Would McCain/Huckabee have fared better?

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

At least Huckabee is able to sound intelligent when spouting his wackiness.  And he has all the far-right cred that Palin has and more.

[Workers' Friend]

Likely, yes.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Probably.  But only in the South.  Like I said with Pawlenty, he would make the difference in North Carolina, Indiana, and Missouri.  Pawlenty would drop them, Huckabee would probably take them for McCain.

But would Huckabee have hurt less outside of the South than Palin did?

If the goal of picking Palin was to shore up the base on the Right, Huckabee would have done that just as well as Palin without Palin's enormous negatives.

Dude sounds like an NPR commentator, not a Baptist minister and former governor of Arkansas.  And not like some small-town mayor who's just hit the big-time and is swinging way out of her league.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Not at all.  Palin was among the best picks.  McCain needed one of two things:

1.) A VP that would get the base energized and be a game changer
2.) A VP that had tons of economic experience

Huckabee would have been a terrible pick, the base did not want him, there's a reason talk radio jumped all over Romney in the primary.  Palin was the second best pick with Romney third.  Without a jumpstarter pick, McCain would have trailed double digits the whole race and never brought it close.

While it sounds crazy, the best pick for McCain most likely would have Jindal

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Not at all.  Palin was among the best picks.  McCain needed one of two things:

1.) A VP that would get the base energized and be a game changer

Huckabee has enormous grassroots support.  It's the party establishment that hates him.  That's why talk radio destroyed him.  As a VP pick, those same morons would have rallied around him as a True Believer.

2.) A VP that had tons of economic experience

Huckabee's economic ideas would have played extremely well with the middle class after the market crashed.  Hindsight, 20/20, I know, but it would have been a bonus.

He's a guy who can talk Jesus to the Jesus people, then go on the Daily Show and hang with Jon Stewart.  There aren't a whole lot of politicians that versatile.

[J. J.]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

[Workers' Friend]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

Yes, Agreed. Are Fiscal Conservatives THAT scared of Huckabee?

[elcorazon]

yes.  Huckabee might've pulled McCAin over the line in NC and possibly Florida, maybe Indiana as well. Not enough though to win PA or any of the western states, I don't think, so ultimately McCain still loses.  The guy wouldn't have become a laughing stock though and still would have helped with the evangelical part of the base.

[J. J.]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

It's not just his economics.  He seems to hugely Fundamentalist and willing to use big government methods to promote it.

Small government conservatives are THAT afraid of him.

[Workers' Friend]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

It's not just his economics.  He seems to hugely Fundamentalist and willing to use big government methods to promote it.

Small government conservatives are THAT afraid of him.

Then, you'll have to vote Obama/Biden in 2012. (Unless Romney wins, but I have some doubt.)

[J. J.]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

It's not just his economics.  He seems to hugely Fundamentalist and willing to use big government methods to promote it.

Small government conservatives are THAT afraid of him.

Then, you'll have to vote Obama/Biden in 2012. (Unless Romney wins, but I have some doubt.)

In the primaries, I already said that if it was a choice between Huckabee and Obama, I'd vote Obama.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

McCain/Huckabee, I would have voted Obama/Biden.

Well, yeah, but most of America doesn't have economic views to the right of Frederick Hayek.

It's not just his economics.  He seems to hugely Fundamentalist and willing to use big government methods to promote it.

Small government conservatives are THAT afraid of him.

Then, you'll have to vote Obama/Biden in 2012. (Unless Romney wins, but I have some doubt.)

Huckabee's not going to win the nomination, not with today's GOP.  The party establishment will destroy him in 2012 just like they did in 2008.  Only way he's getting on a ticket is through the back door.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

The GOP is a headless, thrashing beast, lashing out in all directions.  The conservative movement in America is a shambles, at a time in which most Americans are conservative.  Figure that one out.

[RJ]

Palin was essentially Huckabee as a woman so the difference would be minimal. I think McCain carries North Carolina, but the margin in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania goes even higher for Obama. I bet Ted Stevens is happy it was Palin and not Huckabee.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I bet Ted Stevens is happy it was Palin and not Huckabee.

That is true, Palin saved us a senate seat

[AltWorlder]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

The GOP is a headless, thrashing beast, lashing out in all directions.  The conservative movement in America is a shambles, at a time in which most Americans are conservative.  Figure that one out.

There's that theory that Republicans work best in the opposition, but once they get to power, they can't govern.

Same principle applies here I guess.

[paul718]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

I agree.  This is one of the reasons I think 2012 will be another ugly one for the GOP.

[J. J.]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

I agree.  This is one of the reasons I think 2012 will be another ugly one for the GOP.

You had that in 1980 as well. 

[Daniel Z]

Palin was essentially Huckabee as a woman so the difference would be minimal. I think McCain carries North Carolina, but the margin in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania goes even higher for Obama. I bet Ted Stevens is happy it was Palin and not Huckabee.

Not quite. They have similar positions, but Huckabee is much more articulate and probably could have avoided becoming the laughing stock that Pailin was.

[paul718]

I'm sensing a war within the GOP pretty soon, against the economic conservatives and the populists, much like the Ford v. Reagan war in 1976.

I agree.  This is one of the reasons I think 2012 will be another ugly one for the GOP.

You had that in 1980 as well. 

True, but the GOP had a clear front-runner from the outset. 

[© tweed]

are people seriously calling Huckabee a 'populist'?  yeah cuz FairTax just reeks of William Jennings Bryan

[jaichind]

Not so sure about that.  Lets look at exit polls in 2000 and compare them in 2008

                                 2000 Bush      2000 Gore     2008 McCain    2008 Obama
Men                                53                   42                  48                   49
Women                           43                   54                  43                   56
White Males                    60                   36                  57                   41
White Females                49                   48                  53                   46

McCain actually increased GOP share of the White Females vote from 2000. A major reason must be Palin. 

[paul718]

are people seriously calling Huckabee a 'populist'?  yeah cuz FairTax just reeks of William Jennings Bryan

He didn't advocate the Fair Tax until his presidential run.  I believe he governed Arkansas as a populist.  Sort of like how social conservatives distrusted Giuliani and Romney when they said they would appoint conservative judges.