegates to ignore the verdicts of primary and caucus voters this election season, the political equivalent of drinking Jonestown Cool-aid, would result in a Clinton nomination. In order for the superdelegates to go for Clinton in a big way and deny Obama the nomination he’s earning, she will have to roll up massive majorities here in Ohio and in Texas in two weeks. Unless Obama self-destructs, that won’t happen.

So, both Huckabee and Clinton need to design their end games.

For Huckabee, the task is more urgent. He announced tonight, before a press conference in Little Rock, the silence of which bore a marked contrast to the noise level of McCain’s enthusiastic rally in Columbus, that he was going to continue his nomination fight. You could almost hear the crickets chirping.

Huckabee should have graciously withdrawn one week ago, when he was unable to capitalize on his Super Tuesday wins. That he was still in the race last Monday is understandable, that he remained on Wednesday, questionable.

If he keeps on in the next round of primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont, he simply looks obdurate. More than that, collared with four more contested losses, he risks negating all the good he’s done himself as a national figure in this year’s election process. It takes only one loss too many for a candidate to become Stassenized, a candidate so obsessed with running that they become irrelevant, the worst fate that can befall a politician.

If Mike Huckabee backs out now, there are two things he earns: (1) A prime time speech at the Republican National Convention, an opportunity to play party and national statesman, an audition before a national audience. The importance of this shouldn’t be underestimated. Barack Obama has used his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention to become the presumptive nominee of his party. (2) Solidifying his claim to being the next presumptive presidential nominee of the succession-minded Republican Party. Although it appeared that Republicans flirted with the idea of departing from their custom of rewarding their presidential nomination to the candidate marked by voters as next in line, they’re returning to form by voting for McCain this year. Mike Huckabee may be anathema to some in his party. But by outperforming the well-heeled Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, as well as every other Republican candidate for the nomination but the senator from Arizona, he has earned the status of GOP frontrunner for 2012 or 2016, depending on what happens with McCain in November.

Huckabee doesn’t want to blow this. While he’s going to have to broaden his appeal beyond those who, like him, want to amend the Constitution to conform with the Bible, his future in presidential politics is relatively bright. He’s shown himself to be one of the best retail politicians around these days, a guy of tenacity, eloquence, wit, and moral authority, irrespective of his politics. Huckabee’s end game now must have as its goal keeping that future bright. A quick withdrawal, say tomorrow in Texas, will contribute to that end.

At present, it appears that the most Hillary Clinton can achieve by remaining in the campaign to the bitter end, is damaging Obama’s chances of winning in the fall. Of course, if Clinton wins both Texas and Ohio–but only if she wins in both states, she should stay in the race. But a loss in either place in two weeks should be her cue to graciously withdraw from the race.

This is the Democrats’ year to lose. Unfortunately for Democrats, as Democratic functionary James Carville has pointed out, their party has shown a shocking propensity for losing elections that should have been won. As desperately as she wants to be president, in two weeks, I believe, Clinton will decide if she wants that so much that she’s willing to put John McCain in the Oval Office.

[This is being cross-posted at my wonderful, stupendous, always-intriguing personal blog.]



This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 8:48 pm and is filed under Newsweek Blogitics, Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton, 2008 Elections, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 4 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    I agree with your analysis that Huck should bow out to save himself embarrassment, but I don't see him getting to a "next in line" status. According to CNN, he was polling at about 13% among Republicans as "most likely to defeat the Democrats". He's getting statement votes at this point.
    • ^
    • v
    Hucabee out performing Romney?

    When Romney got out, he had 4 million votes to McCain's 4.7 million and had won 11 States to McCain's 13. Hucky was not even close. The killer? Winner take all States.

    Hucabee was never a contender. He's a flip flopping, nasty tempered populist who will never be more than a regional candidate. And him on the ticket will alienate not only Moderate Conservatives, big time, but will doom McCain's chances in the Western States, which he needs. Huckster's subtle bigotry against Mormons will backfire out West where the Mormon vote is very infleuential.

    Remember, Mormons have been the most loyal group in supporting Republicans and the Reagan agenda. Reagans first campaign was conceived and run by a Mormon. In Ca. his Lt. Gov. was a Mormon. His Cabinet was full of Mormons. If he had no problem with a Mormon, why should anyone else?

    Huck has reminded us all of the South as it used to be, KKK, segregation, and how the Catholics, Jews, and Mormons etc., or anyone else, except Evangelicals, will burn in an eternal Hell. Are we all children of God in Hucks mind? Not quite.

    Funny how Mormons had no problem voting for the Evangelical Bush, but some Evangelicals could never vote for a Mormon? Christian love and tolerance? Who are the bigots here?

    Remember also that Romney won the evangelical vote in many states and the ultra conserative vote is just about every state.

    Hucksters play for delelgates now, is shallow and egocentric at best, Romney's not competing with him now. It's like running a race with Johnny down the road but Johnny's not there. So Huckster runs the race anyway, alone, and then declares himself the victor?

    Rrrrright!

    Any totals now for Huck are meaningless, because he is not going head to head with Romney. Romney is now the true and complete Conservative leader of this Country. The team player.

    The smartest, "most accomplished" candidate in over thirty years has bowed out. Because like the Old Maid, the voters just got too picky with Romney, and couldn't make up their minds in time, so they are now left with nothing.



    So now, she has to settle for the Napoleonic, Inarticulate, Nasty, Bottom of his Class, prevaricating, little man, untrustworthy, flip flopping Old Toad, and of course, the "Perceived Cool Guy"(McCain).

    How cool is he now, people? The man can't give a speech without a teleprompter!

    Romneys resume:

    *Valedictorian-BYU,
    *Cumlaude-Harvard Law School,
    *Baker Scholar-MBA Harvard,
    *Spent 30 months serving his faith in France,
    *Created a 10 billion dollar business.
    *(never dumped his wife for one 18 years younger with a beer distributorship).
    *Earned millions by Saving and Creating literally hundreds of business' and tens of thousands of jobs.
    *Turned around the Olympics, and a State (Mass.) from the red to the black.

    He has donated tens of millions of dollars of his own money for charitable causes, something you will never hear from him, he also took no salaries as Governor or at the Olympics and he has succeeded and excelled in his life. He is exceptional.

    Well, as for me and my house, I don't want the average Gomer or Goober to run this country. With 300+ million people in this country we should not only desire, but demand, the Ideal.

    Anything short of the best, most qualified and well accomplished Man or Woman of our times, is not simply just not good enough. Wake up people! It's time to take our future Presidential Elections more seriously than we have this year.

    It's Jimmy Carter time now folks, let's hope in 2012 we can have another Reagan to bail us out. If people are truely honest, right now, there's only one choice, Romney.

    Jealousy and narrow mindedness will ultimately destroy us. This year we will hold our noses for a Washington Insider to lead us, and we could have had the Best.

    Oh, how painful is buyers remorse now?

    ajariz
    • ^
    • v
    Rather than engage in fiction about the modern South and in anti-Religious Right bigotry and behave as a Rombot, I'll just wonder aloud what is Huck's end point and what does he seek to achieve? Is it the Vice Presidency? (He won't repel normal people who simply find Religious RIghties or social conservatives too thinly oriented -- few- to single-issue activists. We don't stupidly fear "blue laws" by Washington any more than we support the chlidish left's demands for risk-and-responsibility-free behave-however-you-want worse nonsense.)
    • ^
    • v
    Agree with ChenZhen

Trackbacks

close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus

« Obama Projected Winner Of Wisconsin Primary With Big Margin
Whitman for Vice President? »

By posting comments on The Moderate Voice you are acknowledging and agreeing to the following general comments policy:

(1) The Moderate Voice's comments are hosted by Disqus (http://disqus.com). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, please be patient since it is an off-site system.

(2) All e-mail received from readers by The Moderate Voice is considered intended for publication unless otherwise indicated in the initial message from the writer. Please do not send us attachments unless you contact us and we agree to it.

(3)The Moderate Voice reserves the right to edit all e-mail and posted comments for content, clarity, and length.

(4) Our comment space is reserved for comments that relate to a post's topic. You should not reprint lengthy text from your own works or those of others, including news articles. You MAY link to them.

(5) Comments that are abusive, offensive, contain profane or racist material or violate the terms of service for this blog's host provider will be removed and the author(s) banned from future comments. Such comments also violate the very SPIRIT of this site -- which was created to encourage thoughtful and vigorous discussion among readers who may share differing viewpoints.

(6) All points of view are welcome on The Moderate Voice, with the following exceptions:

(a) Comments posted several times a day with the intent of dominating, re-directing or hijacking the thread by turning a discussion into the equivalent of a bitter shouting match.

(b) Comments posted several times a day that insult or call other commenters or blog writers names or repeatedly make the same point with the effect of or clear intent to annoy other commenters or blog writers.

(7) Name-calling, personal attacks, racist comments or use of profanity by any commenter, whether they are by persons who agree or disagree with the views expressed by The Moderate Voice will NOT be tolerated and will result in the deletion of the comment and the banning of the commenter's ISP address, without notice. In some cases a comment may be deleted and the writer will be given another chance. Commenters who virtually ASK The Moderate Voice to ban them by ignoring any warnings or daring TMV to ban them will quickly get their wish.

(8) Anonymous commenters should identify themselves with the same moniker, so readers know their comments are coming from a single individual. If they don't, they are subject to a banning.

(9)If we have problems with inappropriate or inflammatory comments from a commenter who it turns out gave a fake email address that person is subject to immediate banning.

(10) Quotes from material appearing on The Moderate Voice with attribution are allowed. Reprints are allowed only by permission from The Moderate Voice. You may request permission by e-mail.

(11) The Moderate Voice is a personal site. It is not the Government. It is NOT aligned with any political party. It is NOT promoting any specific candidate for office. It is not a public institution or a media organization. It is not a neutral site. It is intended to express and disseminate the authors' varying points of views. Writers on this weblog WILL take positions. It reserves the right to limit comments to those that, in its view, comport with its stated comment policy. Comments that do not comply are subject to deletion and banning of the author's ISP.

Disclaimer:

--Reading and posting comments at The Moderate Voice constitutes acknowledgment of and agreement to the terms outlined in this comment policy. This comment policy may be revised in part or in full at any time.

--All comments must comport with applicable state and federal laws. The Moderate Voice has no obigation to monitor, edit, censor, or take responsibility for comments. It may or may not act upon a violation of its comment policy once a suspected violation has been brought to its attention. Therefore, commenters are solely responsible for the content of their comments and should ensure that that their comments are lawful and fall within the stated guidelines of both The Moderate Voice and its hosting company.

--The Moderate Voice is not be responsible for injury or liability to any reader or commenter resulting from its own communications or those of commenters, that may be offensive, misleading, inaccurate, illegal, or otherwise unsuitable in the view of the reader. Readers and commenters further agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Moderate Voice from claims resulting from the use of any material appearing on The Moderate Voice which damages the reader, commenter or any other party.

--The Moderate Voice is not responsible for and might disagree with material posted in the comments section. While we strive for accuracy in our posts and DO correct errors, material posted by The Moderate Voice in its posts -- or those left by others in the comments section -- may or may not be accurate.

Read and Post at your own risk.