Independants also are unhappy with the current options.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/why-obama-payment-plan-falls-flat-175253149.html

Was it on the Huckabee show that I heard that something like 60% of Republicans polled are still not settled with any of the candidates running? And Huckabee points out that it is not too late for someone else to step in. At this time four years ago Guilliani was in the lead. McCain was fading, his campaign almost dead.

Maybe we could email DeMint and any others who have wished Huckabee were in the race and ask them to form a "Draft Huckabee" movement. It's not too late.

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Ya know, I think DeMint has a strong enough position in the conservative world that his recommendation would carry a lot of weight.

I think DeMint, Pence, and Ryan would all be potential conservative leaders worth approaching about this. But how many of us would it take to get their attention and persuade them of its feasibility?

(Rollins was just saying that it's late to get in at this point because most of the big money is already committed to a candidate by now. Most wouldn't be able to overcome that, but Huckabee would already have a major headstart & knows how to campaign on a shoestring)

From what I've heard, a lot/most of the big money is not tied up yet. A lot of the big Bush donors have not picked a candidate. Mike could get those.

_________________
THE TIMES are nightfall, look, their light grows less;
The times are winter, watch, a world undone:
They waste, they wither worse; they as they run
Or bring more or more blazon man’s distress.
And I not help. Nor word now of success:
All is from wreck, here, there, to rescue one—
Work which to see scarce so much as begun
Makes welcome death, does dear forgetfulness.
Or what is else? There is your world within.
There rid the dragons, root out there the sin.
Your will is law in that small commonweal…
G.M. Hopkins.

The Bush family doesn't like Huckabee and would probably be less than happy if their political friends supported him. (Assuming friends of the Bush family would even be open to considering supporting Huckabee. )

But Jeb Bush "loves" Huckabee he told someone when they interviewed him, didn't he?

I still have my max-out commitment sitting there waiting....

Yes, but was that a politically endorsing kind of "love" or was that a politically judicious "love"? Has there ever been any positive overture FROM Jeb to Huck?

Don't get me wrong - I would LOVE for Jeb to "love" Huck politically - I just doubt seriously that he would be willing to go against the rest of his family for him. And Karl Rove has no love for Huck either. I imagine most of the GOP insiders either feel the same or are unwilling to go against those who do.

That's why I believe it would have to be CONSERVATIVE leaders rather than GOP leaders to approach Huckabee about getting in. I'm thinking that DeMint, Pence, and Ryan have the necessary general popularity within the conservative movement, PLUS connections within the GOP, to possibly be able to get something like this going without the otherwise predictable negative repercussions from the Beltway pols & pundits.

DH and I still have our max-outs ready, too, and don't think any other candidate is going to touch them

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"Never, Never, NEVER GIVE UP" Winston Churchill

Still have two max-outs waiting from our house too!

As a Christian who has followed evangelical political involvement since the Moral Majority; I find it interesting how some Evangelicals seem to be "talking themselves into Rick Perry." I've thought of writing an article with something like that as a title. I constantly hear how Perry is the "candidate of Evangelicals." Yet each and every time I see him I can't help but feel that is not the reality. I'm not going to judge his heart, but I do feel I can judge his priorities, and all I see are the same Good Ole Boy, Big Business Politics that I've seen from the Republican establishment for years.

I think there are two explanations for this fawning over Perry by some of these Evangelicals. One is that they are sooooooo distraught with the idea of Romney being the nominee that they're willing to convince themselves regarding Perry so they can have an alternative.

The other, more cynical explanation is that just like with a lot of Republicans they know Perry is not really committed to their issues, but they don't care as long as he gives it lipservice and gives them a seat at the table when it comes to dealing with moral and cultural issues. This seat at the table is not to be used to actually push these issues but to give themselves a place of visibility to further their own desire for power and notoriety within the Christian community.

I'm only in my early 40's, but this is still the worst Republican field I have ever seen. I thought things were bad when I knew Bob Dole was going to be our nominee, but these guys make Bob Dole look good. And Bob Dole would be beating Obama soundly in the polls right now.

What I've been meditating on a lot lately is how we need to stop looking for the political messiah (that Christian politician that embodies all the things we would like to see in a President) and pay more attention to The Messiah and working to build his Kingdom. That doesn't mean I won't continue to be involved in government and politics as well as supporting candidates that share my values, but what it means to me is that it will take much less priority.

This is no different than how I have judged Obama or Romney or any of these guys: forget what their words say; what do their resumes tell us?

I certainly don't claim to know Perry's soul, but I do know that his spirituality wasn't on the public radar until he had already been kicking the tires for 2012 for some time. AFAIK, he was not a leader on a single social conservative issue. He has a 10 year record to look at which still leaves a lot to judge when you ignore the past 2 yrs or so; he is not an authentic conservative, but at best, a political pragmatist.

People are engaging in the same power of wishful thinking - projecting the candidate that they are hoping for over the candidate that is there - that got us into this current mess with Obama.

I was invited to work the Republican booth at the Kansas State Fair last week. It was great fun and interesting to talk to the folks. Everyone is extremely concerned about getting Obama out of office. The stack of Perry cards went pretty fast. (Those were the only Presidential ones provided.) I did take my stack of HuckPAC cards and placed them on the counter. Several people told me they wished Huckabee were running.

The two young Republicans who took our places for the evening shift were enthusiastic and sharp, giving me hope for our party. They have helped set up a chapter in their county and have been traveling around, trying to learn about political involvement in various areas. Great young guys! Plus, they love Huckabee, as did the wonderful elderly man who helped run the booth.

I took along some of the Huck PAC cards to put out on the counter and got some interesting comments.

The perception of Perry as a great man of faith and conservative values comes mostly from the publicity about the prayer event in the Reliant Stadium last month. Otherwise, most evangelical conservatives would not have known much about him. I have copied the Hucks Army information from the thread about Perry, The Good, Bad, and Ugly, and am sharing it with some other members in our party. So far, some have accepted it; some want to overlook it. One said, "You know, Grace, there is no perfect candidate. We're going to have to support him."

It makes me so sad that we must "settle" for Perry or Romney when the best candidate is not running. What makes me sadder is that our country desperately needs someone like Huckabee who can articulate the problems and solutions so clearly and whose personality could bring America together.

That is just what Bob, the older man volunteering in our booth said. Huckabee is the one our country NEEDS! He volunteers every week at the Kansas Republican headquarters, even though he must walk everywhere with a cane. I appreciated his positive, grandfatherly attitude as he greeted passersby, "You having a good time at the Fair?" Reminded me of an older version of Huckabee.

My gamut of emotions:




Oh, and I talked to the young aide who manned the Huelskamp booth. This newly elected representative was one of the Huckabee endorsements for 2010 who won! I gave him a HuckPAC card and asked if he remembered "this man" -- Governor Huckabee, who had endorsed Heulskamp. Of course he did! And then he told me how in 2008, both McCain and Huckabee had campaigned in Wichita before the Caucus. They were in adjoining airport hangers (Wichita...Air Capital of America). The Huckabee hanger was rocking, with his guitar and with his enthusiastic supporters. He gave a great speech. Then, this young man went to the McCain rally...and it was DEAD! Lackluster speech, few supporters there. What a contrast!

I believe Kansas would embrace Huckabee with the same enthusiasm it had three and a half years ago.

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This country needs Huckabee.

Me too.

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Brett

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So, we are left with two pragmatists from which to make our choice: Romney and Perry. Ugh.

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"Never, Never, NEVER GIVE UP" Winston Churchill

Well, bear in mind that I said "at best" Perry was a pragmatist. And what I had in mind was not so much a political pragmatist as a personal pragmatist. Romney is sort of the same except that he pays people to be pragmatic for him.

I just don't think anyone actually knows who Mitt Romney is, what he stands for, or what he really believes about anything. He is so used to paying people to make decisions for him, I wonder if even HE knows who he is....At least Perry seems to be strong in his beliefs and does'nt back down from his decisions...However, a great leader is not afraid to admit when he has made a mistake, or wrong decision....don't know if either Romney OR Perry is capable of doing that....
I was sooooo hoping something would bring Governor Huckabee back into this race...time is running out....

Watching the last few debates might do the trick and convince the Governor to give it a whirl. Obviously, there is a great void that needs to be filled and none of the candidates has yet been able to find a way to fill it.

I am convinced of two things about Governor Romney. First of all, like him or not, he is a smart man. Secondly, the one and only position that he sincerely believes and is willing to stand for is the position that he really, really wants to be President. I think everything else is subject to reconsideration with him.

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The Values Voter
http://thevaluesvoter.spaces.live.com

I agreed with something Michele Bachmann just pointed out on the Hannity after-debate show. She said that both Perry and Romney say they would immediately extend executive orders to fix and turn around the Obamacare. But, as she insists and would stand for, Obamacare must be REPEALED, pulled out root and branch, or it will stay around. Huckabee is very active in the Repeal Obamacare movement she introduced in Congress. Many of us have gotten the phone call or seen his ads on television and have signed the petition.

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I would love for Gov. Huckabee to run for President in 2012, but he has committed to going to Israel on a tour with 200 people in February. How could he do that and still run for President???