Stories related to: Mike Huckabee

It’s a myth that running mates put a ticket over the top, former Bush speechwriter David Frum writes in the New Republic —so John McCain might as well just look to the future of the Republican Party. "Keep in mind that, when you choose, you may well be choosing a future leader of the party," Frum pleads, "a leader whose impact could well equal or exceed your own." More »

Dear wannabe running mates, here’s how to campaign for the No. 2 job, per Mark Halperin in Time : DO: Prove you can be an attack dog while maintaining “eloquence.” Suck up to Michelle/Cindy. They’ll have the final say before the final say. Notify the campaign of every appearance you plan to make. Prove you’ve got something the future nominee needs. More »

Mike Huckabee's as busy as ever two months after dropping out of the GOP race, giving speeches around the country and campaigning for GOP candidates everywhere—including, of course, John McCain, who is said to have the former preacher on the top of his list of potential veeps. So would he accept? "It's impolite to start saying that if the captain of the football team were to invite me to the prom, that I already have a dress picked out," Huckabee told Newsweek. More »

At an NRA convention today, Mike Huckabee quipped that an offstage sound was Barack Obama leaping from a loaded gun. “That was Barack Obama,” the former Arkansas governor said. “He just tripped off a chair. He's getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he—he dove for the floor." The Obama camp has not yet returned fire over the remark, the AP reports. More »

On a losing streak in special elections, the GOP is pouring money and star power into the 1st District of Mississippi, which votes today, The Hill reports. Greg Davis has drawn support from the cash-strapped NRCC and visits from Dick Cheney and Mike Huckabee in his effort to beat out Travis Childers for the seat Roger Wicker vacated when he replaced Trent Lott in the Senate. More »

Ron Paul conceded the GOP nomination months ago, but the Texas representative, buoyed by fervent followers, is still out on the stump, looking to the future. “There is no way I could turn it off," he tells Politico. "I went up to Penn State and had 1,500 people. So it’s just sort of going to go on.” More »

Former rivals John McCain and Mike Huckabee stumped side-by-side in Arkansas today, reviving rumors that they may form a joint ticket for the November election, CNN reports. Huckabee "can be a great asset to our campaign," McCain said. Huckabee, who has announced a new book and political action committee, joined McCain on his tour of economically depressed—and historically Democratic—regions. More »

While the Democratic candidates were grinding away at each other last night, some other normally stiff shirts were loosening up at the Radio and Television Correspondents annual dinner in DC. The high points: Dressed in hunting hat and shades (no naked lady), Dick Cheney spoofed Barack Obama’s blue-collar gaffe (“Obviously you’re not the kind to look down on a bitter man who clings to his guns”) and Hillary Clinton’s whiskey shot (“Looked like she replaced Mark Penn with Johnnie Walker.’) More »

Barack Obama got some unexpected help yesterday from Mike Huckabee, of all people. The former candidate called Obama’s speech “historic” and said it wasn’t fair to hold candidates accountable for everything the people near them say, ABC News reports. Huckabee, once a pastor himself, said he understood how Wright could get “caught up in the emotion” of an extemporaneous sermon and warned against taking his comments out of context. More »

With the GOP nomination in the bag, speculation is shifting to John McCain's possible choices for running mate, the New York Times reports. The 71-year-old McCain would become the oldest person ever elected as a first-term president if he wins this November so there's likely to be even more interest than usual on his choice of vice president. His campaign says there's no short list yet. More »

John McCain officially clinched the Republican nomination for president tonight, the Washington Post reports. Mike Huckabee conceded after McCain racked up easy wins in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island to surpass the necessary number of delegates—1,191. He is expected to go to the White House tomorrow to collect an endorsement from President Bush. More »

Barack Obama and John McCain won their primaries in Vermont tonight, the Burlington Free Press reports. For Obama, it's his 12th straight political victory over Hillary Clinton, though the bigger focus comes later tonight when voters in Ohio and Texas weigh in. Rhode Island also votes. McCain, meanwhile, edges closer to officially securing the GOP nomination, which he could do tonight. More »

Hillary Clinton is the sturdy candidate resembling Microsoft, John McCain evokes Hummer, and Mike Huckabee’s the Applebee’s of the field, but only Barack Obama "has the secret sauce that Brand America needs to regain its appeal." media consultant Jeff Yang writes in Salon. Yang is part of a team studying the "brand's" international standing, and he shares some insights. More »

Hillary Clinton's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" confirms not just that the show is back from the writers' strike, writes Matt Roush in TV Guide, but back "smack dab in the center of today’s political dialogue." The sight of Clinton and identically dressed alter ego Amy Poehler onstage was "an image no one will soon forget." More »

While acknowledging success for Mike Huckabee is "mathematically impossible," the Dallas Morning News today endorsed the ex-Arkansas governor. The editorial board praised his “good-natured approach to politics” and acknowledged that its continuing support is more symbolic than practical, calling a vote for Huckabee “a good investment in the Republican Party's future.” More »

Even the presidential candidates who miss out on the White House will feel the effects of their campaigns for years to come. The mad dash to the Oval Office—speeches all day, deadline pressures, cross-country tours—puts tremendous stress on the body. Forbes takes on the low points: Sleep deprivation, leading to memory losses and risky decision-making. Poor diets, causing that waist to grow (Clinton favors ice cream; Obama, French fries). More »

Mike Huckabee wants to debate John McCain, he told a sparsely attended press conference today. Campaign finance laws may make the presumptive nominee “go completely dark between virtually now and the nomination convention,” said Huckabee, who described himself as “disappointed” at the lack of GOP debates, MSNBC reports. More »

A whopping three in four US voters say the Democrats will pick Barack Obama as presidential nominee, according to a USA Today /Gallup poll released today. Expectations for the Illinois senator beat the poll's error margin for the first time and even bested John McCain's numbers over Mike Huckabee: Only 61% of those polled said McCain would nab the GOP nomination. More »

Ok, so he's not a math guy, but GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee proved on Saturday Night Live that he can take a ribbing as well as anyone. “Weekend Update” host Seth Meyers pointed out to Huck that even if he wins every remaining delegate, the candidate would still fall 200 short, and a nomination would be a "mathematical impossibility." More »

Janet Huckabee put on her least social conservative-friendly face last weekend, going to Las Vegas for a middleweight prizefight—and staying at the Hooters Casino Hotel. The spouse of GOP candidate Mike has fine excuses—boxer Jermain Taylor is an Arkansas favorite; the risqué lodging was an eleventh-hour booking—but the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the wild weekend might shock her husband’s evangelical base. More »