The 'Reaganesque' Mike Huckabee
Can Mike Huckabee win the GOP presidential nomination in 2016? To quote Sarah Palin: “You betcha.”
I have one word to sum up Mike Huckabee: "Reaganesque."
That's right. I said it. He really does remind The Brody File of Ronald Reagan. He has a folksy charm and a humor that can diffuse a situation and make people comfortable even if you don't like his policies. He's hard to hate and that's not easy to do as a politician.
But that's Huckabee’s charm. He's a politician that doesn't act like one. He's not a flame thrower. He's really just a regular guy from Arkansas that likes to play the guitar, enjoy a good meal, and worship God (he also happens to be really smart, too). Not many candidates can pull that off.
Also, let’s be candid here for a moment. Can we stop with this idea that Huckabee only plays to the evangelical crowd because he’s a former pastor? Oy-gevalt!
Yes, he has a relationship with evangelicals since he’s one of them, but Huckabee has much broader appeal than just evangelicals. His common sense talk and “fly over country” mentality strikes a chord with many folks who may not consider themselves traditional evangelical voters.
Huckabee has three big challenges:
First, he has to find big-time wealthy donors who will pony up serious cash for a serious run. Otherwise forget it.
As for the second challenge, I like to call it the "jincarperryrandcruztorum problem." That's shorthand for all the other presidential candidates who could siphon off that evangelical vote Huckabee will need in the primary states. Bobby Jindal, Ben Carson, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum will all get a piece of that evangelical pie.Huckabee needs the biggest slice to have a serious shot.
The final challenge will come from the Club For Growth crowd, along with the dedicated fiscal libertarian Tea Party crowd who will beat Huckabee up over his record on taxes when he was governor of Arkansas. They think he’s a big government conservative.
Bottom line? If the money flows, Huckabee can soar. His demeanor and communication skills put him above the pack. He’s a Reagan in waiting.