Huckabee: The Vice President for McCain?

I Like Mike Huckabee and Charmaine

“The [Republican] establishment won’t have it…” said a high senior adviser to Huckabee (not Charmaine).

Speculation abounds on Huckabee being VP to McCain.

Salena Zito from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports in Huckabee: It ain’t over ’til it’s over, that even Larry Sabato from Mr. Jefferson’s University is suggesting this end game,

“Sabato says that there’s no question that Huckabee wants McCain to win if Huckabee cannot.

“Huckabee, like McCain, hates Romney. That is obvious. Let’s see what happens on Feb. 5. Huckabee may be splitting off enough evangelical votes to hurt Romney and help McCain. That may be Huckabee’s calculation. Eventually, he wants to be McCain’s running mate,” Sabato said. “

(What Sabato very graciously leaves out is that none of the candidates care for Romney. The public doesn’t really like him much either…)

People Like Mike. Huckabee.

Ronald Reagan would often remark on the “Difference between box office and critics.”

The critics — the establishment, the pundits and, well, the bloggers are often at odds with the box office. The public who buys the tickets. And who votes.

But today the critics, like Sabato, might be right. And might be aligned with the people. It might be possible for the voting public at the box office and ballot box to overwhelm the establishment-GOP-institution. To go against The Man. To go against gasp! Rush Limbaugh. Or Hannity or Ingraham or — [add establishment figure here].

The real story in this election is not the division between the critics and the box office. But the realignment. The ‘Establishment’ has now become ‘Limbaugh-Hannity-Ingraham.’

McCain and/or Huckabee will win. The Man will lose.

Mike Huckabee is running for President. And polls point to a long shot.

But if he doesn’t hit this cycle, he is in the game and is the dominant contender in any future scenario.

Thank you (foot)notes:

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Charmaine served as a paid adviser to the Huckabee campaign. She also worked in the Reagan White House.

Your Business Blogger’s first consulting gig was in Reagan’s Department of Education, in the Office of Bilingual Education. Si, hablo Espanol!

See the Washington Post, Huckabee Could Impact Tuesday’s Results, By LIZ SIDOTI, The Associated Press, Sunday, February 3, 2008; 9:59 PM,

Speculation also abounds that he is positioning himself for a vice presidential slot. And with no job to fall back on, and with books to sell and speaking engagements to line up, it’s possible Huckabee believes his stock will rise higher the longer he stays in the race.

“I’m running for president,” he contends, refusing to entertain such talk.

Don Suber says, It’s Over.

Visit The Other McCain. And be sure to visit us at Reasoned Audacity at CPAC.