Waiting around for the Hawkeye Cauci is making me more jittery than a six-year-old waiting around for Santa Claus. I'm actually planning on attending a caucus-watching party on Thursday night in the Portland area. (I know, I am SUCH a politial junkie!)
A lot has transpired in the last few days. Mike Huckabee created a negative campaign ad (attacking Mitt Romney, obviously), but pulled it at the last second. The catch, however, was that in the press conference where he announced he was pulling the ad, he actually showed it to the reporters, who met it with chuckling. Some have called Huckabee a hypocrite, the non-politician in the race acting like a politician using the media for free air-time.
Those, however, were not Huckabee's intentions. I don't think he would pull something like that. He wanted to take the high-road, and he might not have completely thought it through, but really, he only had two choices, and they were both potential lose-lose: Choice #1--Pull the ad, and NOT show it at the press conference; and Choice #2--Pull the ad AND show it at the press conference (what actually transpired); and well, I guess there was another choice...Choice #3--DON'T pull the ad and continue as scheduled.
Ramifications of the choices: Ramification #1--Stays positive, but the press and the people may not believe that he actually had produced an attack ad, Huckabee could be labeled as a liar and/or a wimp for not attacking back; Ramification #2--Stays positive, but press thinks Huckabee pulled a stunt to gain free air-time, labeled as a hypocrite and a politician; Ramification #3--Huckabee loses his reputation for running a completely positive campaign, and he's attacked as a hypocrite.
Looking at the choices/ramifications, I'd say he chose what he thought was best, and I applaud him for that. I applaud him for staying positive, even if that means losing. Huckabee's breaking the mold by turning the other cheek, and many people find that odd, but many people find that refreshing, as well--one of Huckabee's big appeals.
Here is a video of Huckabee explaining his move this morning in Iowa:
-Cydney
Cross-posted on The Celebrity.
Posted by Cydney at January 01, 2008 10:18 AM | Email ThisI don't know what his intentions are. But I don't buy that he is any more positive than anyone else has been in the GOP field.
Posted by: pudge on January 1, 2008 02:51 PMThe Mormon line was a question in an interview...I honestly don't think he meant harm. It is true, by the way...^_^ I have about 3 dozen Mormon relatives...
I definitely think he's been more positive than Romney, you have to go give him that. Romney has run attack ad after attack ad. McCain is now fighting back (good for him!).