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Huckabee's Free Market Populism

By Philip Klein on 2.26.09 @ 2:29PM

Mike Huckabee just finished speaking here at CPAC, and what was pretty clear is that he's trying to win over skeptical economic conservatives by reframing his populism in free market terms. He blasted the stimulus bill and the bailout, and emphasized that taxpayers shouldn't be bailing out banking executives who messed up. He claimed he was "prophetic" during the campaign for warning about the dangers of the "Wall Street to Washington axis of power."

It wouldn't be a Huckabee speech, of course, without some bizzare metaphors and anecdotes. At one point, he told of a boy who brings teacher a leaking box that she assumes is an adult beverage from his father's liquor store, but it's actually a puppy. That was Huckabee's way of saying that "things are not always the way they seem" when it comes to the plight of Republicans.

He also spoke about how you can't just store a boat in the warehouse, you need to take it into the water and take risks. We have to learn to be "water conservatives, not warehouse conservatives," he said.

View all comments (7) | Leave a comment

Jean | 2.26.09 @ 3:03PM

Can you post the video? Can't wait to watch it.

Alan Brooks| 2.26.09 @ 3:05PM

he is trying to win over skeptical econ cons to what?
his bid for the presidency in 2012? Huck hasn't got a prayer-- Obama has got '12 sewn up already.
you don't believe it now but you will later.

Earl Anderson| 2.26.09 @ 3:46PM

Alan the only way Obama has got '12 sewed up already is if a coup is in the wind. 4 years is a long time in politics. I'm sure many people thought Carter had '80 sewn up right after he dispatched Ford to land of unemployed presidents.

John Galt| 2.26.09 @ 3:47PM

Huckabee predicting the economic problems ? ?

Naw, that was Ron Paul, who was conservative even when Huckster was talking about Socialism during the last campaign. Who predicted the economic Downturn, when the other neocons were saying the skys the limit ( see the Detroit debate for Guliani, Mitt and Huck's Economic Acumen.

iamse7en| 2.26.09 @ 7:01PM

I look forward to the day when I no longer have to hear or see Mike Huckabee.

Alan Brooks| 2.26.09 @ 7:22PM

Carter only got elected because of Ford not being elected veep, and because the electorate was still angry with Nixon.
Obama's case is different. in '94-5 my conservative friends told me Clinton would never be reelected, but i had a hunch they were wrong. today those same people are conning themselves Obama wont be re-elected.

bluecollarbytes| 2.27.09 @ 8:03AM

Huckabee is a "personality". We already got one of those in the form of Barack Obama {who also happens to be a committed radical}.

Huckabee's personality quirks, affectations, etc. sum up Huckabee-The-Entertainer. In addition, I for one will not support any Republican who, this early in The Game, tries to boost their own 'ranking' by cutting others down to a lower level.

Truth is the Huckster 'lost me' when he cloaked himself in born-again Christianity as some kind of merit badge in order to highlight Romney's Mormonism. {it was dirtier than that, but I'm trying to be polite here}.