If John McCain is to be defeated, then Huckabee should bow out to Romney now.
Huckabee gave it a good shot, but McCain is winning off the 3-way split.
It's time to narrow the field, unless you want a 72 year old liberal whose
done nothing for alll his time in office. And if McCain does get it, aside from the war, you might as well vote for democtrat to give some fresh air to Washington .

A hanger-on if there ever was one. Him and the "Holy One" – she has the manner's of "Dog The Bounty Hunter".

Now that would be a very good team. Wow "She" has the Holy Spirit reining inside her,I wonder what else is there? Maybe a few "Mackerals" up her or inside her.

Where were Chuck"s eyes when he said that she was the Most Beautiful Woman that he ever Saw? Wher are his brains now that he endorses "Huck", hiding under a rock or behind a tree or under the bed where he found "God"?

Maybe Mike & Chuck read the Bible together and pray for the election results to sway in the Huckster's direction! Yeah right!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for another White House invite, the Dynamic Duo looked like an ad for disaster relief! When is Chuck going to hang up his spurs? Make another Total Gym commercial but leave the Holy One out of it!

Maybe she should go back and have her cervix re-opened – then hang out a sign that says "COME TO THE GRAND OPENING!"

Do blondes that dye their hair have more fun?

The worst thing that Chuck Norris did was to endorse Mike Huckabee. Is he going to preach the country into PEACE?

The "etc" pretty well refers to his religious related creds... I covered them pretty broadly, so I suppose I didn't need the etc-but, being you asked nicely....he has also stated that he is in favor of strong national defense, and in favor of shutting down the open borders, and pursuing Bin Laden right into pakistan. I don't care about the scholarship for the children of immigrants who excel. We are a traditionaly meritocracy, and if we got some whizbang kid out of illegal guatemalan parents who can beat out American kids in math and science, sign him up! I want him to be an american competing for us not against us. We used to do things like that-compete for the best and brightest from the world. Think einstein and oppenheimer...Plus, I think the fairtax, while not a big business government favorite, is a populist conservative issue because it deals terminally with a massive pain in the side to small business-the IRS. As a small business owner, it is ridiculous what you have to do to employ somebody. It is a wasteful, inefficient, intimidating, and counterproductive institution that could be replaced easily for Tens of billions of less dollars. Cut expenses and spending, and there is no need to raise taxes. Raise revenue by encouraging harder work, or more work, and there is no need to raise taxes for those social programs the softies require. More work means more money means more discretionary income means more consumption means more tax revenue. Simple process. By the way, the big hullaballoo about him raising taxes – I am so tired of pointing this out to people who don't do research-WAS BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT SAID THEIR SCHOOLS WERE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND NEEDED TO BE ENHANCED! It was going to be done, regardless, he just made that speech to the legislature to tell him in what area he would okay the tax hike. He was just telling legislators what lifeboat to get in, he couldn't stop the ship from sinking.

I think many of you "a conservative's conservative" are missing the point. I am sorry, but your boat ain't full for this election. Where is your candidate? Offer one up that can be elected. I would rather have an authentic moderate republican who can be elected, than be stuck with Edwards 39% capital gains tax, or Clinton's heavy-handed power-mongering, or Obama's inexperience in dealing with internal politics and tax heavy approach to problem-solving. There aren't enough complete conservatives to win a general, and the only way to win is to peel off moderate dems. Sorry, but you guys are the ones gumming up the works. You want to throw a duncan hunter out there as a true conservative, and he is a good-no, great man- but he is entirely unelectable. The funny thing I see with your wing of the conservative party is that you keep throwing candidates (Like Huckabee) off our boat for one minor discrepancy or other, until you have no one left to work with! Who are you going to run for president that is your version of a republican? Thompson? Who is going to wake him up for his press briefing? It will cost a fortune to employ his minders...The younger repubs in this country have already come to the realization that the best way to keep dems quiet is to give them a few toys to play with, so the business of running the country can be accomplished without their whining. You far righters do nothing but provoke them, rattling the monkeys' cages, so to speak, with your "line in the sand", "with us or against us", "my way or the highway" attitude. We just want them quiet long enough for real work to be done. Give them environmental reform, and some health care components, and start us moving out of Iraq, and they will spend years glorifying themselves with it, just like aging Hippies do, so the world can be reshaped in a conservative image. We are unfortunately, going to get thumped in the next congressionals because we now are perceived as "obstructionist", and unwilling to cooperate. That is embarrassing, because we are supposed to be better about that stuff than the kneejerk wing of the dems. Power went to your heads, people, and it was overused, or at least in your name. Money and power are both currency; invest it wisely and it grows, spend it foolishly, and it is gone forever. The current administration has left us with little of either, frankly, and we are going to have ask for some from the moderate dems, whether you far righties like it or not.

axistogrind, I would sure like to know what that "etc" is. I can't find too many other conservative credentials other than he knows how to shoot a gun and, that, my friend, doesn't make one a conservative (many hunters, retired military, etc. are on the D side of the aisle). My reading of the Huckster's record places him somewhere in between Harry Reid (who has policy positions that are the same as Huckster's or a little to the right of Huckster in most instances - and he's the leader of which party in the Senate? Oh yeah, the Dems) and Jimmy Carter on the social conservative spectrum and left of both of them on just about any other issues.

Huck is definitely left of Bush (who is fairly left on big government and fiscal matters). Except for abortion and gay rights, he is also left of Giuliani on basically every issue of the day. Huckster is left of McCain, Hunter, Thompson and Romney across the board.

Huckabee is a RINO. He tries to pretend that being a pastor makes him a conservative Republican - it may make him a conservative Christian in matters of theology but it does not make him a Conservative Republican. He's a bleeding heart anti-law and order, pro-taxation, big government liberal. Huckabee is left of numerous members of the Democratic party. Republicans should kick him out of the Republican field. He should go caucus with the Dems where he belongs.

This man Huckabee is a total connundrum in today's political climate: he's likeable, transparent, quick-witted, self-affacing and has the experience [as governor] to be president. Personally, I'm hoping for a McCain-Huckabee ticket, as I believe it will be more than capable of beating any combination the Dems nominate.

Now, it's time to go and eat supper for this newsjunkie gramma of almost 75! Let's all enjoy the Iowa returns.

I've been watching this election now for some time now undecided, and I'm neither Republican or Democrat. I didn't even vote in the last two elections, but I'm definely going to this time. It's amazing how often the media seems to get side-tracked by all these stories which stray so far away from the issues. That's what I'm sticking with: the issues, as well as how the candidates handle themselves thoughout the election.

One thing does seem clear to me and that is no one has been attacked more in this election (especially at the personal level) more than Mitt Romney (including all the attacks that he is doing the most attacking). But when I took a look at his so-called attack adds, they actually seem much less negative than just comparative, and certainly nothing like some of the negative adds I've seen in past elections which have been such a turn off to politics. I think Mitt has kept things fairly clean considering how much he has taken. This seems to lend him more of a Presidential demeanor than the other fielders at this point.

I would not vote for Romney because of the nasty vitriolic comments he has made about entire groups of individuals – in this case, Democrats. I have voted both Republican and Democratic over the years and aside from the current administration, no one has polarized me so completely against them than Mitt Romney because of his slimeball tactics. And his team had the opportunity to respond to me. I posted on his website and included my email and phone and told him exactly what I thought but it wasn't worth the effort to correct any misconceptions I had (apparently because there were none...) because I never heard a peep from his campaign. And since then his ads and comments have just gotten nastier.

I have more respect for Huckabee and would vote for him before Romney hands down. I have seen all the hubub about the pardons and I have heard the responses that the Governor did not have the power to overturn or overrule a pardon. I will research that to find out if it is the truth because if it is, this is more inaccurate reporting about the circumstance.

And as a guitarist – GET OVER IT Bass players. It is a Bass GUITAR. Take a breath and chill. AGGGGHHHHH!

How should we express those expectations? Is it by attacking our opponents for human errors that all of us make such as saying something inappropriate when under pressure? Is is by attacking someone's record by using a very broad brush and distorting both motive and fact? Perhaps we should attack the personal or personality characteristics of the candidates while wasting time and opportunity to address more important factors. I would suggest that such a focus is a major distraction or even distortion that simply leaves Americans wondering what a given candidate would really do as President.

The track record of past performance and decisions is important to understand but only in the close scruntiny of available context facts as well. Most Americans can and will make good decisions when supplied with accurate information.

I, for one, and perhaps you, should expect, even demand, accurate journalistic reporting of candidate response to very tough questions of importance to the Nation not simply those things that sell. I call on every writer, interviewer, and reporter to exercise and stretch their collective talent and influence toward insisting that candidates meaningfully address critical issues. No I am not simply seeking "promises" from candidates but rather demanding well thought out responses that offer at least some possibility of solutions to such issues. Such answers do not have to be given instantly if both interviewers and candidates exercised candid, careful communiction techniques.

None of us should expect a candidate to have the perfect answer or even answers that all of us would agree upon.

Wasting our own time and the time of others to debate the merits of a given supporter such as a given movie star instead of focusing on the tough questions and responces makes the campaign far more a popularity contest than what should be one of the most important decisions and votes we will ever make as citizens of this great United States of America.

Our free press has astounding opportunity in the world to make this political campaign become a forced exercise of statesmanship for both candidate and press. The question I must ask is do we, as a nation, have the will to demand it and will our media and candidates accept the challenge of such an adventure.

Time will tell! You and I as citizens should expect far more than is currently being asked.

Dave

- Most of the Tax increase were Democrat led legislator and/or voter approved which was spent on highways , bridges (anyone remember the recent bridge collapse), schools, and Medicare
- Governor Huckabee CUT 94 taxes
- On ethics, all of the complaints filed against Governor Huckabee in the state of Arkansas were regularly dismissed and / or proven to be frivolous (most of them were filed by the Democrat activist)
- Everyone keep saying Governor Huckabee parole that "Killer" and looking at the record it was a Democrat led parole board who granted the parole 2 years after Huckabee 4 times had denied Wayne DuMond clemency
- Governor Huckabee was among the Top Governor of the US in 2006.
- i wouldn't put to much credit on the Club for Growth report. Jackson T. "Steve" Stephens Jr, one of the CFG's biggest donors and organization officials is a longtime political rival of Governor Huckabee. CFG received over 1 million dollars plus from steven.

Romney is a good man, and a successful executive, and he passes the neighbor test, except that most people can't afford to be his neighbor. He is a decent family man, and I could vote for the guy. But I hope I don't have to, because I don't find him someone that I would go to battle for..he has the brilliance but not the charisma to be a leader, and will be unable to bend people to his vision in the white house or in the election, because he doesn't have even Bush's empathy skill; he doesn't seem like a guy that has been to front lines and eaten dirt when the bullets were flying. He's an adjutant staff officer in the rear, with a crisply pressed uniform, wondering where he should go on his weekend pass, to Paris or London. Bush, whether it was true of him or not, seemed like a ditch digger, whether because he had been a drinker, or because his syntax and pronunciation were suspect, I don't know, but he had a certain commonness that the electorate could relate to. Romney can't, the uniform will never be dirty in many people's minds, despite his incredible achievements and obvious talents. He doesn't really seem to have a true vision, just what vision the polls say he should have. Maybe he does have vision, but if he does, he is covering it with the mask of a far right conservative, which he is not. More's the pity that he chose to wear it; he may have been an exceptional candidate had he run as himself. He is only a stalking horse with the mask on. He has great character except for one possibly fatal flaw: he was afraid to be himself.

I would tell you that best conventional scenario for Huckabee and probably us as a country is that he takes a VP role under McCain for four years, and then runs for president, having gained some foreign policy knowledge, and "big capitol" experience, but it doesn't always work out the way you would plan. Huckabee has found a chord now (no pun about his bass playing intended) with many in middle america, including many of us who are non-evangelical. I am an urban catholic, and not a particularly devout one, and a small busines owner who has provided jobs in this country, but have found the system so odious and heavy handed that I have gone back to being a small shop where I am the only one working. It just was ridiculous that in order to hire an assistant, she would spend half the week absorbed by payroll and employment regulation issues to work for me. I do better by myself, which is a crying shame, because I was a good and generous boss, and provided a nice family friendly work environment and good wages. But, I grew tired of being punished for being productive. I can get behind this guy's vision for updating the tax code, providing more incentive for people to work harder instead of punishing them for it, and governing with compassionate conservatism, which Bush promised he was, and instead turned out to be a one-trick pony: a nation-builder.. The difference is Huckabee lived poor at one time, and we who have dragged ourselves up by our bootstraps know that many people given a chance will do the same, and understand that he does want to give those of us not born with a silver spoon a chance to make it.

I guess Ohagi, if you think that makes me and a broad swath of middle america white trash, so be it, because there may be a barbecue in the rose garden, but at least with this guy, everyone's invited to it, unlike the elitist candidates on both the left and right. It may not be Camelot, but I believe a Huckabee White House will strive to give middle america a chance by removing obstacles if we wish to ascend. If it takes a triple wide trailer on the White House Lawn to do it, well too bad for you smug elitists.

France's revolution happened when the overly rich and powerful lost connection with the average folks, most succinctly demonstrated by the "let them eat cake" response by Marie Antoinette to the shortage of bread. Washington has been telling us that for at least the last 20 years, and us knuckledraggers are tired of it. National pundits like Matthews have it wrong with Huckabee: He certainly has his religious base, but what sets him apart to people like me is the sheer humanity of the man, complete with his faults and frailties on display. He is Us writ large, in all of our broke-down car driving, faux pas making, high-society fearing glory, and there a a lot of us. Don't think for a second that he doesn't reach other people not enamored with his religion. I could care less about him being a baptist preacher; it cuts no ice with me. Many poor baptists I have met consider catholicism a cult, but I take no offense for this ignorance. I do like that it gave him a sense of humor and quick wit that will serve him well in communicating with both allies and enemies. He has game. With apologies to the recent movie, and I guess John McCain as well, I am not Legend, because I am not alone among non-evangelicals in this view of him. I am only hoping for a Victory tonight, not praying, as the cynical press would have the world believe.

poor, misguided opportunist. By the way, Mitt – what color are the walls of that fund office in the Caymans?

Good point...last thing we need is a religious nut sitting in the corner of the dining room taking up space, eventually serving as a dusty coat rack. Maybe if Mittens folded up and slid under the bed for easy storage...

Either one would be a nice addition to your collection!